Dreaded cyclists

4452918011_c11844fc83.jpg

Over.
 
narf said:
My C- and D-pillars are tiny. Good luck hiding a bike behind them.
Click to expand...

Mines are not. They are pretty much like these:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/VW_Golf_V_GTI_rear_20071106.jpg

Also, like yours, my car is German, so the designers were not savages without knowledge of bike lanes.

Yes... to quote the article, "One of the most common accidents that occurs when merging is when one vehicle -- the one that's changing lanes -- hits another vehicle slightly behind it and to its side because the driver of the first vehicle couldn't see the second one in his mirror." No mention of turning your head. It's quite obvious that using mirrors only will lead to blind spots.
Click to expand...

Again, you can turn your head for small periods of time, AND it is still dangerous. If you have a blind spot in your car, you can miss a cyclist. But on one thing I could agree with you. A law that would impose transparent C-pillars for every car. Until then, however, blind spot -will- be an issue. And there will still be a need to handle vans, trucks, coup?s, cabriolets with soft- or hard-top drawn, and a long series of other vehicles.

Blind spot is not something you can easily wipe out.

"You're not allowed to accelerate to block a merging car" is quite different from "You have to brake even if you have the right of way to let another car in".
Click to expand...

No, not really. I choose to do this quite often, particularly when the other car indicates early and behave correctly.

The first thing applies to all road users. An important thing on the road: Be predictable. Sudden changes in movement only cause trouble.
The second thing is bullshit. Let me give you an example from German driving tests. If you merge into a street with highway-like merger lanes and a car on the lane you merge into has to brake for you then you run the risk of failing that driving test.
Click to expand...

I constantly slow down or even brake a little to allow people merging on motorways. Many times, if I can, I even move to the next left lane prior to a merging lane to avoid trouble to people merging. This is me doing something even if I have right of way. It is common sense and also written on the road code, so while I can understand that being unable to avoid disturbing other people may get you to fail the driving exam, I really can't see why a cyclist can't do what I myself do every day.

Driving on that bike lane would also lead to intersecting paths.
Click to expand...

There is a difference. I could choose the right time to avoid messing up with the people already there, and I could avoid putting myself in a stuation where I would have to rely on an unknown person while at the same time I could be blamed for an accident. Avoid trouble is something I like, and I'd like to be able to do it. I don't think I'm asking for much.

You recognize the situation (turning right with bicycles involved) as dangerous. You want a solution to reduce the danger.
I say slow down, look around more.
Click to expand...

I said I did that and I still do, but I continue to find issues, and now I repeat myself. I told you two things, among others, that happened to me, what else do you want me to do to take you out of your what I am starting to think is a stereotype of yours?

That works instantly, no need to re-model every road with another potentially flawed design, no need to change the laws to suit you better.

Oh, and that solution also works for a lot of other dangerous situations.
Click to expand...

No need to get ironic, either. I told you, through the last messages, that I meant not being rude or anything, I'm just debating. We can stop, if you want.
 
Last edited:
narf said:
[video=youtube;ona-RhLfRfc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ona-RhLfRfc[/video]


...right.
Click to expand...
I subscribe to the Star Wars philosophy of do or do not there is no try :p

On the blind spots I have to agree with SirEdward, I was driving one time with a few friends of mine (it was 3 cars and one motorcycle), at first my friend on the bike was in front but at some point I ended up in the middle lane and he ended up in the right behind me. The lead cars started moving over to the right so mindful of my friend I check my mirrors, turn my head and don't see anyone, then SLOWLY start to move over but then 5% into it abort and speed up. Sure nuff I almost ran my friend over because he was in my blind spot. That was an entire motorcycle at night with lights on.
 
Last edited:
My latest encounter with a cyclist (not using his 4 foot wide bike lane):

Cyclist: Want to give me more room next time? You're supposed to share the road
Me: Did I hit you?
Cyclist: No
Me: Then we shared the road
Cyclist: That doesn't matter, you're supposed to slow down and wait for me to move over
Me: And when exactly was that going to be? When you got home?
Cyclist: Go to hell
Me: Go fuck your self
Cyclist: Suck my dick
Me: You wish

Almost all of them have the same sense of entitlement as this asshole did. Fuck (almost all) cyclists.
 
I don't have any more problem with cyclists than I do with cars. Actually, I very rarely have problems with cyclists. Even the lycra-warrior types. Could have something to do with my choice of vehicles though. :lol:
 
The lycra-warrior types are the ones who tend to respect the rules of the road here. They're fine, and usually great about moving over.

It's the average person going to class who doesn't. Immensely frustrating. I want to go to class, too, preferably with a close space if I'm feeling bad enough to drive. If I hit an inattentive cyclist, I'm not gonna get a close space and I'm going to be quite unhappy.

