Why don’t people use bike lanes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Yep. The freedom run red lights.

The freedom to blow through stop signs.

The freedom to go the wrong way against traffic.

The freedom to knock over pedestrians in crosswalks who are crossing with the light.

The freedom to smash vehicles with your bike lock if they get within arm's reach.

The freedom to ride on the sidewalk, weaving between walkers, scaring them out of your way.

The freedom to trap everyone else on the road behind you as you take the lane going uphill.

The freedom not to bound by any traffic laws whatsoever, yet still call yourself a victim when you wind up under a car because you entered an intersection from a redlight at 20 mph.

Yep, bikes are the ultimate freedom. From accountability.

People do all of these things while driving cars (except smashing vehicles with their bike lock, obviously; they use their cars instead), and when they do these things, they kill people.

I wish that everyone went everywhere responsibly, whether they're walking, biking, or driving. But people have the greatest responsibility - and the greatest need for accountability - when they are driving, because irresponsible behavior while driving kills people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why not take the bus or drive a car to work and bike for exercise on a bike path or in your basement???!!!

Why not take a bike to work and drive for leisure on a scenic route like Skyline Drive?

Why not take a bike to work and bike through Rock Creek Park or any of a number of other beautiful local parks?

You wouldn't believe the number of car commuters on there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Yep. The freedom run red lights.

The freedom to blow through stop signs.

The freedom to go the wrong way against traffic.

The freedom to knock over pedestrians in crosswalks who are crossing with the light.

The freedom to smash vehicles with your bike lock if they get within arm's reach.

The freedom to ride on the sidewalk, weaving between walkers, scaring them out of your way.

The freedom to trap everyone else on the road behind you as you take the lane going uphill.

The freedom not to bound by any traffic laws whatsoever, yet still call yourself a victim when you wind up under a car because you entered an intersection from a redlight at 20 mph.

Yep, bikes are the ultimate freedom. From accountability.

People do all of these things while driving cars (except smashing vehicles with their bike lock, obviously; they use their cars instead), and when they do these things, they kill people.

I wish that everyone went everywhere responsibly, whether they're walking, biking, or driving. But people have the greatest responsibility - and the greatest need for accountability - when they are driving, because irresponsible behavior while driving kills people.

Except that very few car drivers actually do any of the above; whereas, a lot (if not most) of bicyclists do. Exception vs the rule.

[Anonymous]

Cyclists are trash

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Yep. The freedom run red lights.

The freedom to blow through stop signs.

The freedom to go the wrong way against traffic.

The freedom to knock over pedestrians in crosswalks who are crossing with the light.

The freedom to smash vehicles with your bike lock if they get within arm's reach.

The freedom to ride on the sidewalk, weaving between walkers, scaring them out of your way.

The freedom to trap everyone else on the road behind you as you take the lane going uphill.

The freedom not to bound by any traffic laws whatsoever, yet still call yourself a victim when you wind up under a car because you entered an intersection from a redlight at 20 mph.

Yep, bikes are the ultimate freedom. From accountability.

People do all of these things while driving cars (except smashing vehicles with their bike lock, obviously; they use their cars instead), and when they do these things, they kill people.

I wish that everyone went everywhere responsibly, whether they're walking, biking, or driving. But people have the greatest responsibility - and the greatest need for accountability - when they are driving, because irresponsible behavior while driving kills people.

Except that very few car drivers actually do any of the above; whereas, a lot (if not most) of bicyclists do. Exception vs the rule.

Good grief. No, most bicyclists don't do that. And the ones who do, don't kill anybody when they do it. Unlike drivers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Yep. The freedom run red lights.

The freedom to blow through stop signs.

The freedom to go the wrong way against traffic.

The freedom to knock over pedestrians in crosswalks who are crossing with the light.

The freedom to smash vehicles with your bike lock if they get within arm's reach.

The freedom to ride on the sidewalk, weaving between walkers, scaring them out of your way.

The freedom to trap everyone else on the road behind you as you take the lane going uphill.

The freedom not to bound by any traffic laws whatsoever, yet still call yourself a victim when you wind up under a car because you entered an intersection from a redlight at 20 mph.

Yep, bikes are the ultimate freedom. From accountability.

People do all of these things while driving cars (except smashing vehicles with their bike lock, obviously; they use their cars instead), and when they do these things, they kill people.

I wish that everyone went everywhere responsibly, whether they're walking, biking, or driving. But people have the greatest responsibility - and the greatest need for accountability - when they are driving, because irresponsible behavior while driving kills people.

Except that very few car drivers actually do any of the above; whereas, a lot (if not most) of bicyclists do. Exception vs the rule.

Very few car drivers think that they or other drivers are breaking the law. In reality, we are frequently breaking the law. We just don't see it.

[Anonymous]

Yep. The freedom run red lights.

Few cyclists run red lights. About half will often do an Idaho Stop - treating the red light like a stop sign - then proceeding when traffic is clear. I don't do that. I note its legal in Idaho and there are good reasons for it. Note in DC it IS legal for a bike to proceed through a red light when the ped signal is go.

The freedom to blow through stop signs.

