Cyclist v Motorist

SingingSingleTracker

Here's one interesting way to roll...

HowToRoll

eddiesmith1

I have to be honest, hitting or bashing my window won't get you respect from me, it would get you run over. Cars are 3 tons of metal and can kill you. You should consider respecting that, instead of trying to show that you can go toe to toe with the cars. I use to drive a lot in Manhattan and pedestrians don't stop crossing the street, even when the light is green. Some drivers will sit and wait. I would push through and make them jump out of my way. A few times I tapped some folks with my car just to let them know that I mean business. So consider yourself lucky, because you have bashed windows and thrown eggs on some really good people, since you are not in jail or suffering broken bones at the moment.

That would (I hope) get you an Assault change over here. Even if the other folks were in the wrong first,the courts really do NOT take kindly to that sort of action (and rightly so)

Assault charge, beaten to death, or shot.

We're a bit more laid back over here .. oh and we don't have guns :-p

you do have a much larger number of knives in my experience, and some pretty brutal fighters (West Ham fan speaking here and I've seen some pretty nasty violence when i lived in the uk, just less fatal violence when there are no guns)

JoRocka

I should get one for my motorcycle- LOL that's awesome- although it needs MOAR BALLOONS!!!

eddiesmith1

Bikes in Canada have the same right to road space as any other vehicle. I generally don't take it but if i am on a major artery that has no bike lane I do take a lot more space. Our idiot mayor in Toronto views bike lanes as a war on cars. *kitten*
In general i avoid major traffic arteries when i can, use segregated bike lanes where possible and if I'm in my car give cyclists respect and room.
and yep I've been run off the road by testosterone fueled idiots like mr tap you. If possible I get a plate # and lodge a complaint with police, and in one case have managed to get a charge of dangerous driving laid because someone else witnessed it

SingingSingleTracker

I should get one for my motorcycle- LOL that's awesome- although it needs MOAR BALLOONS!!!

Parking might be a bitXX, but the idea is inventive and certainly serves a point.

I've been interfacing with cars on the road as a cyclist (and motorcyclist) since the 1960's. The motor vehicle always wins, so there is no point in trying to "win" that game. These days, the majority of my pavement riding is on bike paths/trails and I bought a bike that aslo rides well on gravel. The gravel opens up hundreds and hundreds of very scenic miles for me to ride where I rarely see a car or truck (lots of farmyard dogs though).

itodd4019

msf74

. A few times I tapped some folks with my car just to let them know that I mean business.

You shouldn't be on the road. You do not have the temperament for it.

One day you will be prosecuted for assault and quite rightly so.

Cycle4Life99

A few times I tapped some folks with my car just to let them know that I mean business.

So intentionally striking a cyclist with your vehicle is as idiotic as causing criminal damage to cages. In the event that there is an injury you've essentially acknowledged that it wasn't an accident, you were intentionally running the cyclist down.

When I'm commuting I generally feel safer in central London, than on the rural roads elsewhere. While there are accidents they're frequently as a result of those involved, whether cage dweller or cyclist, focussing on making progress, rather than safety; riding down death valley or not actually using a lifesaver glance. Elsewhere it's because cage dwellers can't actually judge a safe distance, maybe they're using special genital inches rather than real ones. A safe distance is 3 feet, which means when a cycle is taking an appropriate road position, in the middle of the lane, an overtake involves changing lane in the same way as passing a car.

That said, it happens with motorcycles as well, so much of the noise about cyclists per se, but about people who choose to be different on the road. I've had cagers try to block me when I'm filtering on both pedal cycle or motorcycle.

Tapping a cyclist is an incredibly dangerous and irresponsible thing to do. Your vehicle has a lot of mass and a slight tap is enough to cause serious injury, not to mention it is a criminal act and maybe considered attempted vehicular manslaughter in some jurisdictions.

SingingSingleTracker

So I don't see any solution to this problem. Mostly what I see are a lot of rude people on bikes complaining about their rights being violated while ignoring everyone elses.

As has been pointed out multiple times in this thread, we have to be careful not to "paint" all cyclists in the category you state as being rude people who are ignoring everyone else's rights. Ditto for motorists. Ditto for pedestrians. There will always be a certain percentage of every group that fits your description.

For a really fun time, drive the speed limit in your car all the time and see how many motorists you really, really piss off because you are obeying the law. I get more people being rude and upset with me driving 70 or 71 on a posted 70 mph speed limit interstate than I do riding a bike any where in the world. Flashing their lights at me, shaking their fists at me, flipping me off, honking - all because I am obeying the law.

itodd4019

I DID IT!!!

weather_nerd

Unfortunately, there's always the bad ones that ruin it for the good ones.

I do NOT agree with "tapping" a cyclist because that's just plain stupid idiotic behaviour.

I have no problem sharing the road with cyclist, but they need to obey the rules of the road too. I have seen cyclist blow through red lights because there was no traffic coming in the other direction. I recently encountered a woman riding in the middle of a car lane with headphones on. Her behaviour almost caused a collision with cars behind her, because they had to slam on the brakes as soon as they turned the corner and saw her in the middle of the road.

I get a little angry with cyclist that feel they need to squeeze their bike between the curb and my car because they just need to get to the front of the line. I really don't want my car scratched, thanks anyways though.

However, like I said, it is these who ruin it for the good ones, who I have witnessed obeying traffic rules and respecting the rules of the road.

SingingSingleTracker

I DID IT!!!

