Cyclists -- Why do you hog the road even with a large shoulder?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know where this pull to the right nonsense is coming from

Cyclists have a right to the road just like cars

I blow through stopsigns and treat traffic lights like yields but I always check first. I used to obey all traffic laws but in DC no bikers actually wait at red lights or come to a full and complete stop at a 4 way stop so I joined the local customs.

It does amaze me watching some bikers blow through without looking. Thats asking for a serious accident.

I love the bike lanes in DC. Its tough riding in downtown I tend to avoid it if at all possible. Sometimes there is no choice and its pretty dangerous. I have a right to be on the road.

You don't get to pick the laws that you feel apply to you because of "local customs". You have a right to the road but not to your own set of rules based on nothing more than "local customs".

Everyone picks the laws they choose to follow - drivers who speed, who fail to signal, etc. Pedestrians who jaywalk. And Idahoing stops is not a local custom, it is widespread across the USA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know where this pull to the right nonsense is coming from

Cyclists have a right to the road just like cars

I blow through stopsigns and treat traffic lights like yields but I always check first. I used to obey all traffic laws but in DC no bikers actually wait at red lights or come to a full and complete stop at a 4 way stop so I joined the local customs.

It does amaze me watching some bikers blow through without looking. Thats asking for a serious accident.

I love the bike lanes in DC. Its tough riding in downtown I tend to avoid it if at all possible. Sometimes there is no choice and its pretty dangerous. I have a right to be on the road.

You are doing it wrong. An Idaho stop, as defined in Idaho law (and the few other places it has been made legal) involves treating a stop sign as a yield sign (NOT blowing through) and treating a red light as a stop sign (not as a yield sign) While there are many who do what you do, I would say the vast majority do "proper Idahos" and rarely do what you do.

Thats what I do. Most of the 4 way stops are empty when I go by them which is why I "blow through" them and obviously if there are any vehilces, bikes, or pedestrians present I stop

If there is an intersection that you know very well, and know that at the time you ride by there there is never cross traffic, and the visibility is good, I could see that. But in general I do not think that is a good way to ride, and if you mostly do properly Idaho, it might be better not to characterize it as "blowing through"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know where this pull to the right nonsense is coming from

Cyclists have a right to the road just like cars

I blow through stopsigns and treat traffic lights like yields but I always check first. I used to obey all traffic laws but in DC no bikers actually wait at red lights or come to a full and complete stop at a 4 way stop so I joined the local customs.

It does amaze me watching some bikers blow through without looking. Thats asking for a serious accident.

I love the bike lanes in DC. Its tough riding in downtown I tend to avoid it if at all possible. Sometimes there is no choice and its pretty dangerous. I have a right to be on the road.

You don't get to pick the laws that you feel apply to you because of "local customs". You have a right to the road but not to your own set of rules based on nothing more than "local customs".

Everyone picks the laws they choose to follow - drivers who speed, who fail to signal, etc. Pedestrians who jaywalk. And Idahoing stops is not a local custom, it is widespread across the USA.

Yes, and that also means that drivers may choose to ignore laws that are there to protect you. See how that works? I may choose, as a part of "local custom" to pass by a cyclists very closely so as to not cross the double yellow, as is the "custom" of our local drivers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know where this pull to the right nonsense is coming from

Cyclists have a right to the road just like cars

I blow through stopsigns and treat traffic lights like yields but I always check first. I used to obey all traffic laws but in DC no bikers actually wait at red lights or come to a full and complete stop at a 4 way stop so I joined the local customs.

It does amaze me watching some bikers blow through without looking. Thats asking for a serious accident.

I love the bike lanes in DC. Its tough riding in downtown I tend to avoid it if at all possible. Sometimes there is no choice and its pretty dangerous. I have a right to be on the road.

You don't get to pick the laws that you feel apply to you because of "local customs". You have a right to the road but not to your own set of rules based on nothing more than "local customs".

Everyone picks the laws they choose to follow - drivers who speed, who fail to signal, etc. Pedestrians who jaywalk. And Idahoing stops is not a local custom, it is widespread across the USA.

I see cyclists routinely blow through both stop signs and traffic lights, go the wrong way on roads, weave in and out of traffic. This is not normal behavior for most drivers.

[Anonymous]

Almost got rear ended earlier today when I came upon a cyclist, had no room to swerve, and had to brake hard, slowing from 40 to about 15. There was a wide and debris free shoulder the cyclist could have been using.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:maybe I should be posting in the relationship forum

Yup!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know where this pull to the right nonsense is coming from

Cyclists have a right to the road just like cars

I blow through stopsigns and treat traffic lights like yields but I always check first. I used to obey all traffic laws but in DC no bikers actually wait at red lights or come to a full and complete stop at a 4 way stop so I joined the local customs.

