Cowboy
My name is Sheridan
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Actually no, this finally gives me an excuse to start looking for a main battle tank
Dreaded cyclists
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Actually no, this finally gives me an excuse to start looking for a main battle tank
DanRoM
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Cycling is like driving a car: It's no fun when too many others are doing it, too. Parking becomes problematic, and you always have to overtake some slowpoke.
JimCorrigan
Well-Known Member
Again, cycling (for any purposes) is like anything else. The activity itself isn't offensive. It's the militant bullshit attitude of so many of those that ruin it for the rest of us. I'm moving out of Vancouver/Richmond by the end of this month and I can't wait.
SirEdward
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I'm glad for the article posted by MacGuffin. Cycling is beginning to show its full face, not just the smiling green politically correct positive sides, but also the ugly, problems it will bring about.
It's normal. And it won't go away, because a developed cycling infrastructure is really more affordable to our european cities than not having one. But it has to be developed correctly. Put enough bikes around and people will start having overcrowding problems. Queues, speed problems, right of ways, parking, theft, inability to get exactly where they want to go, probably taxes, and rules and limitations and the general unwillingness to go along with them.
Together with the objective fact that cycling will still get you cold in the winter and sweaty in the summer and you will have to push your own pedals, which is not always a good, a sensible, or even a possible thing (imagine you being just a bit frail on the health side, for example).
Bicycles are another form of transportation, another vehicle. They have advantages and limitations, and should be treated in a greater context of transportation together with the other forms, including cars.
The idea that bicycle will be king of a colourful and flowery world, which I'm sure was among the forces that started the northern-european exceptional bike infrastructure development, has to fall, and it would be better before realising the hard way why it can't really exist.
It's normal. And it won't go away, because a developed cycling infrastructure is really more affordable to our european cities than not having one. But it has to be developed correctly. Put enough bikes around and people will start having overcrowding problems. Queues, speed problems, right of ways, parking, theft, inability to get exactly where they want to go, probably taxes, and rules and limitations and the general unwillingness to go along with them.
Together with the objective fact that cycling will still get you cold in the winter and sweaty in the summer and you will have to push your own pedals, which is not always a good, a sensible, or even a possible thing (imagine you being just a bit frail on the health side, for example).
Bicycles are another form of transportation, another vehicle. They have advantages and limitations, and should be treated in a greater context of transportation together with the other forms, including cars.
The idea that bicycle will be king of a colourful and flowery world, which I'm sure was among the forces that started the northern-european exceptional bike infrastructure development, has to fall, and it would be better before realising the hard way why it can't really exist.
ScarFace88
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indeed, job well done right there. i can't tell you how annoying it is to be riding with friends and being considered the idiot in the group for obeying the rules. what the hell is wrong with people?
prizrak
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Was it an all way stop though? Because I run those in any vehicle if I'm the first one at it, since it would be my right of way regardless.... (all way stops are dumb IMO)
duckedtapedemon
Active Member
I've probably seen this group once or twice, certainly others just like it. (I went to school a few blocks from there and still live in Prairie Village). I support the police! The funny thing is our city has a reputation for not having a lot for the police to do (owing to being a middle class suburb). The police definitely set up loads of speedtraps for cars in residential neighborhoods too, so this is just equal opportunity for bicyclists.
I also know for a fact that peer pressure and hive mentality is huge with cyclists.
Not a four way, more of a http://goo.gl/maps/9RB7Q stupid Wye intersection with approximately 9 million conflict points.
Four ways are partially about traffic calming. (Well, thats the theory. On my way home, the road I live on goes from 4 lane divided down to two lane, without much drop in traffic at that point. Some urban planner / civil engineer decided that a four way stop on an arterial street would be a fantastic idea. NOT. Annoys me every freaking day on the way to work.) Obviously, it also makes a lot of sense when both streets carry close to the same amount of traffic or the movements made are fairly evenly distributed but a full on traffic signal isn't justified.
yeah, i think that's the problem. riding in a group there is a certain sense of anonymity - "i'm not doing anything wrong, the group decided to run that stop sign / red light / whatever".
if i ever ride with anyone who does that kind of thing, i just stop and make them wait. thus far, hasn't taught them the lesson (i.e. just stop, they'll have to wait for me anyway), but i'm not giving up!
prizrak
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You are giving them too much space.
Dunno how it is in your country but here you don't have to use it if it doesn't have a specific width.
narf
Sgt. Maj. Buzzkill
We don't have many lanes around where I live, but in any case fuck the bike lane!
They are mostly in bad condition and with constant bumts and holes and whatnot.
If I'm out cycling for recreation the last thing I'll do is use a fucked up bike lane.
But If I'm out for a casual ride I try and get out of the way as much as I can. But that's just me, most people are inconsiderate and ride like idiots,
not riding closer to the edge of the road, weaving etc.
What I noticed in Germany though, most cyclists ride almost a meter from the edge...
They are mostly in bad condition and with constant bumts and holes and whatnot.
If I'm out cycling for recreation the last thing I'll do is use a fucked up bike lane.
But If I'm out for a casual ride I try and get out of the way as much as I can. But that's just me, most people are inconsiderate and ride like idiots,
not riding closer to the edge of the road, weaving etc.
What I noticed in Germany though, most cyclists ride almost a meter from the edge...
DanRoM
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And sometimes not even then.
However, for the sign to be legal the cycle path has to meet (among other things) a minimum width.
- - - Updated - - -
Sensible people don't drive right at the edge of the road regardless of the type of vehicle used. For safety reasons it's recommended to keep a distance of 1 metre or even more if there are parked cars.
narf
Sgt. Maj. Buzzkill
Sure, but there would be no sign if it was too narrow... in theory.
DanRoM
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What the law dictates and what traffic administration authorities actually do ain't ever exactly been similar. Especially when it comes to matters regarding bicycle traffic.
FTFY.
Not necessarily, a given width is also a reason.
And if cyclists shall ride on the bike lane all the time, there are a lot of signs missing at lots of places then ...
[EDIT] Oh, DanRoM wrote it
Last edited:
narf
Sgt. Maj. Buzzkill
Even if it's as wide as you like, no sign means you don't have to use it. Missing sign means it's not a mandatory lane, for whatever reason.
MacGuffin
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Seriously, though: I would always rather use the bike lane, than get into mortal danger by riding on the road together with cars and buses and trucks, who will simply not respect me...
I mean yes... I might have the right to ride on the road, too, but do I really want to force it with almost no protection at all, relying on the rationality and the understanding of car drivers, truck drivers, bus drivers, taxi drivers?
In the end you have the right, yes... but "He's dead but he had the right to do so" is a lousy inscription for a gravestone.
I mean yes... I might have the right to ride on the road, too, but do I really want to force it with almost no protection at all, relying on the rationality and the understanding of car drivers, truck drivers, bus drivers, taxi drivers?
In the end you have the right, yes... but "He's dead but he had the right to do so" is a lousy inscription for a gravestone.