One thing I wasn't a fan of, though: cyclists on narrow country roads in WA. There's usually not a shoulder. There are lots of hills and curves that they get hidden behind and then it's like, "Surprise! Slow-moving traffic you don't want to kill!" In an area with a kajillion nice bike trails and wider streets with proper bike lanes...why?
 
ninjacoco said:
The lycra-warrior types are the ones who tend to respect the rules of the road here. They're fine, and usually great about moving over.

It's the average person going to class who doesn't. Immensely frustrating. I want to go to class, too, preferably with a close space if I'm feeling bad enough to drive. If I hit an inattentive cyclist, I'm not gonna get a close space and I'm going to be quite unhappy.

One thing I wasn't a fan of, though: cyclists on narrow country roads in WA. There's usually not a shoulder. There are lots of hills and curves that they get hidden behind and then it's like, "Surprise! Slow-moving traffic you don't want to kill!" In an area with a kajillion nice bike trails and wider streets with proper bike lanes...why?
Click to expand...
See that's the problem, as bad as many drivers are at least they do get some sort of training that gives them some semblance of awareness on the road. Cyclists get to ride whenever they want and most have no clue what the rules are.
 
This just in.

Dallas jogger hit by bicycle on Katy Trail dies
09:12 AM CDT on Monday, October 4, 2010

From Staff Reports

A Dallas jogger who was severely injured in a collision with a bicyclist on the Katy Trail last week died Sunday, according to the Dallas County medical examiner?s office.

Lauren Huddleston, 28, died at 6:51 p.m. at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, said her brother, Charles Townsend.

Townsend said the family wanted to fulfill Huddleston?s final wish to be an organ donor.

Her father, Carl Huddleston, informed family and friends of the decision in an e-mail Sunday morning.

"I pray that none of you will ever have to go through this process," he wrote in a message forwarded to The Dallas Morning News. "This is horrible but it has a purpose, one of which may be to save several lives, and Lauren would be thrilled to know that she could do that."

Huddleston was hit Thursday evening, apparently when she abruptly turned into a cyclist?s path in a section of the trail near Routh Street. She was wearing headphones and may not have heard the bicycle approaching, police said.

She was taken to the hospital with critical head injuries. The medical examiner?s office did not release details on the cause of her death.

Huddleston said the family bears no malice toward the cyclist.

"It was just a bad situation waiting for an accident to happen," he wrote. "We will work to solve the problem of crowding on the Katy Trail.

"Lauren would want that most of all."
Click to expand...

I'm withholding a bit of local information to see what the bike defenders do on this one.
 
Last edited:
Spectre said:
This just in.
Click to expand...
While this is of course tragic and regretable that she died ... if she jogged on the sidewalk and jumped ("abruptly turned") onto the road infront of a car without looking wich she also didn?t hear because of her headphones and now was injured/dead ... would anyone hold this against the driver of the car? I know this was a "shared-track", but the situation is similar.
And to quote another article of that site
[...]Investigators were unable to determine the speed of the cyclist, who was also taken to Baylor with injuries that were not life-threatening. But police said it was unlikely any criminal charges would be filed.
"It was just a horrible, tragic accident," Deputy Chief Craig Miller said.
The crash touched a nerve, though, with cyclists and joggers who said they have seen far too many close calls. Some blamed bikers for riding too fast and creating a potentially dangerous environment. Others said pedestrians have a greater responsibility to remain alert and aware.
Click to expand...

I?ve had some close calls with people more concentrated on the music in their ears than what happens around them. I don?t want to blame the Jogger and defend the cyclist (as I wasn?t there) ... but we shouldn?t now take anything a cyclist is involved in and blame it on them. This might very well not have been the cyclists fault.
 
To quote myself from earlier, "be predictable". If you make sudden moves without verifying that it is safe to do such a move then expect disaster.



Spectre said:
I'm withholding a bit of local information to see what the bike defenders do on this one.
Click to expand...

The "bike defenders" say pedestrian jumps in front of bike while listening to music without looking around.
Maybe we are missing something important, do enlighten us what your point is, Spectre.



Following up on the recent-accidents-theme, all traffic signs should be removed.

https://pic.armedcats.net/n/na/narf/2010/10/04/watermark.php_em_id_L3Zhci93d3cvaHRkb2NzL19lbV9kYXRlbi9fZGMvMjAxMC8xMC8wMS8xMDEwMDFfMTQzNF9rbmZvdGFrdF9kYzVhXzV3ZmhpMnIzZGo4cngwajUxZjdlLmpwZw___.jpg

A few days ago a cyclist came into contact with this traffic sign, causing him to fall off the bridge he was going across.
 