It does amaze me watching some bikers blow through without looking. Thats asking for a serious accident.

I love the bike lanes in DC. Its tough riding in downtown I tend to avoid it if at all possible. Sometimes there is no choice and its pretty dangerous. I have a right to be on the road.

You don't get to pick the laws that you feel apply to you because of "local customs". You have a right to the road but not to your own set of rules based on nothing more than "local customs".

Everyone picks the laws they choose to follow - drivers who speed, who fail to signal, etc. Pedestrians who jaywalk. And Idahoing stops is not a local custom, it is widespread across the USA.

I see cyclists routinely blow through both stop signs and traffic lights, go the wrong way on roads, weave in and out of traffic. This is not normal behavior for most drivers.

I regularly see drivers drive 45MPH in a 35MPH zone, drive while talking on the phone, eating, or doing their makeup, etc. That is not normal behavior for most cyclists.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Almost got rear ended earlier today when I came upon a cyclist, had no room to swerve, and had to brake hard, slowing from 40 to about 15. There was a wide and debris free shoulder the cyclist could have been using.

Why did you not slow down earlier, and more gently, when you saw him? And why was the driver behind you going so fast that he had no room to stop? You could have had to brake suddenly for a variety of reasons, which is why when I learned to drive we were taught not to tailgate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know where this pull to the right nonsense is coming from

Cyclists have a right to the road just like cars

I blow through stopsigns and treat traffic lights like yields but I always check first. I used to obey all traffic laws but in DC no bikers actually wait at red lights or come to a full and complete stop at a 4 way stop so I joined the local customs.

It does amaze me watching some bikers blow through without looking. Thats asking for a serious accident.

I love the bike lanes in DC. Its tough riding in downtown I tend to avoid it if at all possible. Sometimes there is no choice and its pretty dangerous. I have a right to be on the road.

You don't get to pick the laws that you feel apply to you because of "local customs". You have a right to the road but not to your own set of rules based on nothing more than "local customs".

Everyone picks the laws they choose to follow - drivers who speed, who fail to signal, etc. Pedestrians who jaywalk. And Idahoing stops is not a local custom, it is widespread across the USA.

Yes, and that also means that drivers may choose to ignore laws that are there to protect you. See how that works? I may choose, as a part of "local custom" to pass by a cyclists very closely so as to not cross the double yellow, as is the "custom" of our local drivers.

Oh, that is already the local custom here, as is drivers failing to signal, turning right on red without stopping, rolling through stop signs, and more than you might imagine, running red lights (and no, they never stop and then proceed through the red - they just run them).

The issue is that you passing closely is dangerous, while properly executed Idaho stops are safe, and in some circumstances can be safer than not doing them.

Also of course, if we all come to complete stops we will slow you down a lot more. In SF a particular policeman started ticketing cyclists for Idahoing the stop signs on a popular bike route. The cyclists protested by getting together, riding the route, and OBEYING the law. Each one, in turn, made a complete foot down stop, before proceeding, at each stop sign. This resulted in some considerable delay to motorists, and IIUC, the policeman in question was reassigned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know where this pull to the right nonsense is coming from

Cyclists have a right to the road just like cars

I blow through stopsigns and treat traffic lights like yields but I always check first. I used to obey all traffic laws but in DC no bikers actually wait at red lights or come to a full and complete stop at a 4 way stop so I joined the local customs.

It does amaze me watching some bikers blow through without looking. Thats asking for a serious accident.

I love the bike lanes in DC. Its tough riding in downtown I tend to avoid it if at all possible. Sometimes there is no choice and its pretty dangerous. I have a right to be on the road.

You don't get to pick the laws that you feel apply to you because of "local customs". You have a right to the road but not to your own set of rules based on nothing more than "local customs".

Everyone picks the laws they choose to follow - drivers who speed, who fail to signal, etc. Pedestrians who jaywalk. And Idahoing stops is not a local custom, it is widespread across the USA.

Yes, and that also means that drivers may choose to ignore laws that are there to protect you. See how that works? I may choose, as a part of "local custom" to pass by a cyclists very closely so as to not cross the double yellow, as is the "custom" of our local drivers.

Oh, that is already the local custom here, as is drivers failing to signal, turning right on red without stopping, rolling through stop signs, and more than you might imagine, running red lights (and no, they never stop and then proceed through the red - they just run them).

