Hi! Any bicyclists here? Let me introduce you to something called... the stoplight!

[Recursion]

It's a fantastic invention! It tells you when you are supposed to stop your bicycle and allow pedestrians and cars to go the other direction, rather than barreling into them!

Here's what it looks like:



When you see that, you should stop your bike rather than whipping through the intersection.

On the other hand, if you see this:



then you can keep barreling through the intersection. There's another color involved, but I don't want to make things more complicated than necessary.

</rant>

[RobinA]

1. Oh, You Have Stepped In It Now

While you are at it, maybe you could stress the one way sign.

[Hoyt]

2. Same goes for car drivers.

And while we are at it, why do a lot of car drivers like to see how close they can come to those on a bicycle?

And, for all the jerks who used to blow their horn when right next to me, kiss my rear. By then, it's no longer a warning -- it's intimidation.

Otherwise, have a nice day.

[RobinA]

6. We Should All Try To Get Along

I get both sides of this, and there are idiots on bikes and in cars. I stopped riding my bike because a guy in a Jeep almost took my leg off he was so close to me. On a straight country road with no opposing traffic. On the other hand, I observed a bicyclist running a red light at speed and almost smashing into my neice as we tried to cross the street off Central Park. Then there's the cyclist who rides up between two lanes of traffic and gets mad when you don't see him. Everybody needs to chill. And observe traffic laws.

[Throd]

3. What is the red octagon for? Many seem to have a problem with that too.

[hobbit709]

4. Around here you see the spandex butts riding on the Limited Access Highway.

Then they flip you the bird when you honk at them.

[RobinA]

7. Don't Honk at Bikes

There's just no reason for it. The few times I ride a bike, I'm liable to flip off somebody who honks at me too, and I'm no cyclist. I'm liable to, but I won't, these days I'm afraid I'll get shot.

[hobbit709]

8. I will honk at someone on a bicycle on a Limited Access Highway.

Bicycles are illegal on those. The sign says NO Bicycles. NO vehicles under 5 hp. Personally I'd consider it an IQ test. If you're dumb enough to ride a bicycle on the freeway, then you can get flattened for all I care.

[bobclark86]

20. As I learned in defensive driving class...

Horns are to warn of collisions. As they're breaking the law and at a serious risk of collision (the reason why they're not allowed is people are legally driving far faster than they could stop if a bike weaved out to avoid a pothole or a dead deer), it actually makes sense on an Interstate.

[LiberalFighter]

5. The laws are suppose to apply to both.

But there are too many bicyclists that don't agree. I've seen some riding on the wrong side of the road. Another culprit are mopeds. Seen some riding in the left or middle lane going below speed.

I don't mind passing bicyclists as long as they are not too far in the lane so I have room to give them room. In our city we don't have that many and I think most of them use the bike paths throughout the city that is mostly I think for leisure.

[Earth_First]

9. The revenue that could be generated on enforcing traffic laws for cyclists is mind-bending...

I have seriously stopped LEO's and shouted: "SERIOUSLY?!"

They only care when a motorist hits a cyclist and then is ticketed for "failure to xyz..."

[hlthe2b]

10. As a very frequent pedestrian and dog-walker, I heartily K&R this...

Cars turning right on red (without bothering to look right) are the most frequent "near death" experience for me, but cyclists barreling down the sidewalk (rather than the perfectly free and clear, uncrowded) bike lane, blasting through stop lights and turning without noticing a lit pedestrian light are certainly vying for the title.

[Recursion]

11. I'm a pedestrian most places I go. I've been hit by bikes but never by a car.

I just had a near-miss this morning and needed to get that off my chest.

[triguy46]

15. That exact thing happened here 2 wks agon

sent a visiting professor to hospital with broken pelvis, lost his spleen, head injuries. He may recover most functions...A 19 year old in an suv driving to campus for class. 4 blocks away. Looked left turned right, no stop involved at the red octogon.

[bike man]

12. Those are neat! I ride on rural roads, and can ride for hours with nary a traffic light. AND, I've

Last edited Thu Mar 14, 2013, 03:35 PM - Edit history (1)

never encountered an automobile whose driver seemed to be out to get me. Cannot say the same when on the motorcycle.

There was the time a guy made two U turns (one when he passed me going in the same direction, the other when he was behind me to turn again to catch up with me), pulled up alongside in the grass, asked me to stop just so he could look at my bike - a long wheel base recumbent. There aren't that many of those around here.

edited to remove an extra )

[olddots]

13. Most of the time I rode with my eyes closed in Cambridge & Boston

[RiffRandell]

14. Ok, you made me laugh.

And reminded me of the movie 50/50 where Joseph Gordon Levitt always obeyed the lights while jogging.

I hear ya! I posted a month or so ago about a pack I was behind on a back road that took up my entire lane.

I had to follow slowly behind them until I could pass in a no passing zone, which I assume I could be ticketed for.

[triguy46]

16. I'm a rider...

and it infuriates me when others do things like this. it does not help the cause.

[Jim Lane]

17. I was injured through following your advice.

I was riding up Eighth Avenue in Manhattan. I came to a stop at a red light. Apparently the cab driver behind me had never before seen a cyclist stop at a red light, so he didn't come to a stop quickly enough, and rear-ended me.

Fortunately it wasn't all that serious -- nothing broken, though I was using a cane for a couple weeks.

One interesting sidelight was that the cab driver loaded my mangled bike into his trunk and took me to a bike shop. He told me that his company had an arrangement with that shop. I guess they hit enough bikes every year that they get a volume discount. Yikes. At least I got my bike repaired at the cab company's expense.

[Loryn]

18. I had a cyclist hit my car.

I've also been hit by a car making a right turn, looking left, but not at me
walking on their right.

We all have close calls, walking, biking (not me) and driving.

Threads like this are good reminders that we all need to proceed with care.

[Recursion]

19. Fair point. Situational awareness applies to everybody.

I read somewhere that pedestrian deaths have skyrocketed since the iPod got big; I don't walk with mine, personally (though mostly because I don't want to be mugged). God help us when those Google Glasses come out...

[sir pball]

21. I've been mighty temped to clothesline quite a few cyclists when I'm out running

I've been literally whiffed by riders blowing the signal - and then they have the nerve to yell at me!

One of these days I'm going to put an arm across somebody's throat - and then stomp their wheels for good measure. I support riders, I regularly go on two wheels both manual and mechanized, but having lived in NYC for close to four years now I totally understand why a lot of people hate the arrogant, entitled dickbags.

[ConcernedCanuk]

22. Read all the posts, here's my comments.

.
.
.

I should mention that the town I live in is so small there is not one stoplight.

But stop signs should just about be the same.

I blow through them - takes a while to pedal back up to speed.

As for driving on the "wrong" side

I do that

If I'm gonna get hit, I wanna see who's gonna do it.

Another thing on the "wrong" side thing -

With my helmet on and the wind in my ears, I can't hear most vehicles approaching from behind unless they got loud exhaust or rattling shocks/ball joints, whatever.

and

I've never been hit

works for me!