I once had one roll up next to me at a stop sign where I was trying to take a right turn and then get pissed when I almost ran him over. Uh - no one should be to my right in the right lane taking a right. Watch out for yourself or f off.
Strongly disagree. That's where cyclists are supposed to be. And if you're crossing a bike lane by law you have to yield to bikes. I hate it when a car makes a right cutting across the bike lane and then acts like I'm the one in the wrong.
Post by whitemerlot on Aug 16, 2012 14:02:04 GMT -5
I love to bike myself and hate when bikers ride on the sidewalk. I almost hit a cyclist the other day who was going opposite traffic on the sidewalk and quickly went across the street when I was crossing. It scared the crap out of me.
Strongly disagree. That's where cyclists are supposed to be. And if you're crossing a bike lane by law you have to yield to bikes. I hate it when a car makes a right cutting across the bike lane and then acts like I'm the one in the wrong.
assuming there is no bike lane, if i am making a right hand tunr and some asshole cyclist wants to proceed to the front of the traffic "for safety" (lol, or whatever the reason is), they need to stay to my left. if they are on the right of my car, 99% of the time, they are too far up for me to position my car properly to make said turn. i'm talking about turning on a red, btw. but also, if it is a green, they should probably not be trying to zoom past me on the right side while i am mid-turn or about to make a turn.
Hmm. Here it's legal. Bikes are allowed on the shoulder or in the lane to the right of cars. You're actually not allowed to be on the left of them unless it's a one way road.
Now if it's a specified right turn lane, that's definitely different.
And I'll let a car go first if they have their turn signal on, I do value my life, but if they're not signaling and they suddenly make a right as I'm going straight, as the lane allows for both, I get annoyed.
Oh and we have very few right on reds allowed. So I'm talking about green light for all traffic
But honestly, if the cyclist is going straight or turning right in a lane that allows both, they need to get into the lane. Not squeeze between the vehicles and the curb. It isn't safe. It's just common sense to get into the lane in that instance to avoid being squashed!
But honestly, if the cyclist is going straight or turning right in a lane that allows both, they need to get into the lane. Not squeeze between the vehicles and the curb. It isn't safe. It's just common sense to get into the lane in that instance to avoid being squashed!
It's the law in my state. Cyclists are allowed to pass on the right. So yes they can legally move to the front of the line at a stop sign or red light and they then have right of way regardless if they're turning or not.
It makes sense because otherwise you are taking up a lane and very few cars will get through a light because you will not make it through an intersection very quickly starting from a dead stop on a bike. Well, not car quickly.
Here the cyclist goes straight but swings wide so the cars behind can pass while in the intersection and then the cyclist swings in behind the traffic once everyone is through the light. Does that make sense? It's hard to describe but it really does work just fine here.
Strongly disagree. That's where cyclists are supposed to be. And if you're crossing a bike lane by law you have to yield to bikes. I hate it when a car makes a right cutting across the bike lane and then acts like I'm the one in the wrong.
assuming there is no bike lane, if i am making a right hand tunr and some asshole cyclist wants to proceed to the front of the traffic "for safety" (lol, or whatever the reason is), they need to stay to my left. if they are on the right of my car, 99% of the time, they are too far up for me to position my car properly to make said turn. i'm talking about turning on a red, btw. but also, if it is a green, they should probably not be trying to zoom past me on the right side while i am mid-turn or about to make a turn.
This is one of my pet peeves, and gets back to the OP. In my state, bikes need to follow the same rules as cars. That being the case, the bicyclist should not be on the shoulder to my right when I'm trying to make a legal right turn on a red. A car can't pull up on the shoulder next to my car and block my turn. Bicyclists shouldn't do it either.
Flying full speed down the right side of my car to run a red light when I'm turning is a great way to get hurt. And I would not be at fault, since cars are required to follow the same rules I am.
But honestly, if the cyclist is going straight or turning right in a lane that allows both, they need to get into the lane. Not squeeze between the vehicles and the curb. It isn't safe. It's just common sense to get into the lane in that instance to avoid being squashed!
It's the law in my state. Cyclists are allowed to pass on the right. So yes they can legally move to the front of the line at a stop sign or red light and they then have right of way regardless if they're turning or not.
