Watch out for bicycles too.

[Captain Dirty]

Poetic Justice Department (for PILOON, timswi, and others)

A friend of a friend was exceptionally well co-ordinated, quick, and an aggressive rider. I rode with him ONCE and watched him blitz red lights, cut across traffic lanes, etc. He was a bicycle messenger in Boston and worked a scam in which he would stage an accident, live off the insurance settlement for a while, and repeat. On his last incident he misjudged, and he spent the remaining 15 years of his life in a vegetative state.

 

[lostcause]

As I read that article, this was instantly going through my head... sorry Johnny...

Don't take your guns to town, son. Leave your sword at home Bill...

 

[KennyG]

I have ridden for years, mostly on rural roads. I wish we had more dedicated bike paths, but the only time I was hit by a car I was on a bike path. A car blew a stop sign coming out of parking lot across the bike path.

 

[civilian]

I can't say that I have never rolled through a stop sign.........Jon

And I have to ask what percentage of vehicle drivers do not pay attention to speed limits? ie Speeding? Jon

 

[9973720wb19]

I have had so many close calls involving bicycles that I've become anti bike.
They share the road network but (mostly) disregard any of the rules/laws.
They blow stops, make unlawful turns, dodge in/out of traffic in/out of sidewalks.
I once had one bounce off of my van to expedite his turn.
In my area a law was enacted to prevent dooring and another to provide a minimum passing clearance, both subject to fines and demerit points.
When it comes to speeding I've often been passed on my right by a bike that is greatly exceeding the posted limits. (That on a main street in a busy city hill)
One area has a dedicate bike trail that crosses a main artery and has posted stop signs for the bikes but the very rarely obey them, and if I exercise my basic right of way rights they give me the finger. Worst yet, the LEO's ignore those basic violations.
To add insult to injury the pay nothing towards the maintenance of the networks they demand to share.

I agree with you that there are bad cyclist and bad drivers. Sometime guys in my group will coast through a stop sign trying to keep up with the group...not good! Yet we can't neglect the fact that if there's a collision, the difference is one will surly die. And that's bad no matter who's at fault. With regard to taxes, whether you drive, ride, run, walk or sit on the sofa...taxes are based on your income. I'm an avid cyclist and can assure you I pay my fair share of taxes. Most people I ride with are generally A-type personally - very successful - that play hard and work hard...therefore, I'd argue pay more taxes on average than those sitting on the sofa.

 

[9973720wb19]

I only wish to add the bike riders who refuse to tighten up to the inside of the lane when traffic is waiting to pass. Now I have ridden plenty of bikes long before it was fashionable to do so and logged many miles with other traffic. So I know a rider does not need to be 4 ft from the roads edge and still need a 5 ft margin between them and the passing car.
If You want that margin then move over so We are not close as we pass you! Your bike only needs a couple inches from the line on the inside of the lane, it’s not 5 ft wide!

Agree, but sometime there are holes, debris, glass, gravel, and other things on the side of the road that make it hard to ride on the edge of the road 100% of the time. And there's the ones that don't ride much and don't have good bike handling skills...it's harder than you think to ride within 6 inches wide consistently...especially the faster you go...like a descent. Also, most times when a rider is out in the road, they don't know a car is coming up...all the time. Try it...find a steep hill and go down at 40mph within a few inches of the side of the road...

 

[9973720wb19]

Poetic Justice Department (for PILOON, timswi, and others)

A friend of a friend was exceptionally well co-ordinated, quick, and an aggressive rider. I rode with him ONCE and watched him blitz red lights, cut across traffic lanes, etc. He was a bicycle messenger in Boston and worked a scam in which he would stage an accident, live off the insurance settlement for a while, and repeat. On his last incident he misjudged, and he spent the remaining 15 years of his life in a vegetative state.

No sure I blame the bike for making this guy who he is...

 

[paulfun9]

Agree, but sometime there are holes, debris, glass, gravel, and other things on the side of the road that make it hard to ride on the edge of the road 100% of the time. And there's the ones that don't ride much and don't have good bike handling skills...it's harder than you think to ride within 6 inches wide consistently...especially the faster you go...like a descent. Also, most times when a rider is out in the road, they don't know a car is coming up...all the time. Try it...find a steep hill and go down at 40mph within a few inches of the side of the road...

Harder than I think? Who the hell do you think your fooling?
Even with my bad knees and old age I can still do it and just did yesterday!
Secondly I never said you need to be consistently over there just for a bit so we can all pass each other respectfully.

By the way I rode the line itself for almost 2 miles yesterday not as you say within 6 inches. I certainly hope your joking, and if not I think you might want to think about giving up bike rideing if you can’t ride within a reasonable margins of the edge while a car or truck passes!

 

[PILOON]

I doubt that many motorists can say they've never rolled through a stop sign, either.

Yep, but only if I can see clearly in all directions and there are no trees to hide a LEO with a radar gun.
Yes, they are that sneaky around here!

Always remember on our honeymoon the time when a LEO was actually parked inside of a huge semi van to catch speeders.
Naturally just where a narrow 2 lane opened up to a nice 4 lane.
Fine was reasonable but they demanded a large security deposit for the trial date a month down the road.
That was a costly honeymoon.

 

[PILOON]

I agree with you that there are bad cyclist and bad drivers. Sometime guys in my group will coast through a stop sign trying to keep up with the group...not good! Yet we can't neglect the fact that if there's a collision, the difference is one will surly die. And that's bad no matter who's at fault. With regard to taxes, whether you drive, ride, run, walk or sit on the sofa...taxes are based on your income. I'm an avid cyclist and can assure you I pay my fair share of taxes. Most people I ride with are generally A-type personally - very successful - that play hard and work hard...therefore, I'd argue pay more taxes on average than those sitting on the sofa.

"taxes are based on your income."
OK, income taxes BUT
It is fuel taxes and license tags that pay for road maintenance!.