Again, most cyclists will treat a stop as yield - slowing and proceeding through if there are no peds or conflicting traffic - which is legal in Idaho, Oregon, Delaware and Arkansas. Some do not slow as they should, or weave through peds in the crosswalk. If stop as yield were legal here, the way to do it properly and safely could be taught.

The freedom to go the wrong way against traffic.

Few riders do that. They should not.

The freedom to knock over pedestrians in crosswalks who are crossing with the light.

Few do that, most riders respect peds. Certainly this also happens with drivers, who actually kill people doing that.

The freedom to smash vehicles with your bike lock if they get within arm's reach.

I have never seen that in my life. There was one story about that I guess?

The freedom to ride on the sidewalk, weaving between walkers, scaring them out of your way.

Yes,, sidewalk riding is legal in most of DC and most of the suburbs. Most riders who do that try to be careful. All should yield to peds on sidewalks.

The freedom to trap everyone else on the road behind you as you take the lane going uphill.

Yes, that is legal. Its why most of us want bike lanes on steep uphills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Yep. The freedom run red lights.

The freedom to blow through stop signs.

The freedom to go the wrong way against traffic.

The freedom to knock over pedestrians in crosswalks who are crossing with the light.

The freedom to smash vehicles with your bike lock if they get within arm's reach.

The freedom to ride on the sidewalk, weaving between walkers, scaring them out of your way.

The freedom to trap everyone else on the road behind you as you take the lane going uphill.

The freedom not to bound by any traffic laws whatsoever, yet still call yourself a victim when you wind up under a car because you entered an intersection from a redlight at 20 mph.

Yep, bikes are the ultimate freedom. From accountability.

People do all of these things while driving cars (except smashing vehicles with their bike lock, obviously; they use their cars instead), and when they do these things, they kill people.

I wish that everyone went everywhere responsibly, whether they're walking, biking, or driving. But people have the greatest responsibility - and the greatest need for accountability - when they are driving, because irresponsible behavior while driving kills people.

Except that very few car drivers actually do any of the above; whereas, a lot (if not most) of bicyclists do. Exception vs the rule.

Very few car drivers think that they or other drivers are breaking the law. In reality, we are frequently breaking the law. We just don't see it.

The most universal infraction by drivers is driving over the speed limit. That was not on the list above. Whoever wrote the list above specifically avoided the infractiont that people on bikes rarely commit, and that the vast majority of drivers commit most of the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Very few car drivers think that they or other drivers are breaking the law. In reality, we are frequently breaking the law. We just don't see it.

The most universal infraction by drivers is driving over the speed limit. That was not on the list above. Whoever wrote the list above specifically avoided the infractiont that people on bikes rarely commit, and that the vast majority of drivers commit most of the time.

The general feeling is that driving over the speed limit doesn't really count as breaking the law, unless the person is driving at truly ridiculous speeds. (And something like 37 mph in a 25-mph zone doesn't count as a ridiculous speed...)

Here's what I don't understand: When I'm riding along legally, minding my own business, just trying to get where I'm going, I'm apparently invisible. Lots of drivers don't see me, especially drivers who are turning.

But apparently EVERYBODY sees me go through red lights constantly - which is really weird, because I never go through red lights.

[Anonymous]

37 in a 25 mph zone does kill people. There is real data on this. But I agree that most drivers don’t think it’s a problem.

[Anonymous]

I'm the PP you're responding to, and I agree that 37 in a 25 is a ridiculous - and deadly - speed.

But people nonetheless complain bitterly about it (when it's them driving 37 through somebody else's neighborhood).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Yep. The freedom run red lights.

The freedom to blow through stop signs.

The freedom to go the wrong way against traffic.

The freedom to knock over pedestrians in crosswalks who are crossing with the light.

The freedom to smash vehicles with your bike lock if they get within arm's reach.

The freedom to ride on the sidewalk, weaving between walkers, scaring them out of your way.

The freedom to trap everyone else on the road behind you as you take the lane going uphill.

The freedom not to bound by any traffic laws whatsoever, yet still call yourself a victim when you wind up under a car because you entered an intersection from a redlight at 20 mph.

Yep, bikes are the ultimate freedom. From accountability.

People do all of these things while driving cars (except smashing vehicles with their bike lock, obviously; they use their cars instead), and when they do these things, they kill people.

I wish that everyone went everywhere responsibly, whether they're walking, biking, or driving. But people have the greatest responsibility - and the greatest need for accountability - when they are driving, because irresponsible behavior while driving kills people.

Except that very few car drivers actually do any of the above; whereas, a lot (if not most) of bicyclists do. Exception vs the rule.

I can’t count the number of times I have seen drivers unexpectedly run red lights while I’m on a bike sitting there waiting for it to change. I’ve also had drivers deliberately swerve near me (and one garbage truck swing its door open as it passed me, in what seemed like an attempt to knock me down) for having the audacity to ... be on a bike near them. I’ve also been hit by an Uber in a bike lane, because the driver “didn’t see me,” and obviously, I see cars roll through stop signs daily, no matter what mode of transportation I’m using. Oh, and speed limits appear to be mostly optional.

If you’re trying to argue that obeying the law is standard for drivers but unusual for cyclists, how do you account for all that?