It makes sense because otherwise you are taking up a lane and very few cars will get through a light because you will not make it through an intersection very quickly starting from a dead stop on a bike. Well, not car quickly.
Here the cyclist goes straight but swings wide so the cars behind can pass while in the intersection and then the cyclist swings in behind the traffic once everyone is through the light. Does that make sense? It's hard to describe but it really does work just fine here.
Ok, I totally get that. I have never seen it happen. Maybe it's just idiots here who can't do it.
Example: a few months ago I was second in line at a red light. The vehicle in front of me was a landscaping truck and trailer. A cyclist squeezed between the trailer and the curb and seriously almost got effed up when the light turned and the vehicle started turning right. He cursed out the driver, but there is NO WAY the driver could have known or seen him where he was positioned. It's not like the driver could swing wide because it was a country road either so common sense should have told cyclist that this was NOT a safe place to wait. He would have been better off going between the back of the trailer and in front of me.
It's the law in my state. Cyclists are allowed to pass on the right. So yes they can legally move to the front of the line at a stop sign or red light and they then have right of way regardless if they're turning or not.
It makes sense because otherwise you are taking up a lane and very few cars will get through a light because you will not make it through an intersection very quickly starting from a dead stop on a bike. Well, not car quickly.
Here the cyclist goes straight but swings wide so the cars behind can pass while in the intersection and then the cyclist swings in behind the traffic once everyone is through the light. Does that make sense? It's hard to describe but it really does work just fine here.
Ok, I totally get that. I have never seen it happen. Maybe it's just idiots here who can't do it.
Example: a few months ago I was second in line at a red light. The vehicle in front of me was a landscaping truck and trailer. A cyclist squeezed between the trailer and the curb and seriously almost got effed up when the light turned and the vehicle started turning right. He cursed out the driver, but there is NO WAY the driver could have known or seen him where he was positioned. It's not like the driver could swing wide because it was a country road either so common sense should have told cyclist that this was NOT a safe place to wait. He would have been better off going between the back of the trailer and in front of me.
Your description makes sense to me.
Oh yeah I'm not saying it's always safe. I don't know what the laws are in other places. Just here But we have a new bike push and now have Hubway bikes you can rent, like a zipcar, so the rules have really been promoted and put out there. It's kinda second nature to look for a bike on the right just like looking for pedestrians crossing at this point.
But yeah, when I'm on a bike I always try to make eye contact with the car on my left or I just let them go first if I'm not sure they see me. It's so not worth getting hit.
lol, not all cyclists break laws. actually, most of us dont because we dont want to get hit by cars. most of us know people who have been hit by cars. some of them have died.
there was one accident here last month where the driver (at fault) left the scene thinking she killed the cyclist and then burned her car in the desert.
the cyclist did not die, she was just very injured but she will be OK. she was not the asshole.
i dont like driving with cyclists to be honest, and i also dont like cycling with cars. unfortunately, sometimes to get to point A to point B requires sharing the road. i HATE it when people think i should be on a sidewalk, going 25+ mph, on a bike that is not meant to go over cracks, rocks, etc. while kids are skate boarding in the other direction and old people are walking dogs.
Post by hannamaren on Aug 16, 2012 14:55:55 GMT -5
You have to look down the right before turning right. Check your blind spot too. There could be a walker, cyclist, anything. I agree that all people suck. People are in too much of a hurry, are selfish (dont think about what other people might be up to, just where they are headed) and are stupid.
Overall, I am surprised more people dont get in accidents.
I agree. People shouldn't do stupid things. But if the light is red and I can legally pass on the right, and the car ahead of me has no turn signal on...then it's not actually stupid for me to pass them on the right. What is stupid is for someone to make a right turn (or a lane change for that matter) without signaling and without checking their blind spot.
I also try to always make eye contact with the drivers around me when we are stopped at a light. It's the only way I can be confident I they see me. Unfortunately that is very difficult--especially during the mornig rush hour when most people are too absorbed in their blackberries to take note of what is outside of their vehicle.
Who still uses a a Blackberry? I much prefer to run over cyclists while using an Iphone.
