Stupid Driver Stories

My favorite are the cyclists who ride in your lane, despite the fact that there is a 10 foot wide bike lane just to their right.


Lastly, our society, in a badly-developed aim to ecology, tends to favour "not-polluting" vehicles like bicycles over others; this goes even to the point of becoming unfair; so, cyclists are "the saviour of the world", the enlightened race that will save us all, almost surrounded by an aura of celestial light, while car drivers are sub-humans, mostly grim, bad-tempered sick people, maybe with some outright devishly feature. So, if cyclists are holy spirit, they MUST be right whatever they do, they are oppressed and eveything they do is not because they are fu****s, but because they need to defend themselves against evil.

This is taken to perilous extremes in California. In the bay area we did a day where we closed a bridge to road traffic for an entire day. Only bikes were allowed across. This basically shut down the north end of the bay.

I wanted to tear my eyes out watching it on the news.

http://www.youcanbikethere.com/

PS, their forums suuuuuuck.

PPS, I don't know if it was that actual org that pulled it, just an example of the crazies that ride around in the bay area.

PPPS, did you know that we don't bother repaving roads any more? We just repave bike lanes. Look at the bottom. These asshole actually encourage you to sue the city for hurting yourself/(god forbid) your bike on potholes.

2010-03-24_arguellohome.jpg


I want to cry.
 
Last edited:
Do I see 3 Bike lanes in one stripe there? That's ridiculous.
 
I?ve prob said it before on this board, but will do it again - the majority of the cyclists I encounter everyday behave very reasonable and according to the traffic/road -laws. But there are always the few idiots or ignorants that you remember. A bit like with motorists ... 98% okey but the 2 other%, end up in this thread.

Fun Fact: In my hometown, bicyles outnumber people almost 2:1. So I think when it comes to cyclists ... I know what I?m talking about :)
 
the above posts are correct, i used to ride on the roads, as i am legally allowed to, but its soooo dangerous and scary i don't anymore

funny thing happened tonight on the way to work, i was riding across a crossing towards a set of lights. a guy on a downhill looking bike is riding across, then decides to ride directly towards me, effectively cutting me off. after he was around a meter away, he muttered "why don't you learn how to ride'", and rode off with me looking at him strangely.


he then turned around a stuck his finger up at me..... is this the first case ever of bike on bike rage?
 
I?ve prob said it before on this board, but will do it again - the majority of the cyclists I encounter everyday behave very reasonable and according to the traffic/road -laws.

You are lucky. The majority (bordering totality) of cyclists here don't even know what the traffic lights or stop signs are for and scream at you if you even dare to honk after a really dangerous move on their side (and I'm no Mr. honking-man). They only know what pedestrian stripes are for because they use them to cross the road without dismounting their bike (which is illegal here, btw).

This is what happen regularly here. i know Germany, Denmark, Sweden, all got better cyclists than Italy, but it's still not a paradise. Even as a pedestrian, I loathed cyclists in Copenhagen and Berlin, ringing their bell and rushing past at ludicrous speed even OUT of their own lane and in pedestrian areas.

That said, I am not against bicycles in general, but I sincerely hate the way they are "encouraged", to say the least, everywhere and watched with kind eye when they do something wrong. I am against that because when it's up to me in a car, I am always looked upon as the bad one, and it's not a simple matter of mass involved because when I'm by feet I still get to be the bad one in front of bicycles. This is just unfair. I understand cyclists have many problems with poorly designed roads, lack of proper bicycle paths and the awful characteristics of a vehicle that has not changed at all in the last century (at least cars got air-con, abs, esp, cruise control and better brakes), and I understand bicycle-transportation should be encouraged, but this is not a valid reason to become intolerably arrogant. Encouragement does not mean making them "more equal". Safety comes before speed or riding comfort (and this is not happening, not even with bicyle-lanes design)

But there are always the few idiots or ignorants that you remember. A bit like with motorists ... 98% okey but the 2 other%, end up in this thread.

