Why the hate for Cyclists?

[jamil]

It’s better if you just don’t take the thread seriously. It’s been entertaining. I got to learn boat rulz.

 

[Ingomike]

Cyclists, in fact, do not pay taxes that go to roads.

"There are a number of programs that distribute funding to local units of governments for the purposes of assisting them in the building and maintenance of roads and streets. The sources of revenue for these programs are the state gasoline tax, the special fuels tax, vehicle license fees, state court fees and several smaller sources of revenue."

State gasoline tax: not paid by cyclists.
Special fuels tax: not paid by cyclists.
Vehicle license fees: not paid by cyclists.
State court fees: not paid by cyclists. (I assume these are traffic court-related fees.)

Do you believe cyclists do not drive also, thereby paying those taxes? (Other than one friend I knew back in the day who is a unicorn.)

 

[chipbennett]

Do you believe cyclists do not drive also, thereby paying those taxes? (Other than one friend I knew back in the day who is a unicorn.)

So, what you're saying is that motorists pay those taxes? Thanks for confirming.

Cyclists who have paid those taxes have done so by virtue of being motorists, not cyclists. It is entirely conceivable that someone may own a bicycle while also not owning a motor vehicle.

 

[Ingomike]

So, what you're saying is that motorists pay those taxes? Thanks for confirming.

Cyclists who have paid those taxes have done so by virtue of being motorists, not cyclists. It is entirely conceivable that someone may own a bicycle while also not owning a motor vehicle.

Talk about points in minutiae…

 

[BehindBlueI's]

It’s better if you just don’t take the thread seriously. It’s been entertaining. I got to learn boat rulz.

And that crabs form gangs. Or at least have pot and knives. Or something. I had to downshift for a roundabout and lost my place. Damn near dropped my taco.

 

[chipbennett]

Talk about points in minutiae…

How is it "minutiae" to counter the assertion that cyclists have paid for roads to be built when none of the funding for roads to be built comes from cyclists?

Very odd hill to choose to die on. Given that I've stated up front that I don't have a problem with cyclists on public roads, and only expect them to follow the same traffic laws as motor vehicles, with all the same rights and responsibilities, your continual pressing of this specious claim only leads me to believe that you think cyclists should have not just the same rights as motorists, but should have more rights (and fewer responsibilities).

 

[KLB]

Do you believe cyclists do not drive also, thereby paying those taxes? (Other than one friend I knew back in the day who is a unicorn.)

A lot of people in cities own bikes and not cars.

You never explained how motorists should have to pay for another lane to be built when they already paid for and are paying for the ones that are built.

 

[KLB]

Yep. That's the reason why many states add on a separate registration fee for EVs and PHEV's every year. They pay no fuel tax for the roads that they use.

Indiana is one of them. I paid about twice as much for it as I would have paid in fuel tax, and it is going up next year.

 

[jamil]

Do you believe cyclists do not drive also, thereby paying those taxes? (Other than one friend I knew back in the day who is a unicorn.)

I have untaxed off road diesel in my tractor. Maybe I should have a can of taxed diesel lying around so whenever I need to drive it on the road I can top it off with a gallon of taxed diesel so I don't feel like I'm stealing taxpayers' road.

So, what you're saying is that motorists pay those taxes? Thanks for confirming.

Cyclists who have paid those taxes have done so by virtue of being motorists, not cyclists. It is entirely conceivable that someone may own a bicycle while also not owning a motor vehicle.

I dunno man. I get it. I even kinda half-joked about cyclists having to pay some sort of registration fee to pay for bike lanes, and make cyclists use it. But this whole part of the discussion seems kinda pedantic if we're being serious.

My son rode his bike on the road when he was a kid. OMG! he didn't pay taxes! Can I buy some extra gas I don't need to make up for it, or is it a forever debt he'll owe. ****. Is there a statute of limitations? I rode my bike on the road when I was a kid too.

The only part of this thread I'm taking seriously is the part where we're talking about how a portion of cyclists, which inexplicably over-represents their demographic proportion of people who act like dickheads. Not all obviously. Is it that cycling attracts dickheads? Kinda like maybe not all cyclists are dickheads, but all dickheads are cyclists? Is it the spandex that triggers the dickheadery? Are their helmets too tight?