I will admit that drivers in my area are also horrible. It doesn't surprise me when those same people get on a bike, they continue to be inconsiderate and unsafe. We don't really have pedestrians.
Unfortunately, IME, cyclists seem to break the law in a greater variety and in less predictable ways than cars.
The biggest offense in my area involves cyclists riding the wrong way. I have NO idea how to predict what their behavior will be. I have a friend who rides the wrong way on the sidewalk sans helmet. Drives me crazy.
I try as a motorist to be respectful of cyclists, but the reality is that all people are assholes. As a pedestrian, I've nearly been run over by both cars and bicycles - when I had a walk sign. Good times!
Me too multiple times!
As a child walking on the sidewalk with my family a biker ran into me knocking me over and then ran over me and kept riding. I had a fat lip for a few weeks from that. I'm just glad I only got a fat lip.
As an adult, OMG! I'm just glad I've made it to 26.
As a driver I want to run over bikers & pedestrians on a daily basis. I can't tell you how many pedestrians will just walk out in front of me to cross the road (not in a crosswalk) when I'm going the speed limit (40 mph) on a main road and expect me to stop. Especially in the winter time when it's darker and harder to see them. They usually tell me to f off.
My "favorite" time was when a biker was riding along on the shoulder of the road right ahead of me and all the sudden flipped a u turn and almost died because I almost ran them right over.
I could go on for a long time with examples but I'll probably give myself nightmares about hitting pedestrians & bikers.
I try as a motorist to be respectful of cyclists, but the reality is that all people are assholes. As a pedestrian, I've nearly been run over by both cars and bicycles - when I had a walk sign. Good times!
This, exactly.
I have no problem yielding to bikes. However, I do not like bikers who ignore the rules of the road, just as I don't like drivers who ignore the rules of the road. Just this morning, I was nearly rear-ended by someone in a car not paying attention. During the same drive, a biker who was in the bike lane decided to cross two lanes of 50 mph traffic with zero warning - no hand signals, not even a look backwards to see if there was traffic coming, which there was, at 50 mph. Both of them pissed me off.
I just think that drivers don't like bikes because they point out a driver's own lack of awareness about anything that isn't a couple of tons of metal.
lol.
I don't mind cyclists who follow road rules. Same for drivers. But there are so many stupid fucks on my work campus who want both vehicle & pedestrian rights. On my campus, vehicles have to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks. Cyclists frequently zip across the road in pedestrian crosswalks. My coworker hit one. The cyclist got a ticket.
... Actually this was a very mild commute all things considered. I need to start wearing a video camera in my helmet so I can record some of the crazier stuff.
If you do, please post! I have seen some crazy videos from helmet cams of drivers doing extremely dangerous and life-threatening things to cyclists. It might be nice to educate drivers as to the view from the bikes.
Post by iheartbanjos on Aug 16, 2012 17:56:28 GMT -5
We don't drive on the weekends--we only use our bikes. I an assure you that there are far more "asshole" drivers than there are "asshole" cyclists, and I live in a very bike friendly city.
You have to look down the right before turning right. Check your blind spot too. There could be a walker, cyclist, anything. I agree that all people suck. People are in too much of a hurry, are selfish (dont think about what other people might be up to, just where they are headed) and are stupid.
Overall, I am surprised more people dont get in accidents.
Do you seriously check your blind spot every time you turn right, even if there is no bike lane?
I look for cross traffic, pedestrians that might cross ahead of me, etc. But my driver's ed instructor never advised us to look back before turning right!
You have to look down the right before turning right. Check your blind spot too. There could be a walker, cyclist, anything. I agree that all people suck. People are in too much of a hurry, are selfish (dont think about what other people might be up to, just where they are headed) and are stupid.
Overall, I am surprised more people dont get in accidents.
Do you seriously check your blind spot every time you turn right, even if there is no bike lane?
I look for cross traffic, pedestrians that might cross ahead of me, etc. But my driver's ed instructor never advised us to look back before turning right!
I don't here because there aren't a lot of commuting cyclist but in Boston/Cambridge I did
I also still look over my shoulder before opening my car door because I've seen a few cyclist vs. car door when parallel parking and the cyclist never wins
Do you seriously check your blind spot every time you turn right, even if there is no bike lane?
