Thanks to the bike party organizers!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It looked like a lot of fun unless you needed to use on of the major arteries in the city to get somewhere

This.

Quite a few riders had no light or reflector on their bikes, very dangerous when weaving in and out of traffic in the dark.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It looked like a lot of fun unless you needed to use on of the major arteries in the city to get somewhere

This.

Quite a few riders had no light or reflector on their bikes, very dangerous when weaving in and out of traffic in the dark.

I guess when people don't care about their own safety they really don't care about others.

[Anonymous]

This discussion is stupid. The vast majority of motorists will waive cyclists through the intersection - even when they get there before the cyclist - because they understand the fundamental differences between the two vehicles. Occasionally you’ll have the occasional driver - a few of whom have apparently found their way here - who were traumatized by a bicycle early in life and see fit to take out their issues on every cyclist they encounter, even when cyclists are fully compliant with the law.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:saw a woman on a bike this evening with two kids abroad approach a four way stop intersection.

there were already two other cars at the intersection, each stopped at their respective stop signs and waiting to go through, before she had even reached the intersection.

and yet she just barreled on through the intersection at full speed, expecting everyone else to just wait on her. one car had to slam on its breaks.

feel bad for her kids. she is going to get them (and herself) killed.

bicyclists have no idea how idaho stops work, do they? or do they just not care?

If bicyclists were required to actually follow the rules of Idaho stops, no one would bike. They'd have to stop and start at the end of virtually every block and they'd get so tired out, they'd just stop riding.

Here you are again using terms you refuse to understand. Read the law around the Idaho Stop in DC and come back with some actual information, rather than prejudiced nonsense.

Here's the law. Given this, and the sheer number of cars and other people on the road, Idaho Stops should be relatively rare.

Code of the District of Columbia
§ 50–2201.04d. Riders' safe crossing at intersections.

(a) A rider approaching a stop sign may go straight through the intersection or make a turn without stopping; provided, that the rider:

(1) Is travelling at an appropriate speed to reasonably assess and avoid hazards;

(2) Determines there is no immediate hazard; and

(3) Yields the right-of-way to pedestrians and to other traffic lawfully using the intersection.

They're not that rare in residential neighborhoods outside of rush hour. I can usually get about a mile from my house before I approach an intersection with a stop sign at the same time as a pedestrian or another vehicle on my bike. (Traffic lights obviously are different.) By definition, the only people who really would know if most Idaho stops are being performed correctly are the cyclists doing the stopping; if there was someone else at the intersection, it wouldn't be legal. So the fact that we don't see people doing them right doesn't really prove that no one does.

FWIW, I always stop at stop signs on my bike if there are others at the intersection, though a lot of drivers seem to expect me not to and try to waive me to go. That may be an indication of typical cyclist behavior, or maybe they think they need to yield to bikes, or maybe they're trying to be helpful (though once I stop, I may as well wait for every car at an intersection to go, even if I have right of way).

DP. You really have a distorted view of reality. No one cares what you’re doing when no one sees you. The problem is what you’re doing when everyone sees you.

The problem I have is that every time I have been a at four way stop with a cyclist the cyclist breaks the law. You and your buddies need to stop breaking the law. It’s that simple.

*predicting that your response will be some whataboutism about cars*

No, my response is, I already said above that I stop for stop signs when there are cars or pedestrians there. I'm not responsible for what "my buddies" do, any more than you're responsible for what other drivers do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:saw a woman on a bike this evening with two kids abroad approach a four way stop intersection.

there were already two other cars at the intersection, each stopped at their respective stop signs and waiting to go through, before she had even reached the intersection.

and yet she just barreled on through the intersection at full speed, expecting everyone else to just wait on her. one car had to slam on its breaks.

feel bad for her kids. she is going to get them (and herself) killed.

bicyclists have no idea how idaho stops work, do they? or do they just not care?

If bicyclists were required to actually follow the rules of Idaho stops, no one would bike. They'd have to stop and start at the end of virtually every block and they'd get so tired out, they'd just stop riding.

Here you are again using terms you refuse to understand. Read the law around the Idaho Stop in DC and come back with some actual information, rather than prejudiced nonsense.

Here's the law. Given this, and the sheer number of cars and other people on the road, Idaho Stops should be relatively rare.

Code of the District of Columbia
§ 50–2201.04d. Riders' safe crossing at intersections.

(a) A rider approaching a stop sign may go straight through the intersection or make a turn without stopping; provided, that the rider:

(1) Is travelling at an appropriate speed to reasonably assess and avoid hazards;

(2) Determines there is no immediate hazard; and

(3) Yields the right-of-way to pedestrians and to other traffic lawfully using the intersection.