Who knows? Obviously spandex and helmets don't turn everyone into dickheads. But. Here's a hypothesis. I just got a new Fox helmet; it's an extra-large, and I knew Fox helmets tend to run smallish. But it's an EXTRA LARGE! It's a bit tight. Maybe I'm being a dickhead, and it's because Fox helmets run a bit too small.

I did get to use it though. I don't recall being a dickhead to others, or not obeying the rules of the road. So maybe it's not the helmet size. Dang. Thought I was onto something there.

 

[jamil]

A lot of people in cities own bikes and not cars.

You never explained how motorists should have to pay for another lane to be built when they already paid for and are paying for the ones that are built.

Now there's a non-pedantic point about bike taxes. Zero bike lanes should be paid for through road taxes paid by motorists.

 

[Ingomike]

How is it "minutiae" to counter the assertion that cyclists have paid for roads to be built when none of the funding for roads to be built comes from cyclists?

Very odd hill to choose to die on. Given that I've stated up front that I don't have a problem with cyclists on public roads, and only expect them to follow the same traffic laws as motor vehicles, with all the same rights and responsibilities, your continual pressing of this specious claim only leads me to believe that you think cyclists should have not just the same rights as motorists, but should have more rights (and fewer responsibilities).

It is a “specious” claim that most cyclists are also motorists thereby paying a fair share of road taxes?

 

[jamil]

How is it "minutiae" to counter the assertion that cyclists have paid for roads to be built when none of the funding for roads to be built comes from cyclists?

Very odd hill to choose to die on. Given that I've stated up front that I don't have a problem with cyclists on public roads, and only expect them to follow the same traffic laws as motor vehicles, with all the same rights and responsibilities, your continual pressing of this specious claim only leads me to believe that you think cyclists should have not just the same rights as motorists, but should have more rights (and fewer responsibilities).

Consider the proportion of road use from cyclists and how that proportion might be reasonably considered minutiae. Prolly the tax angle isn't all that important. Except I hate bike lanes because they take up lanes and no one's using them.

It's like going to Walmart and seeing all the empty handicap sp...wait, Walmart isn't a good example. Everyone is handicaped there. Okay Target. You go to target and all those front spots sitting empty take up so much space and I rarely see anyone occupying them. Bike lanes are an expensive waste of space. If cyclists want bike lanes they should vote for them with their own tax dollars.

 

[Ingomike]

A lot of people in cities own bikes and not cars.

You never explained how motorists should have to pay for another lane to be built when they already paid for and are paying for the ones that are built.

And pedestrians use streets also without paying their fair share. Who would have known that there were so many freeloaders out there…

 

[jamil]

It is a “specious” claim that most cyclists are also motorists thereby paying a fair share of road taxes?

How much is their fair share of road taxes? If we're being serious, is it worth talking about? If we're just drudging up reasons to resent the cycling dickheads, well okay then.

 

[jamil]

And pedestrians use streets also without paying their fair share. Who would have known that there were so many freeloaders out there…

I was required to put in a side walk when I built my house in a neighborhood that required sidewalks. I had to pay for other people to have a paved path to walk on my property. Easement, they said. **** your easement. It's bad enough that I have to let people walk on my property. I should get to charge people for using my ***damn sidewalk, when they could just walk in the street. It was a cul-de-sac. No one's gonna run you over if you walk in the street.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I have untaxed off road diesel in my tractor. Maybe I should have a can of taxed diesel lying around so whenever I need to drive it on the road I can top it off with a gallon of taxed diesel so I don't feel like I'm stealing taxpayers' road.

Farm vehicles are exempt so its LeeEEEgal to steal the tax payer's money with dyed diesel in this regard. But you have to yield to sailboats and crabs.

 

[Ingomike]

The angst is real 435 posts, 4000 views in three days. LOL

 

[jamil]

Farm vehicles are exempt so its LeeEEEgal to steal the tax payer's money with dyed diesel in this regard. But you have to yield to sailboats and crabs.

It's only a compact tractor. So I probably can't run over the sailboats on the roads I might drive on, like I run over cyclists. But I can crush the hell out of those crabs then scoop them up in the loader.

 

[foszoe]

It is a “specious” claim that most cyclists are also motorists thereby paying a fair share of road taxes?

It's like calling a RINO a real Republican

 

[Shadow01]

Do you believe cyclists do not drive also, thereby paying those taxes? (Other than one friend I knew back in the day who is a unicorn.)

The proper question is do “all” cyclists drive automobiles? If not, then there are cyclists using roadways they haven’t paid for.