I look for cross traffic, pedestrians that might cross ahead of me, etc. But my driver's ed instructor never advised us to look back before turning right!
I don't here because there aren't a lot of commuting cyclist but in Boston/Cambridge I did
I also still look over my shoulder before opening my car door because I've seen a few cyclist vs. car door when parallel parking and the cyclist never wins
Oh my god. Hampshire Street! Dedicated bike lane and yet so many idiots don't look and door someone. I won't even ride on Prospect.
I also still look over my shoulder before opening my car door because I've seen a few cyclist vs. car door when parallel parking and the cyclist never wins
Portland now has parking lanes in between vehicle traffic and the bike lane. It's pretty awesome. No one gets hit by the driver door, and there's another layer of protection for cyclists.
I get rather angry at cyclists who run lights/stops. Not b/c I think they're more asshole than drivers, b/c I'm on the bridey train that everyone's an asshole, but b/c they confirm drivers' assumptions that all cyclists are assholes. They ruin it for everyone else who actually follows the law.
And my ragey anecdote. My roommate was hit by a car who didn't properly share the lane. Shattered his leg, months of rehab, etc. He took the driver to court and ended up losing b/c the judge told him he should have been riding on the sidewalk. In a city where that's illegal. SMDH. My roommate didn't have the time/money to appeal that decision (if that's even allowed? can you always appeal? I don't know law), especially as it happened in a city many hours away from where he was living.
I agree with the OP; if you can't bike by the rules, with a helmet, DON'T BIKE.
Other bike pet peeve: adults riding on the sidewalk and adults riding with their kids; kid has a helmet on, adult doesn't. Way to be a role model.
Also, if there is a bike lane that my tax dollars paid for, and the biker is STILL riding in the driving lane. Bad publicity man.
And I am a cyclist!
wow, what a comment and from the state with the infamous Idaho Stop.
You have to understand that if you expect cyclists to behave perfectly than you should expect all drivers and all peds to as well. And we all know that isn't what happens. Each travel mode is prone to bending the rules that make things easier on them that they think they can get away with. I'm not saying it's right, but drivers speed because they think they can get away with going faster, cyclists roll red lights because they think they can get away with not losing momentum and peds jaywalk because they think that they can get away with walking the shortest distance to their destination.
What we need to focus on is the rules, signs, paint etc that encourage most people to behave safely. Some designs are better than others.
Don't worry about your tax dollars paying for bike lanes. Bike lanes are CHEAP. Bikes also create virtually no wear and tear on the road, so just by removing a car from the road and cycling instead SAVES US ALL $$$. And your car driving taxes didn't pay for the roads either. Road construction is incredibly subsidized.
At the end of the day though, while a misbehaving cyclist or pedestrian may be unsafe and annoying, they are the ones that are going to die if they get hit by a car driver. Their risky behavior doesn't pose the kind of threat that a vehicle does. I just try to think of pedestrians as my parents and grandparents and cyclists as my kids or husband and try really hard not to kill them or scare them because they are so much more vulnerable.
I am glad to see the comment about picturing pedestrians as your parents, husband, kid, etc. My husband is a cyclist, and it is crazy to hear some of the things he encounters just because he chooses to ride a bicycle. He is very cautious and takes safety seriously but there are people who seem to be livid just because he exists. There are always people yelling at him to stay on the sidewalk, which is illegal. One young woman came up behind him the other day. He was where he was supposed to be. She laid on the horn and screamed at him to stay on the sidewalk, and then took off as fast as she could, definitely beyond the speed limit and driving dangerously. She had a toddler in her backseat. I think many drivers have no clue as to what the cyclists' rules are and are just plain irritated there is someone else they have to watch out for.
We've had a couple of cycling deaths recently in our area and before anyone knew what truly had happened people were writing in to the online comments saying how the cyclists likely deserved it. In both cases, they were hit by drunk drivers in the middle of the day. They were following the rules, wearing helmets and getting exercise. Their children are now fatherless.
Just like drivers, some cyclists drive more safely than others but cyclists tend to have a lot more to lose.