Author Topic: Blatant Anti-Cyclist Comic in Today's Paper  (Read 17781 times)

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Offline MrBent

Re: Blatant Anti-Cyclist Comic in Today's Paper
« Reply #15 on: February 10, 2012, 08:31:43 pm »
Hey, Indy:  Thanks for that video link!  That cop was a total TOOL, and, I guess, it's NOT illegal to ride outside the lane.  Freakin' stinkin' morons!  I'm so glad I don't live in a big city.

Scott

indyfabz

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Re: Blatant Anti-Cyclist Comic in Today's Paper
« Reply #16 on: February 13, 2012, 10:39:49 am »
I'm so glad I don't live in a big city.

The flip side is that during much of the year I can do on a bike or on foot what so many people have to use cars for. Get to and from work. Go shopping. Go out to dinner and a movie. My car is 17 years old.  It has just over 104,000 miles on it. And for much of it's life it was shared between two people. I primarily use it to drive to day rides thatr start outsiide the city. Still gets 30 mpg on the highway, which is mostly where it is driven. I cannot remember the last time I bought gas. Sometimes I forget where it's parked.

I often feel more threatened riding in suburbia and exurbia. Higher speed and impatient people who have to drive everywhere and expect to get around unimpeded. More and more motorists in the city are realizing that it makes no sense to squeeze past me only to be stuck behind the cars in front of me or have to stop at the next corner for a stop sign or red light.

Now if we could just get the police to engage in some meaningful enforcement of the hand-held cell phone ban. If I look, I can see dozens of people violating in during my 1.5 mile walk to work alone. Some people apparently think they are legal if they have the phone on speaker yet are holding it up in front of their faces while they are driving.

Offline johnsondasw

Re: Blatant Anti-Cyclist Comic in Today's Paper
« Reply #17 on: February 13, 2012, 01:16:01 pm »
Just because a community paints a white strip on the side of a road and calls it a bike lane does not mean I will be using that lane. To often that "lane" is the part of the road that has broken and cracked asphalt, unfilled potholes, rocks, broken glass, leaves, and all sorts of stuff that has been pushed to the side of the road into the "bike lane".
Boy, this is the case where I live in the Cascade Mtns of WA. We get lots of snow, ergo there's lots of snow sanding and snowplowing all winter.  The plows shove all that sand and other detritus onto the inadequate "shoulder" and it sometimes does not get cleaned up all summer!  To be safe, you have to have a mirror and constantly plan how you'll get around all the junk during traffic breaks.  Taking the lane is totally necessary and frequent especially in winter and spring. 
May the wind be at your back!

Offline litespeed

Re: Blatant Anti-Cyclist Comic in Today's Paper
« Reply #18 on: February 17, 2012, 10:18:19 am »
99% of the time it is easy to get out of the way of an overtaking motor vehicle - get up on a sidewalk, get over on the shoulder, even onto the dirt. Then politely wave them by. I don't use a mirror but listen for oncoming vehicles. If heavy traffic noise precludes hearing overtaking vehicles it's best to get as far over as possible.  As for riding on sidewalks, this is rarely a problem as few Americans walk anywhere. I know people who will drive a block or two to go to the gym. 

I can't remember the last time a motorist showed the least bit of hostility. And I live in Florida.