Last edited:
ja404 said:
My latest encounter with a cyclist (not using his 4 foot wide bike lane):

Cyclist: Want to give me more room next time? You're supposed to share the road
Me: Did I hit you?
Cyclist: No
Me: Then we shared the road
Cyclist: That doesn't matter, you're supposed to slow down and wait for me to move over
Me: And when exactly was that going to be? When you got home?
Cyclist: Go to hell
Me: Go fuck your self
Cyclist: Suck my dick
Me: You wish

Almost all of them have the same sense of entitlement as this asshole did. Fuck (almost all) cyclists.
Click to expand...

I see that a lot too. I don't have a problem with cyclists who follow all the rules, but so many of them seem to think that because they ride bikes, they don't have to. When they ride in the street when there's a bike lane, they're either too stupid to live, or just trying to provoke drivers. There are one or two professional cycling teams in my town, who I see around every once in a while, and almost every time I do, they're breaking some rule. Out of all cyclists, these are the guys you'd expect to follow the rules, because as professionals, they're representing their sport and all that.

If you think one guy riding in the street is bad, wait 'till you see a team of six of them, riding side by side, with the outer row in the middle of the street.
 
Strelok16 said:
If you think one guy riding in the street is bad, wait 'till you see a team of six of them, riding side by side, with the outer row in the middle of the street.
Click to expand...
That would be legal over here, although you need more than 6, can't remember how many though. 10 cyclists in a row behind each other can be more annoying than a 5x2 formation.
 
narf said:
Having a clue about the rules would not get them off the mentioned narrow country roads, most likely it is legal to ride there.
Click to expand...
It would not but they would also be more aware of cars and how the dynamics work. I was on Bear Mountain road with cyclists plenty of times and gone around no problem, they knew what they were doing and I knew what I was doing. Riding 4 abreast on the other hand... I won't even bother braking...

I can see Spectre's point here, I think.

Spectre, correct me if I'm wrong but what I'm thinking is that what you are trying to illustrate here is that while other vehicles that are capable of seriously injuring pedestrians require driver/rider training, regulation and registration, bicycles are exempt.
 
hajj said:
That would be legal over here, although you need more than 6, can't remember how many though. 10 cyclists in a row behind each other can be more annoying than a 5x2 formation.
Click to expand...

It's 15 or more over here.

prizrak said:
It would not but they would also be more aware of cars and how the dynamics work.
Click to expand...

So they need awareness and physics training? :lol:
Many many many car drivers have had training and have no awareness or ideas of dynamics.

Spectre, correct me if I'm wrong but what I'm thinking is that what you are trying to illustrate here is that while other vehicles that are capable of seriously injuring pedestrians require driver/rider training, regulation and registration, bicycles are exempt.
Click to expand...

If that is his point then I'd like to know how much training you need in order to buy a gun over there.
 
prizrak said:
while other vehicles that are capable of seriously injuring pedestrians require driver/rider training, regulation and registration, bicycles are exempt.
Click to expand...

Good point. Everyone on the road should have road education, even pedestrian, who need to know how traffic light work, for example, or general road rules, or a little bit of dynamics, just to understand why they need to look and not jump in front of vehicles that can't stop instantly. Or just need to learn some tips and hints, like never put yourself in the path of a vehicle unless you are sure it is stopping to let you pass.

Cyclists, as vehicle drivers, should be taught the basics of road circulation (moving, looking, priorities, traffic lights, main road signs) and the basic of road behaviour. This might requires a licence. It would clearly be much easier to get than the one for the car, but if you still can meet car drivers who haven't got a clue about driving (see many stupid drivers stories), then you will surely find people who haven't got a clue on riding among riders, who don't even have a licence to compensate a bit for the common human stupidity.
 
I'm weary at requiring a license to bike. A better alternative would be to have a "traffic rules" class during Middle School (U.S. 6 - (9 or 10) grade.
 
Basic cyclist training happens in school, 4th grade usually. The pedestrian education with things like traffic lights happens in earlier grades.
 
ninjacoco said:
One thing I wasn't a fan of, though: cyclists on narrow country roads in WA. There's usually not a shoulder. There are lots of hills and curves that they get hidden behind and then it's like, "Surprise! Slow-moving traffic you don't want to kill!" In an area with a kajillion nice bike trails and wider streets with proper bike lanes...why?
Click to expand...
I have the same problem here. Lots of lycra warriors love to go just out of town on the county highways and ride during the weekends. And they'll usually ride 2 wide, halfway into the lane, going 20-25mph in a 55mph zone.

You would think it would be common courtesy (and in the interest of self-preservation) to ride single file when cars come up behind you and there's on coming traffic. But nope. If they do go single file, it will be after you've slowed down to 25mph and they've given you lots of dirty looks.

Spectre said:
This just in.
Click to expand...
You want to talk about hazards? Joggers wearing headphones on mountain bike trails are pretty high on my list. Same as inattentive joggers running through intersections.

narf said:
Basic cyclist training happens in school, 4th grade usually. The pedestrian education with things like traffic lights happens in earlier grades.
Click to expand...
I think most people could use a little refresher course later on. :lol:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top