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Asshole cyclists... is there any other kind?

Are cyclists Assholes, in general?

  • Total voters
    32
CLAX1911 said:
The road is a dangerous place for people in cars and trucks. And you want to get out of bike and get into that? That doesn't seem very smart.
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Whuffo?


Yeah, I participated in that as well.
 
Rexedgar said:
Google “whuffo.”
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So it's an attempt by idiots to Mock more intelligent people.

I would say what for to people who participate in Russian roulette do you do that? If not why not I'm sure it's an adrenaline rush. How about cooking grenades?
 
CLAX1911 said:
So it's an attempt by idiots to Mock more intelligent people.

I would say what for to people who participate in Russian roulette do you do that? If not why not I'm sure it's an adrenaline rush. How about cooking grenades?
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I knew you’d understand....
 
Bodhisattva said:
That is pretty much all we have around here... and every time I see a biker I think that they are crazy for taking their lives into their hands like that.
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Here too. We have a really bad stretch coming into town... about 7-10 miles worth. No shoulder, hill on one side of the road, drop offs on other with guard rails and lots of small hills necessitating no passing zones. Speed limit is 70 mph and a lot of semi's use this road. Combine that it's a pretty, pretty ride we get thousands of bikers through in the summer months. I got a few grey hairs this summer almost hitting a biker. He had one of those low to the ground bikes pulling one of those two wheeled trailer things. I was following a truck pulling a camper, COULD NOT SEE THE BIKER at all. The camper passed across a double line, I had to hit the brakes, had I even been momentarily distracted he'd have been wrapped around my axle.
 
Winchester said:
Here too. We have a really bad stretch coming into town... about 7-10 miles worth. No shoulder, hill on one side of the road, drop offs on other with guard rails and lots of small hills necessitating no passing zones. Speed limit is 70 mph and a lot of semi's use this road. Combine that it's a pretty, pretty ride we get thousands of bikers through in the summer months. I got a few grey hairs this summer almost hitting a biker. He had one of those low to the ground bikes pulling one of those two wheeled trailer things. I was following a truck pulling a camper, COULD NOT SEE THE BIKER at all. The camper passed across a double line, I had to hit the brakes, had I even been momentarily distracted he'd have been wrapped around my axle.
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I am glad that you avoided that...
 
SMTA said:
Threads like this are a waste of bandwidth.
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I am fine if you want to continue semi-following me from thread to thread insulting me for no apparent reason... but have you given any thought as to why you do it?
 
In America, I don't think so, they're all bad. The one's I seen in Germany though seemed to be respectful of the law and had a sense of self preservation while riding that those here in America don't seem to have.
 
nota bene said:
For me it's a matter of math (whether a bike or motorcycle): One vehicle goes into one bike one time.
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I like your simple illustrative description.

I wonder how many people would choose to walk in a pedestrian lane if one were installed on a freeway? I'm not good at math but I can only imagine what the formula looks like on paper describing the release of energy onto a human body from a vehicle only traveling at 15 miles more of speed than a cyclist?

nota bene said:
Another law about which I wish some of my newer city-folk neighbors were aware as they haul ass down my road in their insanely expensive trucks: One cow or horse goes into one vehicle one time.
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Hitting a cow at 60mph is like hitting a 5 foot high stack of wet sand bags. Almost as bad as hitting a telephone pole. But way more "colorful".
 
Mithros said:
I'd say cell phone use in cars is north of 20% in the States. It's ridiculously common. When you're on a bike you're typically in an elevated position relative to most cars. You can see in. There are a lot of phones. What gets me is the number of people who are using their phones to talk. How can so many people have so many people to talk to?
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I see MANY cyclists today using their smart phones to text as they ride. Not your average road bike enthusiasts on bicycles, but bicycle commuters are all using their cell phones same as people driving cars.

Mithros said:
Yes, there are asshole cyclists. Yes there are asshole drivers. Yes there are asshole pedestrians. Cyclists, drivers, and pedestrians are all people. People can be assholes.



For example, a group of cyclists will travel as a group because it's faster, more efficient, and gives drivers the best opportunity to pass. It would take a car a lot longer to individually pass 15 cyclists than it would to pass one group of 15. It's also easier to pass a shorter group than a longer group.
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Traffic laws do not treat "groups of cyclists" as one unit. Each operater is required to observe the same rules of traffic as each individual automobile. Three tiny Smart Cars to not all get to roll through a stop sign together just because they as a group are the same length of a 1962 Chrysler Imperial.