Dang, we were all about to use the idiot word with your technical skills of posting that. ;-)

Congrats on making it to the 21st Century!

msf74

So I don't see any solution to this problem.

Open dialogue and time I think.

Lots of cyclists here are just as frustrated by the minority who break the rules of the road as you are as it makes our lives more difficult.

That said I think the onus should be on vehicular traffic to modify behaviour and learn to share space over and above cyclists for the simple reason it has a much greater propensity to cause harm if used irresponsibly.

itodd4019

thank you, thank you very much

Elvis

Hophead43

Went out for a ride today and had a car cut across the front of me. I made a gesture and he stopped, I jumped of my bike and we had a little exchange of words. My point is why do some car drivers believe that bikes should not be on the road or should be that close to the side that they ride in the drainage channel? I drive a Renault Grand Espace, a big 7 seater and make sure I am well out of the way of any cyclist I need to over take. So what if I have to wait 10, 20, 30 seconds, it's no big deal.

Please can I ask any non cyclist reading to please give us cyclist room on the roads, we have a much right to use the road as you do. :happy:

I agree you do have your rights to the road but I think you all need to choose your roads much more wisely. Around where I live we have almost no shoulder and very deep drainage ditches. It leaves no room for anyone to get around a cyclist. On the other side of this coin there are plenty of roads with "BIKE LANES" that should be utilized. There are also many paved trails that are ment for cyclists to ride safely. Why should motorist feel like we have to give you space on dangerous roads when there are plenty of places designated for you to ride. To be quite honest Im not going to risk my safety so you can ride in already dangerous spots. Sorry if you don't want to hear that but that is how I feel. When I ride my bike I put it on my rack and drive to a safe place to ride. I think the rest of the cyclists can do the same.

MissMissle

So I didn't read through this ENTIRE thread - but I just need to vent... I ride horses and sometimes have to ride down the road a bit to get to the trail.

Oh. My. God. Some people...I just...I just don't understand how they get through an entire day withought accidentally running off a cliff, or getting beat up because they are either A. lacking any shred of common sence of B: A** Holes.

I know people who don't "know horses" may not know how to act around them.... but if you see a large animal carrying a person down the road, why would you find it condusive to drive 90mph as close to the animal as possible with your radio blasting? Generally these are children - 20 somethings driving daddy's car who probbaly havent been in their first accident / gotten their first speeding ticket, YET.

I would never take my horse on the road if she was scared of cars....but if you are reving your engine driving over the speed limit with your crappy speakers truned up with the base set so high all its doing is vibrating your windshild - it scares ME, which scares my horse, which causes her to jig and jump around in the road.... so why would you fly by?? Ever see a car that hit a moose? Granted if she jumps in front of you shes dead and I probably am too, but chances are daddy's car is going to be totaled, and you're going to need some major dental work, especially considering you never were your damn seat belt.

THIS DRIVES ME CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Slow down people! And use some common sence - i understand you are in a car and you are probbaly a brain surgeon rushing to save a child genius at the hospital.... but you DON'T own the road... we are allowed to walk, jog, bike, run, and ride on it.... there are bikers, horses, children, deere, moose, pets, construction workers, broken down vehicles, pot holes, etc, etc, etc, and other things you should probably be looking out for...

Now, when I ride on the road, I carry a large flag, on the end of a pole, which I stick out to my left as fas as possible, and I ride in the middle of the god damned road because this is truly the ONLY way I can get people to slow down. The middle. Super obnoxious, totally taking up the entire road, forcing you to slow down, or run me over - your choice (I move, obviously, when the car does need to pass, at a slow, reasonable pace).

Ive done my fair share of "jesus Christ what do you think your own the god damned road" to bikers in my time - but soon after my initial rant in my head, I try to think duh, they are doing the same thing I'm doing, theyve probbaly almost been killed 83 times and are finally saying F-it, Im taking this into my own hands.

On a side note - I DONT have patience for the new / overly nervous drivers that will tailgate a bike for 5 miles because they are scared to pass them when there is on comnming traffic even though the roads are wide enough for 5 vehicles...just PASS damnit! they do this while Im on the horse too, even though Im frantically waiving them by.... \

Sigh....just can't be content lol

_Resolve_

I have to be honest, hitting or bashing my window won't get you respect from me, it would get you run over. Cars are 3 tons of metal and can kill you. You should consider respecting that, instead of trying to show that you can go toe to toe with the cars. I use to drive a lot in Manhattan and pedestrians don't stop crossing the street, even when the light is green. Some drivers will sit and wait. I would push through and make them jump out of my way. A few times I tapped some folks with my car just to let them know that I mean business. So consider yourself lucky, because you have bashed windows and thrown eggs on some really good people, since you are not in jail or suffering broken bones at the moment.

The baton gets their attention. If they are stupid enough to keep trying to PUSH ME OFF THE ROAD, that's when I use the .380. If you ever tapped me with your car, that's exactly what you would see. How stupid are you to tap people with your car?

riiight...

and one of these days when you tap the wrong cyclist you will also find out that there are an equal amount of people that carry when cycling.

SoDamnHungry

I live in Chicago and HATE most people on bikes. Most of them ignore all stop signs and traffic signals. When I'm a driver I'm terrified of hitting them because they're reckless, and as a pedestrian, I've had to jump out of their way when they blow through stoplights and I have a walk signal.

Some bikers are good, and I totally respect them. But a lot are *kitten*.