I really hate being stuck behind (revised)...

[jbombelli]

Sure you aren't. That kind of "ok go ahead but if you get killed or paralyzed don't come whining to me" stuff is never a passive-aggressive threat. Sure.

There's a big difference between threatening somebody and not giving a **** if they do stupid things and get themselves killed.

I'm not defensive at all. You just keep mentioning death and paralysis as if it is a likely outcome of riding a bicycle on the street, when it is fact not likely at all. I make the choice to ride every day and I have a far better understanding of the 'dangers' of cycling than some guy who goes everywhere in a car and complains about the incredible inconvenience of having to share the road with other modes of transportation.

You are more likely to hurt yourself while typing than I am to have an accident on a bicycle, you'd do well to remember that.

Death or paralysis is a likely eventual outcome of riding like an asshat. I don't complain about sharing the roads. I complain about asshats, whether they be on a bicycle, in a car, or driving that 18-wheeler 2 feet off somebody's rear bumper instead of passing them.

So you're invincible, huh? You're such a good rider that you're never going to have an accident? Good luck with that. I've seen a lot of people over the years die or end up seriously injured because they grew complacent, thinking it wouldn't happen to them. And the smaller your vehicle, the more defensive you need to be. But hey... you don't need to hear that ... it'll NEVER happen to YOU.

 

[Stickfight]

According to you riding in the road == riding like an asshat. And I've been doing that since I was 14 or so, many thousands of miles per year, and I'm not yet killed or paralyzed. But I'm USCF cat 1 so I go faster than 10 mph and I'm not sure if that is your upper or lower limit for asshattery or what.

But again, no I'm not likely to have an accident while riding my bicycle. I've never been even close to a circumstance where I'd ride my bike off the road and hit a house, for instance. Or didn't notice a school bus next to me a rode into it. Or fell asleep while riding and ran into a bunch of people. Or rode my bike into another house. Or stopped paying attention long enough to ride into a street sweeper and kill myself. It seems people in cars not paying attention will hunt you down and kill or paralyze you no matter where you hide. Even inside buildings, they'll drive right in.

So no, I'm not invincible and I'm not saying I'll never have an accident. I've just turned thousands of miles on a bike and not seen any more of this danger you imagine is out there, compared to any other activity I undertake where I'm in the proximity of cars.

 

[Caleb]

Riding at 10 mph in a 50 mph speed zone, in the middle of the lane, on a two-lane road with a double-yellow line, and backing up traffic is being an asshat. If that guy gets rear-ended and killed because someone looked at their stereo for a second, no matter what else, no matter who's at fault, he'll still be dead and his loved ones (if he has any) will have to suffer through his loss.

But that's not my problem. It'll be theirs.

Who the hell rides 10 mph?

 

[92ThoStro]

I don't want to see cyclists on sidewalks. I don't want to have to constantly glance over my shoulder when I am on the sidewalk, because a cyclist could be behind me. Cyclists on sidewalks get into numerous accidents with pedestrian walkers. Many people will walk sideways right into a cyclist, or see the shadow and move over, only to find out they moved right into the way. Even though they say or should say passing on the left. Doesn't do much good for those people wear headphones though. AFAIK it is not illegal to ride on the sidewalk per IC, it's usually a city ordinance. Many cities do have the ordinance. Cyclists should be on the road. And no they shouldn't need to buy license plates or pay taxes, or register anything. They have zero emissions, and they don't cause wear and tear on the roadways. Cyclists might not be heavily watched here, but they are where I am from in the Bay Area. I was stopped for not wearing a helmet as a minor before. I have seen people get stopped for running a stop sign, and I have seen people get stopped for being on the wrong side of the road.

Cyclists are not that big of an inconvenience, most of the time people are just too scared to pass them, thinking they will veer off into their path or something. It isn't any different than passing a cop that is pulled over to the shoulder, or passing a mailman delivering mail, or a broken down vehicle. And STAY IN YOUR OWN LANE, do not cross the double yellow and get half way into the other lane while I am traveling in the opposite direction, because you want to give the cyclist 30 feet of space. They don't need that. They are more likely to get ran over when you collide head on with the other vehicle and one of you squishes him.


Mopeds I do admit are annoying. And I don't like how you don't need a drivers license to operate one.

According to you riding in the road == riding like an asshat. And I've been doing that since I was 14 or so, many thousands of miles per year, and I'm not yet killed or paralyzed. But I'm USCF cat 1 so I go faster than 10 mph and I'm not sure if that is your upper or lower limit for asshattery or what.