Mithros said:
In almost every local its' legal to cross a double yellow to pass a cyclist. The shorter the group of cyclists, the safer and easier that is.
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This isn't true, not to pass. In an emergency giving room to a stopped/disabled vehicle to your right in the lane is legal after you have carefully looked for and yielded to oncoming traffic in the opposite lane. However people on bicycles---same as slow moving cars and trucks, will have a duty to keep right and/or eventually use a pullout to allow traffic behind to pass. Law is the same for bicycles too.

And one reason why a car should not cross a double yellow line is because they may not be seen by oncoming cars until too late. And what is the natural reaction of someone in a car confronted with a vehicle in their lane headed straight for them with no room to the right to avoid a collision? Yeah you guessed it, they will cross over to the opposite lane to avoid a head on collision possible hitting other cars coming up behind the offending lane crosser. And God help a group of bicyclist in that lane in that situation.



Mithros said:
This means it's important to keep the group together in many circumstances. So when going through any traffic device the cyclists will act as a single unit. This is the safest and smartest way to proceed. A group of 10 cyclists can go through an intersection at about the same rate as a single cyclist. Expecting each cyclist to stop and wait independently would make the cars in the intersection wait far longer, and would then interleave the motorized vehicles making future passes more dangerous and even slower.
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Not sure where you live but that is not legal where I live. Efficiency of a group does not supersede an obligation to yield to another vehicle with the right of way.


Mithros said:
Finally, realize that cyclists have seen far more asshole drivers than you've seen asshole cyclists. The difference is that those asshole drivers can end our lives, while an asshole cyclist can only slightly inconvenience you .
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I ride a bicycle and drive a car, and the percentage of a-hole entitled people on bicycles is pretty much equal to people in cars. I see far more people on bicycles just completely blowing out stop signs and red lights. I also see as many people on a bicycle (especially where it is now legal to ride a bicycle on a sidewalk) riding way to fast past pedestrians. A bicycle going 15-20 mph whizzing past an elderly pedestrian or a small child can be just as lethal as a car hitting a bicycle.

EVERYONE needs to follow the same rules
 
In my experience, groups of bicyclists don't often pull over to let cars pass. I did see a group pulled over by the police one time, but I don't know what for, as I drove on my way.
 
I live in a community where there are very few cyclists. I guess I'm lucky. It's a spread out area with lots of McMansions.
 
SDET said:
I live in a community where there are very few cyclists. I guess I'm lucky. It's a spread out area with lots of McMansions.
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That's because they are all riding stationary bicycles with computer screens in front of them screaming "Pump it you fat pig!"
 
Court Jester said:
I like your simple illustrative description.

I wonder how many people would choose to walk in a pedestrian lane if one were installed on a freeway? I'm not good at math but I can only imagine what the formula looks like on paper describing the release of energy onto a human body from a vehicle only traveling at 15 miles more of speed than a cyclist?

Hitting a cow at 60mph is like hitting a 5 foot high stack of wet sand bags. Almost as bad as hitting a telephone pole. But way more "colorful".
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Yes, in that knock-all-your-teeth-out-of-your-mouth/fly-through-your-windshield/lucky-if-you-live kind of way.
 
1. I live in Los Angeles, where some city "leaders" want people to bike rather than drive.

a. Oh, yeah, people are going to bike miles to work and back home.
b. Oh, yeah, people are going to carry their groceries on their bikes.
c. Oh, yeah, people are going to take their kids to school by bike.

2. These "leaders" got a law passed that penalizes drivers if they get too close to bikes on the street. But laws regulating the behavior of bike riders are not enforced.

3. Of course, some bikers are terrified of the streets (I can't blame them!), so they ride on the sidewalk and terrorize pedestrians.

4. If I had my druthers, I would outlaw bicycles in the city. City "leaders," however, apparently want to recreate Beijing of the 1950s!
 