They're not that rare in residential neighborhoods outside of rush hour. I can usually get about a mile from my house before I approach an intersection with a stop sign at the same time as a pedestrian or another vehicle on my bike. (Traffic lights obviously are different.) By definition, the only people who really would know if most Idaho stops are being performed correctly are the cyclists doing the stopping; if there was someone else at the intersection, it wouldn't be legal. So the fact that we don't see people doing them right doesn't really prove that no one does.

FWIW, I always stop at stop signs on my bike if there are others at the intersection, though a lot of drivers seem to expect me not to and try to waive me to go. That may be an indication of typical cyclist behavior, or maybe they think they need to yield to bikes, or maybe they're trying to be helpful (though once I stop, I may as well wait for every car at an intersection to go, even if I have right of way).

DP. You really have a distorted view of reality. No one cares what you’re doing when no one sees you. The problem is what you’re doing when everyone sees you.

The problem I have is that every time I have been a at four way stop with a cyclist the cyclist breaks the law. You and your buddies need to stop breaking the law. It’s that simple.

*predicting that your response will be some whataboutism about cars*

No, my response is, I already said above that I stop for stop signs when there are cars or pedestrians there. I'm not responsible for what "my buddies" do, any more than you're responsible for what other drivers do.

If a motorist is in view of a stop sign, they believe they are "at" the intersection and that you should yield ROW, even if you are already rolling through your yield. Because, obviously, motorists take priority on the roads. /s

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cyclists as a group know they piss off drivers (not just slowing us down and being totally unpredictable) but drivers as a group do NOT want to involved when your stupidity results in the inevitable accident.

Oh please. The very existence of a cyclist seems to piss off a large group of motorists (some of whom have commented many times on this thread). So what, you want all cyclists to just de-exist themselves?

People were complaining about the person who was going like 6 miles under the speed *limit* toward a red light saying they were being an ahole for being in the left lane when a vehicle was parked in the right for christsake.

Yes, some of these protest rides are to demonstrate that many cyclists exist. But even they are usually keeping to a lane or two depending on group size.

My husband is a cyclist who’s in a local club. They do go to extremes. They pride themselves on beating each other’s times, and ride to the point of severe personal debilitation. My husband was told not to street ride while on blood thinners after riding himself into major calf blood clots. He does it anyway and hides it from the doctors. It’s “all about the ride”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cyclists as a group know they piss off drivers (not just slowing us down and being totally unpredictable) but drivers as a group do NOT want to involved when your stupidity results in the inevitable accident.

Oh please. The very existence of a cyclist seems to piss off a large group of motorists (some of whom have commented many times on this thread). So what, you want all cyclists to just de-exist themselves?

People were complaining about the person who was going like 6 miles under the speed *limit* toward a red light saying they were being an ahole for being in the left lane when a vehicle was parked in the right for christsake.

Yes, some of these protest rides are to demonstrate that many cyclists exist. But even they are usually keeping to a lane or two depending on group size.

My husband is a cyclist who’s in a local club. They do go to extremes. They pride themselves on beating each other’s times, and ride to the point of severe personal debilitation. My husband was told not to street ride while on blood thinners after riding himself into major calf blood clots. He does it anyway and hides it from the doctors. It’s “all about the ride”

Your husband is a loser.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This discussion is stupid. The vast majority of motorists will waive cyclists through the intersection - even when they get there before the cyclist - because they understand the fundamental differences between the two vehicles. Occasionally you’ll have the occasional driver - a few of whom have apparently found their way here - who were traumatized by a bicycle early in life and see fit to take out their issues on every cyclist they encounter, even when cyclists are fully compliant with the law.

All I'm hearing are cyclists making excuses about why they shouldn't have the follow the Idaho Stop law, even as they simultaneously complain about drivers not obeying the law.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This discussion is stupid. The vast majority of motorists will waive cyclists through the intersection - even when they get there before the cyclist - because they understand the fundamental differences between the two vehicles. Occasionally you’ll have the occasional driver - a few of whom have apparently found their way here - who were traumatized by a bicycle early in life and see fit to take out their issues on every cyclist they encounter, even when cyclists are fully compliant with the law.

All I'm hearing are cyclists making excuses about why they shouldn't have the follow the Idaho Stop law, even as they simultaneously complain about drivers not obeying the law.

That's because they hitched their wagon to the "safety" train. The only justification for building bike lanes, considering the usage statistics, is safety so they need to push that angle hard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This discussion is stupid. The vast majority of motorists will waive cyclists through the intersection - even when they get there before the cyclist - because they understand the fundamental differences between the two vehicles. Occasionally you’ll have the occasional driver - a few of whom have apparently found their way here - who were traumatized by a bicycle early in life and see fit to take out their issues on every cyclist they encounter, even when cyclists are fully compliant with the law.