The issue is that you passing closely is dangerous, while properly executed Idaho stops are safe, and in some circumstances can be safer than not doing them.

Also of course, if we all come to complete stops we will slow you down a lot more. In SF a particular policeman started ticketing cyclists for Idahoing the stop signs on a popular bike route. The cyclists protested by getting together, riding the route, and OBEYING the law. Each one, in turn, made a complete foot down stop, before proceeding, at each stop sign. This resulted in some considerable delay to motorists, and IIUC, the policeman in question was reassigned.

See, cyclists are douches.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Almost got rear ended earlier today when I came upon a cyclist, had no room to swerve, and had to brake hard, slowing from 40 to about 15. There was a wide and debris free shoulder the cyclist could have been using.

Why did you not slow down earlier, and more gently, when you saw him? And why was the driver behind you going so fast that he had no room to stop? You could have had to brake suddenly for a variety of reasons, which is why when I learned to drive we were taught not to tailgate.

He probably couldn't see the cyclist through the bright light emitted form their pompous halo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Almost got rear ended earlier today when I came upon a cyclist, had no room to swerve, and had to brake hard, slowing from 40 to about 15. There was a wide and debris free shoulder the cyclist could have been using.

Why did you not slow down earlier, and more gently, when you saw him? And why was the driver behind you going so fast that he had no room to stop? You could have had to brake suddenly for a variety of reasons, which is why when I learned to drive we were taught not to tailgate.

I didn't see the cyclist - all I noticed was that a number of cars in front of me started moving into the left lane to pass. When I saw the cyclist, I turned on my signal to pass, but a number of cars behind me had already made the same move so I had no opening - I had to suddenly brake.

The car behind me did have plenty of room but I don't think they realized the speed of my deceleration, hence almost being rear-ended.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know where this pull to the right nonsense is coming from

Cyclists have a right to the road just like cars

I blow through stopsigns and treat traffic lights like yields but I always check first. I used to obey all traffic laws but in DC no bikers actually wait at red lights or come to a full and complete stop at a 4 way stop so I joined the local customs.

It does amaze me watching some bikers blow through without looking. Thats asking for a serious accident.

I love the bike lanes in DC. Its tough riding in downtown I tend to avoid it if at all possible. Sometimes there is no choice and its pretty dangerous. I have a right to be on the road.

You don't get to pick the laws that you feel apply to you because of "local customs". You have a right to the road but not to your own set of rules based on nothing more than "local customs".

Everyone picks the laws they choose to follow - drivers who speed, who fail to signal, etc. Pedestrians who jaywalk. And Idahoing stops is not a local custom, it is widespread across the USA.

Yes, and that also means that drivers may choose to ignore laws that are there to protect you. See how that works? I may choose, as a part of "local custom" to pass by a cyclists very closely so as to not cross the double yellow, as is the "custom" of our local drivers.

Oh, that is already the local custom here, as is drivers failing to signal, turning right on red without stopping, rolling through stop signs, and more than you might imagine, running red lights (and no, they never stop and then proceed through the red - they just run them).

The issue is that you passing closely is dangerous, while properly executed Idaho stops are safe, and in some circumstances can be safer than not doing them.

Also of course, if we all come to complete stops we will slow you down a lot more. In SF a particular policeman started ticketing cyclists for Idahoing the stop signs on a popular bike route. The cyclists protested by getting together, riding the route, and OBEYING the law. Each one, in turn, made a complete foot down stop, before proceeding, at each stop sign. This resulted in some considerable delay to motorists, and IIUC, the policeman in question was reassigned.

Shocking new discovery by cyclists in San Francisco, traffic moves faster when nobody bothers to stop.

[Anonymous]

[b]

Anonymous wrote:Nothing says, hi, I'm an angry repressed white male more than being a cyclist in DC or the inner suburbs.

My loser ex did an ironman and would bike 6 hours a day taking up an entire lane. He was a giant asshole, good riddance.

[Anonymous]

In my first few years of commuting, I commuted by car. I would curse pedestrians who wandered across the road against their signal and cyclists who zoomed around without obeying any signage.

In my next few years of commuting, I commuted on foot. I would curse the cars that ran red lights and ignored cross walks and almost ran me over and cyclists who zoomed around without obeying any signage.

Now, I commute by bike. I curse the cars that run red lights and ignore cross walks and change lanes into me etc. etc. etc. and pedestrians who all have headphones in and walk around like they own every inch of sidewalk and are totally oblivious.

Of all three, I think cars are the biggest menace. They are the most impatient and aggressive and pose the biggest risk to others around them.