TheParser said:
1. I live in Los Angeles, where some city "leaders" want people to bike rather than drive.

a. Oh, yeah, people are going to bike miles to work and back home.
b. Oh, yeah, people are going to carry their groceries on their bikes.
c. Oh, yeah, people are going to take their kids to school by bike.
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Part of the push in that wacky city is to have everyone living in large urban mixed use retail and residential rental buildings, and all commuting done by public transportation: bicycles, scooters, or unicorns. Call it social engineering, along with a fair share of car/carbon fuel shaming.

My issue is that bicycles and unicorn riders don't pay any taxes or fees so they shouldn't be given preference over the people actually paying for the roads.

TheParser said:
2. These "leaders" got a law passed that penalizes drivers if they get too close to bikes on the street. But laws regulating the behavior of bike riders are not enforced.
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I like the idea of giving anyone more space by a larger vehicle passing either a bicycle, pedestrian--- or even a disabled car on the shoulder. Common sense---- and then of course who wants to hit someone and be responsible for civil damages. But you are correct, often bicycle riders put THEMSELVES in places where they are more at risk assuming the car sees them---- or is a driver willing to follow that "3 foot rule". Some bicycle riders use the "law" as their reason to play chicken with less than safe automobile drivers--- or often crazy angry people behind the wheel.

But be advised: it is now a FELONY in your city to "harass" someone on a bicycle from a car. Which could mean the bicycle rider does some bozo or entitled move and you roll your window down and get next to them and flip them off and cuss at them----- and they get you on video.... Well, you may be arrested for a FELONY. So my advice is stay the hell away from these entitled bicycle bozos, give them space, and be aware that in many progressive cities these folks are considered a 'protected class'. These are the virtuous ones saving the planet.

TheParser said:
. Of course, some bikers are terrified of the streets (I can't blame them!), so they ride on the sidewalk and terrorize pedestrians.
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Some jurisdiction now allow bicycle riders to ride on the sidewalks if at the bicycle rider's discretion it is safer than being in a traffic lane. But every city may be different on this. Los Angeles I believe allows it as long as the bicycle rider on the sidewalk is traveling the same direction as the flow of traffic. And of course they too are required to yield to pedestrians and ride safely near them.

Other cities say no sidewalk riding in "a business district" and some may define a residential street as a "business" if there are rental units (also considered a business).

TheParser said:
4. If I had my druthers, I would outlaw bicycles in the city. City "leaders," however, apparently want to recreate Beijing of the 1950s!
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I don't care about bicycles in the city as long as they follow the same rules as cars and then assume their own risk. I personally only ride on bike trails dedicated only to pedestrians and bicycles; I will not ride near cars because I don't want to be hit by a car. I'm so cautious in fact that even as a pedestrian I always walk facing the flow of traffic even when walking on a SIDEWALK. If people ever looked into how many distracted drivers today (texting on cell phones) are jumping the curbs, side swiping parked cars, or rear ending cars, motorcycle riders, bicycle riders and PEDESTRIANS, they would not want to be near any moving vehicles unless they are driving a giant 5 ton truck.

I am also a very courteous bicycle rider. I follow all of the laws, I come to a stop for stop signs, and I yield to pedestrians ALWAYS. My thing is I want to be an example whether riding, walking, or driving of how people ought to behave. I want people to say, "hey there goes a courteous and safe driver/rider because maybe that will inspire others to act the same way.
 
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I'd just like to see them stop at stop signs once in a while. Rules of the road are supposed to apply to them too!
 
Court Jester said:
I am also a very courteous bicycle rider. I follow all of the laws, I come to a stop for stop signs, and I yield to pedestrians ALWAYS. My thing is I want to be an example whether riding, walking, or driving of how people ought to behave. I want people to say, "hey there goes a courteous and safe driver/rider because maybe that will inspire others to act the same way.
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Sadly, there are many young and old people who could not care less about good examples.

They think that they are exempt from the law or common courtesy.

As some people told our community leader who courteously asked them to keep the music down late at night: "This is America. We can do whatever we like."

Some people understand only one thing: An iron fist when it comes to law enforcement.



Have a nice weekend!
 
ajn678 said:
I remember when I was at college, and people would ride their bikes at 100 mph around corners. Skateboards too. One of the best moments there for me was seeing someone on a skateboard hit over someone on a bike. I'm sure this makes me somewhat of an asshole, but they generally had little concern of the general safety of people considering how most of them rode.
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Yes, some cyclists may be quite a terror!
 
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