All I'm hearing are cyclists making excuses about why they shouldn't have the follow the Idaho Stop law, even as they simultaneously complain about drivers not obeying the law.

it's not just bicyclists. i see people on scooters and mopeds and e-bikes and motorcycles now treating stop signs and traffic lights as if they are entirely optional. this behavior is spreading.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This discussion is stupid. The vast majority of motorists will waive cyclists through the intersection - even when they get there before the cyclist - because they understand the fundamental differences between the two vehicles. Occasionally you’ll have the occasional driver - a few of whom have apparently found their way here - who were traumatized by a bicycle early in life and see fit to take out their issues on every cyclist they encounter, even when cyclists are fully compliant with the law.

All I'm hearing are cyclists making excuses about why they shouldn't have the follow the Idaho Stop law, even as they simultaneously complain about drivers not obeying the law.

it's not just bicyclists. i see people on scooters and mopeds and e-bikes and motorcycles now treating stop signs and traffic lights as if they are entirely optional. this behavior is spreading.

Motorcycles have always treated traffic laws as optional. They are the OG scofflaws. The power of a super car and the entitlement of two wheels. A dangerous combination.

Also don't forget pedestrians and their jaywalking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This discussion is stupid. The vast majority of motorists will waive cyclists through the intersection - even when they get there before the cyclist - because they understand the fundamental differences between the two vehicles. Occasionally you’ll have the occasional driver - a few of whom have apparently found their way here - who were traumatized by a bicycle early in life and see fit to take out their issues on every cyclist they encounter, even when cyclists are fully compliant with the law.

This.

As a driver, I will always wave a cyclist through and as a cyclist, I appreciate the same treatment and usually receive it and respond with a wave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This discussion is stupid. The vast majority of motorists will waive cyclists through the intersection - even when they get there before the cyclist - because they understand the fundamental differences between the two vehicles. Occasionally you’ll have the occasional driver - a few of whom have apparently found their way here - who were traumatized by a bicycle early in life and see fit to take out their issues on every cyclist they encounter, even when cyclists are fully compliant with the law.

This.

As a driver, I will always wave a cyclist through and as a cyclist, I appreciate the same treatment and usually receive it and respond with a wave.

As a cyclist, I appreciate the thought, but if you're at a stop sign already and you can see me coming to a stop, then it's easier for me if you just go. I usually end up stopping, starting at you for a beat, then going.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This discussion is stupid. The vast majority of motorists will waive cyclists through the intersection - even when they get there before the cyclist - because they understand the fundamental differences between the two vehicles. Occasionally you’ll have the occasional driver - a few of whom have apparently found their way here - who were traumatized by a bicycle early in life and see fit to take out their issues on every cyclist they encounter, even when cyclists are fully compliant with the law.

All I'm hearing are cyclists making excuses about why they shouldn't have the follow the Idaho Stop law, even as they simultaneously complain about drivers not obeying the law.

it's not just bicyclists. i see people on scooters and mopeds and e-bikes and motorcycles now treating stop signs and traffic lights as if they are entirely optional. this behavior is spreading.

We have a "broken windows" program with traffic laws. Bad behavior going unpunished only begets more bad behavior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It looked like a lot of fun unless you needed to use on of the major arteries in the city to get somewhere

This.

Quite a few riders had no light or reflector on their bikes, very dangerous when weaving in and out of traffic in the dark.

Just to be clear, Bike Party announcement invite reads like this, every time:

"Special Event Notes:
Leave No Trace: Please check for trash/recyclables and dispose of them properly—thanks!

We appreciate your help in making the evening go as smoothly and as joyfully as possible! Please be kind to the volunteers, other riders, other road users, and our neighbors.

No outside food or alcohol is allowed at the end-point venue.
FAQs:

What is DC Bike Party? DC Bike Party is a celebration of the bicycle and Washington DC bicycle community, run 100% by volunteers for the last 10+ years!

Do I need a helmet? That’s probably wise.
Do I need lights? Yes.
Do I need spandex? No.

What’s the distance/time? It’s a comfortable “party pace” ride. We usually go around 8 miles in 2 hours (including a midpoint party).
Where will we go? Stay behind the volunteers at the front (wearing neon yellow shirts). They know where to go.

Will the ride return to the starting point? No. But our endpoints are always a short ride from a metro station.

Is this a “no drop” or “supported” ride? No. You may find that there is a Good Samaritan in attendance who has the knowledge or tools on hand, but you shouldn’t rely on that possibility or that someone will have the correct size tubes or other parts that your bike needs. Before you leave the house, you should, at minimum, do an ABC check: Air; Brakes; Chain/Cables.

Can I ride on the sidewalk? If you want to be a jerk.

Can I ride my motorcycle? No gas-powered vehicles. If you are comfortable taking it on the highway, we are not comfortable having it with us."