Dreaded cyclists

Norcal seems to have that problem a lot, I think most professional cycling teams (easily identifyable when they're out pedaling due to the entire group wearing identical lycra, making the group seem especially gnat-swarm-like) in the state train up here because it's too hot down in Socal or something. You see it mostly in the Bay Area but I've even seen them up in Shasta before. And its the same damn thing everywhere. The larger their number, the more brazen they get. Its' like they get to thinking they're the Hell's Pedal pushers when they get in big groups or something. I've been in that exact same situation more than once before, and the pedalists reactions are always either to completely ignore you, or sometimes, they look back at you, like they're planning on moving over to let you by... but then do nothing. I swear it's almost as if they're trying to provoke drivers. And what really irks my cookies is that some of these guys are professionals. Could you imagine the outrage if a team in any other professional sport went around in public acting like that?
 
Norcal seems to have that problem a lot, I think most professional cycling teams (easily identifyable when they're out pedaling due to the entire group wearing identical lycra, making the group seem especially gnat-swarm-like) in the state train up here because it's too hot down in Socal or something. You see it mostly in the Bay Area but I've even seen them up in Shasta before. And its the same damn thing everywhere. The larger their number, the more brazen they get. Its' like they get to thinking they're the Hell's Pedal pushers when they get in big groups or something. I've been in that exact same situation more than once before, and the pedalists reactions are always either to completely ignore you, or sometimes, they look back at you, like they're planning on moving over to let you by... but then do nothing. I swear it's almost as if they're trying to provoke drivers. And what really irks my cookies is that some of these guys are professionals. Could you imagine the outrage if a team in any other professional sport went around in public acting like that?
Yeah get a few NASCAR's to do that, see how long that shit lasts...
 
The other day, I was behind a group of lycra-wearing stick insect bicyclists who were running 3 wide down the street, with a bunch of cars cued up behind me. I say it should be ok to run those 'tards over, but the law seems to think otherwise, that it would be my fault if I made contact with them.


edit: btw, there was even a bike lane next to them, but they weren't using it.

was there anyone in the bike lane ?

In this case they should have been in a file, the only time we would go as a more than 1 rider wide group was when we were in very rural road with no traffic what so ever.
 
I say it should be ok to run those 'tards over, but the law seems to think otherwise, that it would be my fault if I made contact with them.

Just tell the judge I said it was OK, he owes me a favor.
 
Today two cyclists 8young women) were coming towards me in the opposite direction, on a road outside of town. Cyclists and Pedestrians are forbidden on this road (it?s a ring-road with heavy traffic on weekdays, 70km/h limit NO cyclestrip or sidewalk), cyclists and pedestrian have their own paths that take a different route. So after I passed them, I wondered how many signs they had passed that would tell them that cyclists are forbidden there ... so I counted.

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They had passed 3 of those signs since the last junction. Three. Clearly visible.
 
I am now regretting not watching Top Gear: Australia.
 
Half the things in the video will get you ticketed and/or your license suspended on a motorcycle or scooter. I'm not legally permitted to use bike paths or public sidewalks as a right of way for my motorcycle, nor am I allowed to just ignore signals or traffic controls.

Remember that guy running lights in SF mentioned upthread? If he's willing to pay the fines, he can keep doing it. No bike license to suspend.
 
Remember that guy running lights in SF mentioned upthread? If he's willing to pay the fines, he can keep doing it. No bike license to suspend.
NYC not SF :p
 
NYC not SF :p

OK, the one in this thread was NYC - I was recentlyy reading some pedalbikists whinging about how they're now having the laws applied to them in SF.

Addendum: http://articles.sfgate.com/2011-08-13/bay-area/29883161_1_light-running-red-light-bicyclists

Amin Ariana, 31, was stopped for running a red light on his bicycle.

"I didn't think that if there were no pedestrians and no cars, I'd have to stop there," he said. "I didn't know I did something wrong."

Also, this jerkass:

San Francisco Red Light Violation - Any ideas?

I did it. Its true. Guilty. 100 percent. Yet, I have no desire to pay the fine.

I've been on the SF bike coalition website, which I found to be out of date and thus mostly useless. I also called them up and they weren't helpful either in that they don't have answers to the questions you ask. So heres where I'm at as far as options:

a) Pay the ticket. Current fine is $175 for bikes in sf.

b) Look for errors on the ticket, i.e. the officer not indicating "bicycle" on the ticket OR the city/officer not entering the ticket into the city database. Both of which are not true in my case.

c) Request a court date, plea not guilty, show up for a second court date and hope the cop doesnt show up. The question is, if he does, can I still get out with community service or am I screwed and should expect that judge and officer are going to be out for blood? What the worst that happens?

d) Court date, plea guilty, request project 20 community service via the bike coalition and spend anywhere from 17.5 to 30 hours doing that... Those numbers are based on two different answers I got from project 20 about hourly pay rate for community service hours (either $6/hour or 10/hour).

Any other ideas? I need help. Have you guys done any of this stuff? Cheers.

Hm, how about you, I don't know, shut up and pay the fine for endangering other road users?
 
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OK, the one in this thread was NYC - I was recentlyy reading some pedalbikists whinging about how they're now having the laws applied to them in SF.

Addendum: http://articles.sfgate.com/2011-08-13/bay-area/29883161_1_light-running-red-light-bicyclists



Also, this jerkass:



Hm, how about you, I don't know, shut up and pay the fine for endangering other road users?
Glad to see other cities joining in revenue generation proper law enforcement. In all seriousness even though this is mostly financially motivated I'm glad cyclists are getting hit with fines. Want equal rights? Have to have equal responsibilities!

P.S. The first link really highlights the problem, its not just the attitude its outright ignorance.
 
5 minute cycle to work:
- someone cycling the wrong way down a one way street
- someone trying to fit through a 10" gap between a stationary car and the curb so that he could cycle across a crossing with people on it
 
5 minute cycle to work:
- someone cycling the wrong way down a one way street
- someone trying to fit through a 10" gap between a stationary car and the curb so that he could cycle across a crossing with people on it
In all honesty the first one doesn't bother me too much, it only gets tricky on intersections because cars don't expect anyone to come of the one way the wrong way. OTOH I see so many people go the wrong way on my street that I watch for them anyway :)
 
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