And so should bad ciclysts (well, if this is not too OT in a stupid -driver- stories thread :) )

Fun Fact: In my hometown, bicyles outnumber people almost 2:1. So I think when it comes to cyclists ... I know what I?m talking about :)

I should change my first sentence: you are not so lucky, after all... :p
 
Last edited:
See I've never had a problem with cyclists here, not even the "lycra condom" wearing types. Those are generally easier to deal with because they're actually good riders and keep decent speed and hug the outside line so it's easier to pass them than some wobbly mom in high waist jeans. Sometimes I have to slow down and wait for a safe place to pass, but isn't that just normal? It's not a big deal to me to wait a minute or two. I guess we also don't have a lot of cyclists because distances here are long and the roads are hilly with busy traffic so the only ones brave enough to get out there are already pretty good.

Sidewalks/pavements are rare enough to not be an issue. You ride on the road or you ride in a ditch.
 
Snippets...

"I got stuck next to a plant pot in a parking lot, and could not get out. I then phoned DB to come and rescue me, and having just gotten off the phone, realised that if I turn the wheel the other way, the car would move away from the plant pot and I could drive off free"

"I cannot park to save my life. I have to have at least three bays in a row, and even then there's no guarantee which one I'll end up in."

"The centre console had been reading Coolant Low all that week and i had just assumed that was the album being played"

http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/9...ou-have-done-during-your-motoring-career?pg=1
 
The main problem with cyclists is lack of enforcement for one and lack of responsibility on their side. The only place that I know that actually gives tickets to cyclists is Boston. Problem is that even if you give cyclist a ticket there is no way to enforce it. You don't need a license to ride, you don't need insurance, etc... Basically there is literally no incentive whatsoever for them to follow rules, outside of being killed by cars but from what I have seen they do not consider that as a possibility.

I would have no problem sharing roads with cyclists if they had the same responsibilities as drivers. I suspect that would take away from alot of their asshole behavior on the road, simply because they wouldn't have any preferential treatment from the law. Right now they do.

Back to drivers.

Yesterday driving home two idiots went into the left lane going alot slower than I was. For extra points the first idiot was slower than the car that was in front of him and wouldn't budge when I came flying up to his bumper with lights flashing. Glad I'm not in Germany and undertaking is not illegal (or at least enforced) not sure of the legal standing on cutting people off for being idiots but I don't care that much. Other one was pretty stupid as well middle lane was empty and he decided he had to be in the left, at least he moved back over once I flashed him.
 
My coworker has a Mazda key fob just like that. Kinda cool that he doesn't have to take it out of his pocket to start the car. The only downside is that when he has it in close proximity to his phone the car won't start.

You know.... that would explain a lot.... I'll have to test it now because there have been times when it just would not start despite recognizing the key (little light blinks).
 
Cyclists are not a problem as long as they see themselves and are being seen by others as operating a vehicle, in contrast to being "wheeled pedestrians". And in town (read: short distance, heavy traffic), using a bicycle is by far more appropiate than using a car anyway. Be happy that they don't use your precious parking spaces.
 
The main problem with cyclists is lack of enforcement for one and lack of responsibility on their side. The only place that I know that actually gives tickets to cyclists is Boston.
A friend of mine just 2 weeks ago got a moving violation ticket on her bicycle in the Silicone Valley area. Apparently they passed a law requiring cyclists to have flashing lights on the front AND rear of the cycle AND a high visibility reflective vest AND a helmet. $25 fine first offense.
 
A friend of mine just 2 weeks ago got a moving violation ticket on her bicycle in the Silicone Valley area. Apparently they passed a law requiring cyclists to have flashing lights on the front AND rear of the cycle AND a high visibility reflective vest AND a helmet. $25 fine first offense.

That blows for your friend, but how are they going to enforce it? Would it count towards her actual driver's license?
 
That blows for your friend, but how are they going to enforce it? Would it count towards her actual driver's license?

It does if you're stupid enough to give the cop your actual drivers' license. Why she didn't just say she wasn't carrying a license is beyond me.
 
It does if you're stupid enough to give the cop your actual drivers' license. Why she didn't just say she wasn't carrying a license is beyond me.

Because then you can get done for failing to provide valid identification to a police officer... Which is a misdemeanor in a great many places. Which is REALLY funny because identification isn't compulsory in this country.
 
She has a green card she could have used instead. I'll have to remind her for next time.
 
Top