Bicyclists suck!

[NuclearPizzaMan]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

Also, the "obeying traffic laws when it's convenient" argument is a bit of a misnomer as well. Good cyclists obey traffic laws when it's safe for both parties but often it's safer and more convenient to disobey them like moving up to the front of the line at a red light. Ever been to Asia? This is common practice with bikes and scooters. The idea is that you're much easier seen at the front of the line and can take the lane much easier.

Drivers that moan about obeying the traffic rules ALL the time obviously don't know the realities of being on a bike. It just seems like petty jealousy or something. Be grateful for the bikes, more bikes mean much less congestion. It can work for both parties.

Yeah. Its just my petty jealousy that makes me hate the biker who rips off the sidewalk onto the road in front of me rather than stopping at a stop sign.

[MarchHare]

Drivers that moan about obeying the traffic rules ALL the time obviously don't know the realities of being on a bike. It just seems like petty jealousy or something. Be grateful for the bikes, more bikes mean much less congestion. It can work for both parties.

Don't mistake me for a driver -- I spend most of my time as a pedestrian. I can confidently say that my safety has been put in danger far more often by reckless cyclists than it has by reckless drivers. Given the ratio of bicycles to motor vehicles on the road, that would anecdotally indicate that cyclists are more dangerous on a per capita basis.

Also, my wife rides her bike to work 2-3 times per week (when weather permits), and she also routinely bemoans her fellow cyclists who ignore traffic laws because they give all cyclists a bad reputation.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by MarchHare

I really hate cyclists who only choose to obey traffic laws when it's convenient to them. They're absolutely right that they should be treated like any other vehicle on the road, which means they don't get to use crosswalks, have to stop at stop signs, yield to pedestrians, and stay off the sidewalks.

Originally Posted by Tinordi

Also, the "obeying traffic laws when it's convenient" argument is a bit of a misnomer as well. Good cyclists obey traffic laws when it's safe for both parties but often it's safer and more convenient to disobey them like moving up to the front of the line at a red light. Ever been to Asia? This is common practice with bikes and scooters. The idea is that you're much easier seen at the front of the line and can take the lane much easier.

Drivers that moan about obeying the traffic rules ALL the time obviously don't know the realities of being on a bike. It just seems like petty jealousy or something. Be grateful for the bikes, more bikes mean much less congestion. It can work for both parties.

This is the crux of the problem, cyclists are apparently operating on a different 'plane of safety' which is a huge load of crap.

I drive by a three way stop every day, and if theres a cylist coming what are they going to do? What?

I've seen it all, most of the time they just blow right through it like it isnt even there, sometimes they even have the courtesy to hop the curb and ride on the sidewalk, through the crosswalk and then hop the curb back onto the road on the other side.

Talk about obeying laws when its convenient.

But never have I seen one stop. Because of the 'reality of being on a bike?' Do they not come equipped with brakes?

The problem with cyclists is because of this picking and choosing about obeying traffic laws they become unpredictable, and thats dangerous for everyone. Granted, moreso for the guy using spandex and lycra as 'safety devices.'

You want cars to move into the other lane when passing a bike on the road as they're a vehicle like any other? Great, then they cant just go straight to front of traffic at a red light any more than someone could drive their car on the curb all to the way to the front of an imaginary lane thats just for them, and then force all the cars to have to pass his slow ass. Again.

This 'reality of being on a bike' crap is wholly disingenuous. 'Its for our safety, we have to watch out for ourselves so we dont get killed by cars.'

It wouldnt be a problem if you followed the rules and were predictable. Its the wild running of traffic signs and jumping in and out of traffic, both vehicular and pedestrian thats dangerous.

This whole 'we have to do whatever it takes to maintain our safety because cars dont watch out for us, woe are we' attitide....thats the problem, not the solution.

[MarchHare]

The problem with cyclists is because of this picking and choosing about obeying traffic laws they become unpredictable, and thats dangerous for everyone.

[...]

It wouldnt be a problem if you followed the rules and were predictable. Its the wild running of traffic signs and jumping in and out of traffic, both vehicular and pedestrian thats dangerous.

PRECISELY!

Properly obeying traffic laws = predictable behaviour = better safety for everyone who uses our roads and sidewalks.

[Beerfest]

[Table 5]

the cyclist who rides at the rate of 20 or 25 miles should certainly be called down in the interests of the foot passengers, many of whom are ladies and children.

Might as well have just said "Where shall doth children play?"

[Yasa]

Just to set the record straight; do most people here have a problem with actual cyclists, or is the problem with people who don't follow the rules? I can tell you (so can 4X4 I imagine) that I have been put into more danger (both for me and them) and filled with more rage from terrible drivers than I have from unpredictable bikers.

[Tinordi]

Ok well, hit a nerve. And yes the unpredictability of cyclists is a big problem. In the end you have to just yield to them which is why I guess so many drivers get upset.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Originally Posted by Locke

Great, then they cant just go straight to front of traffic at a red light any more than someone could drive their car on the curb all to the way to the front of an imaginary lane thats just for them, and then force all the cars to have to pass his slow ass. Again.