But again, no I'm not likely to have an accident while riding my bicycle. I've never been even close to a circumstance where I'd ride my bike off the road and hit a house, for instance. Or didn't notice a school bus next to me a rode into it. Or fell asleep while riding and ran into a bunch of people. Or rode my bike into another house. Or stopped paying attention long enough to ride into a street sweeper and kill myself. It seems people in cars not paying attention will hunt you down and kill or paralyze you no matter where you hide. Even inside buildings, they'll drive right in.

So no, I'm not invincible and I'm not saying I'll never have an accident. I've just turned thousands of miles on a bike and not seen any more of this danger you imagine is out there, compared to any other activity I undertake where I'm in the proximity of cars.

4 AM and I was laughing out loud when I read " Even inside buildings, they'll drive right in." Thanks for that one!

 

[rich8483]

the cyclists that bother me are the ones that ignore the traffic laws. they have the right to use the road like anyone else like mentioned and i get that but when they dont stop for signs or blow through red lets, or using the wrong lane to turn and do things that would otherwise be just as wreckless if they were driving a car, that bothers me. not all cyclists do that of course but i do find it fairly common.

courteous cyclists are not my bother but i find them to be the smaller group of cyclists and that is no offense to the cyclists on this board. a lot happen to be* kids and are unaware of regular traffic laws and should be taught before going out on major roads. a kid in a subdivision with plenty of room is hardly any bother to me as im not in a rush through that area anyway.

 

[LANShark42]

Yeah because riding where the people who built the roads intended for you to ride, is being an asshat. Riding on sidewalks, despite the people who built them intending them exclusively for pedestrian use, for the sole purpose of not 'inconveniencing' someone in a car for 15 seconds, is cool.

I bet a good many of you find it difficult to navigate your motor vehicles around any unusual object in the roadway. This is obvious from the fact that while riding around I see evidence you can't even keep your cars in the actual car lanes and slam into all sorts of stationary objects. But that isn't my problem, it is yours.

Try reading my entire post.

 

[Stickfight]

Try keeling up with the thread. jbombelli picked up your asshat baton and ran with it a couple of pages ago. I was replying to him, look one post above mine.

 

[printcraft]

Morons that pull out in front of you (when you are the only vehicle coming)
and proceed to go about 10mph under the posted limit.

 

[LANShark42]

Try keeling up with the thread. jbombelli picked up your asshat baton and ran with it a couple of pages ago. I was replying to him, look one post above mine.

I tried keeling up with the tread, but my boat is in drydock.

 

[Brandon]

buses, bikes, runners/joggers who wont use a schools track or the sidewalk, people going the speed limit or less in the left lane, people who cut you off just to slow down, people who see it's clear behind you yet have to pull out in front of you...

 

[Stickfight]

I tried keeling up with the tread, but my boat is in drydock.

I was replying while riding a bike 10 MPH in the middle of a lane in a 50 MPH zone. But at least I didn't ride into a house.

 

[Caleb]

I don't want to see cyclists on sidewalks. I don't want to have to constantly glance over my shoulder when I am on the sidewalk, because a cyclist could be behind me. Cyclists on sidewalks get into numerous accidents with pedestrian walkers. Many people will walk sideways right into a cyclist, or see the shadow and move over, only to find out they moved right into the way. Even though they say or should say passing on the left. Doesn't do much good for those people wear headphones though. AFAIK it is not illegal to ride on the sidewalk per IC, it's usually a city ordinance. Many cities do have the ordinance. Cyclists should be on the road. And no they shouldn't need to buy license plates or pay taxes, or register anything. They have zero emissions, and they don't cause wear and tear on the roadways. Cyclists might not be heavily watched here, but they are where I am from in the Bay Area. I was stopped for not wearing a helmet as a minor before. I have seen people get stopped for running a stop sign, and I have seen people get stopped for being on the wrong side of the road.

Cyclists are not that big of an inconvenience, most of the time people are just too scared to pass them, thinking they will veer off into their path or something. It isn't any different than passing a cop that is pulled over to the shoulder, or passing a mailman delivering mail, or a broken down vehicle. And STAY IN YOUR OWN LANE, do not cross the double yellow and get half way into the other lane while I am traveling in the opposite direction, because you want to give the cyclist 30 feet of space. They don't need that. They are more likely to get ran over when you collide head on with the other vehicle and one of you squishes him.


Mopeds I do admit are annoying. And I don't like how you don't need a drivers license to operate one.




4 AM and I was laughing out loud when I read " Even inside buildings, they'll drive right in." Thanks for that one!

I'm not suggesting you need to give them 30 feet, but at least 3-5 feet...too many times people stay in the lane as they pass me and their passenger mirror gets awfully close...too close for my safety and comfort.

 

[churchmouse]

Morons that pull out in front of you (when you are the only vehicle coming)
and proceed to go about 10mph under the posted limit.

One of my favorites as well. I really love the ones that are looking right at you when they do this.

Of course I have never ever made a mistake in traffic....ever.........