This one grinds my gears the most. On a street with a number of lights, you end up having to pass the same cyclist many times over, because they refuse to "act like a vehicle" and line up with the rest of the traffic.
They instead create an imaginary bike lane that they can crawl up to the front of line with.

I can't say that I have ever seen a cyclist line up at the back of traffic at a light, never.

[MarchHare]

Originally Posted by Yasa

Just to set the record straight; do most people here have a problem with actual cyclists, or is the problem with people who don't follow the rules?

The latter for me.

I'm very much pro-bicycle (and pro-pedestrian and public transit) and think the municipal government should do more to encourage less dependence on private motor vehicles, but I have a huge problem with unsafe cyclists who don't obey the rules of the road. To me, a jackass cyclist who ignores traffic laws "for safety" is no different from a jackass biker who modifies his Harley to be extra loud "for safety". Both are a public menace.

[OilKiller]

Oh fotze...LOL...

[chemgear]

I don't understand why so many people ride into downtown without a helmet. I'd say more than 50% (personal experience only of course) seem to think it's a great idea.

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Originally Posted by Locke

This is the crux of the problem, cyclists are apparently operating on a different 'plane of safety' which is a huge load of crap.

I drive by a three way stop every day, and if theres a cylist coming what are they going to do? What?

I've seen it all, most of the time they just blow right through it like it isnt even there, sometimes they even have the courtesy to hop the curb and ride on the sidewalk, through the crosswalk and then hop the curb back onto the road on the other side.

Talk about obeying laws when its convenient.

But never have I seen one stop. Because of the 'reality of being on a bike?' Do they not come equipped with brakes?

The problem with cyclists is because of this picking and choosing about obeying traffic laws they become unpredictable, and thats dangerous for everyone. Granted, moreso for the guy using spandex and lycra as 'safety devices.'

You want cars to move into the other lane when passing a bike on the road as they're a vehicle like any other? Great, then they cant just go straight to front of traffic at a red light any more than someone could drive their car on the curb all to the way to the front of an imaginary lane thats just for them, and then force all the cars to have to pass his slow ass. Again.

This 'reality of being on a bike' crap is wholly disingenuous. 'Its for our safety, we have to watch out for ourselves so we dont get killed by cars.'

It wouldnt be a problem if you followed the rules and were predictable. Its the wild running of traffic signs and jumping in and out of traffic, both vehicular and pedestrian thats dangerous.

This whole 'we have to do whatever it takes to maintain our safety because cars dont watch out for us, woe are we' attitide....thats the problem, not the solution.

That's all well and good, but for the vast majority of my time on the road I do follow all of the rules (when no one is around I will zip through a stop sign), but when there's cars around I try to act like a car. I stay in my lane, I don't go to the front of the intersection and I stop at all the traffic signals. And guess what, I still amost get bumped multiple times by cars who decide I don't deserve a whole lane.

It's not just downtown either. The highway is worse. I don't know how I can be any more predictable than riding in a straight line down the highway, yet cars still decide they don't need to give me enough room to swerve to miss a pothole or something else when they pass me.

I haven't been cycling for very long, but I can see how cyclists become cynical very quickly and just say "Screw it, if cars aren't going to respect me and give me space, I'm just gonna do whatever I feel is safest for me".

It really is a chicken and egg thing, but the fact of the matter is even if all cyclists obeyed all of the rules, there would still be a lot of drivers who ignore the law and don't treat cyclists like another vehicle.

[mrgreen]

If it's the law I'd expect people to wear them but if not,...whatever.

[Yasa]

I wear a helmet because I hate head injuries, personally.

[YYC in LAX]

If you think that car hitting cyclists video is cool or funny, you're a bad, bad person.

[OilKiller]

Originally Posted by YYC in LAX

If you think that car hitting cyclists video is cool or funny, you're a bad, bad person.

I'm pretty sure it was posted to lighten the thread up.

[Tinordi]

Originally Posted by YYC in LAX

If you think that car hitting cyclists video is cool or funny, you're a bad, bad person.

No kidding.

[kevman]

Originally Posted by mrgreen

As a relative newcomer I've found Canada SO over the top on safety compared to other parts of the world (namely Europe). Who cares if someone doesn't wear a helmet? It's fine. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. No big deal. People seem genuinely scared that 'something' is going to happen to them here. If it's the law I'd expect people to wear them but if not,...whatever. As for bikes, there are good and bad riders, as there are with drivers.

Not to derail the thread (if there was actually a direction) but I too find the helmet while biking thing completely blown out of proportion. People spend WAY too much time trying to get involved with other peoples lives. It's only a matter of time before it's law and then, just like Vancouver, we'll see the number of cyclists in the streets go down.

[Tinordi]

Originally Posted by OilKiller

I'm pretty sure it was posted to lighten the thread up.

Nothing speaks levity like manslaughter or vehicular homicide.