Fu*king Cyclists

**muted** · 10-14-2016, 07:56 AM

Originally Posted by mtngirl79

one of my best friends spent years as a bicycle messenger. he doesn't ride his bike like an asshat in traffic.

I bet he did while working, or he would have got fired for being the slowest guy out there. Or his company wasn't too busy and in a small city?

**FLS** · 10-14-2016, 08:14 AM

Fuck cyclists?... Fuck cars and cyclists!

Get with the program,

**detrusor** · 10-14-2016, 09:01 AM

I think the only way to survive urban riding is to be an asshat. If you don't put yourself down n the lane in those congested situations soccer mom or road ranger will take you out.

**muted** · 10-14-2016, 09:23 AM

The worst bikers in downtown SLC are Jimmy John delivery guys. They don't bother me, because they are somewhat smart, trying to do their job, and not oblivious to traffic. (What bothers me is their horrible sandwiches.) But they break every law possible. So today on twitter I read this, pretty funny in context:

SLC Police Dept. ‏@slcpd 35 minutes ago
Thanks @jimmyjohns @DowntownSLC for taking our #bicycle #safety tips. And the #donuts. ��Be safe out there!!

**frorider** · 10-14-2016, 12:26 PM

Cue Dutch Reach jokes.

**mtngirl79** · 10-14-2016, 02:38 PM

There are not even many clear, concise cyclist laws so cyclists cannot follow them even if they wanted to.

All I wish for is consistency and predictability. I do not mind slight delays caused by cyclists. I do mind big groups of recreational riders blocking/slowing traffic for miles.

In urban areas, bikes get places quicker most of the time because they can pass all the cars stuck in traffic. I don't have an issue with that provided cyclists take some responsibility for awareness of right turning vehicles... ie, yield when its unreasonable to expect that a driver sees you, like if the cyclist was in the lane, behind traffic and are moving right to go around, or if they are turning into the lane from another street or a parking lot.

Once, I was making a right hand turn in a bus with a green light and a person, dismounted from their bike, was waiting on the other side of the street for the crosswalk walk signal. Right after the turn is a bus stop with a pull out. As soon as I crossed the intersection, or possibly while I was still in it, the cyclist rode through the crosswalk and tried to pass me on the right. I saw him, and did not crunch him, but he was lucky.

I also do not have an issue with a cyclist taking the lane to make a left hand turn.

I don't mind yielding to cyclists when the bike lane is blocked or there are cars parked on the street but it sure would be nice if they could take some initiative and see the hazard in front of them and use their hand signals and then merge over.

My biggest complaint with cyclists is when they go back and forth between vehicle and pedestrian in an abrupt and unsafe manner and when they go the wrong way down bike lanes and one way streets.

I also would be in favor of cars being ticketed for braking laws related to cyclists. The biggest issue between cyclists and drivers is that cyclists are not predictable and there are not laws that are enforced.

**::: :::** · 10-14-2016, 03:01 PM

Originally Posted by mtngirl79

There are not even many clear, concise cyclist laws so cyclists cannot follow them even if they wanted to.

I'm sorry, but, while this may be the emotional truth for many drivers, it is factually incorrect. And cyclists DO need to follow the law. There just aren't excuses for that.

**FormerKnuckleDragger** · 10-14-2016, 03:13 PM

As long as we're using our own anecdotes to "other" people who aren't in our shoes, I got hit this morning by a bus who decided to partially overtake me and then use the bike lane to complete his turn at speed (here's the intersection: bit.ly/2dPNUqy). I also saw an asshole bike commuter blow through the Ferry Building crosswalk and miss seven pedestrians by less than three feet. And I'm not even going to start with the shitty driving by Ubers and cabs, or pedestrians who decide to jump into the road mid-block.

Fuck inconsiderate assholes everywhere, no matter their mode of transportation.

**Art Shirk** · 10-14-2016, 06:14 PM

Originally Posted by mtngirl79

There are not even many clear, concise cyclist laws so cyclists cannot follow them even if they wanted to.

They very much exist, are very clear and concise and are easily findable, at least in WA. Bikes are vehicles and are subject to the same rules as cars with a few carve outs. The laws just aren't being enforced and many riders don't care to obey them.

**deliberate** · 10-15-2016, 08:05 PM

Originally Posted by acinpdx

I'm sorry, but, while this may be the emotional truth for many drivers, it is factually incorrect. And cyclists DO need to follow the law. There just aren't excuses for that.

My bike doesn't trigger street light sensors. Middle of the night. No cars in sight. Am I supposed to wait for a car to show up behind me?

Stop and go traffic. There is a bike lane next to the shoulder. Can I pass the stopped cars on the right?

**wyeaster** · 10-29-2016, 03:42 PM

today followed one of pdx's finest cyclists on cornell for a couple miles. i was a couple cars back. he rode 20 mph right down the middle on a ruralish two lane road posted 35-45 and eliminated any chance of passing him and seemed pretty happy about it.

he had a dozen cars behind him when we got to the stop sign at lovejoy, at which point he passed the several cars in front of him on the outside and blew through the stop sign.

in unrelated news, a cyclist was killed this morning on the st. john's bridge.

A driver hit a cyclist on the St. Johns Bridge about 11:25 a.m. Saturday, a Portland Police Bureau spokesman said. The cyclist died on the bridge from his injuries. The bridge will be closed for several hours, Sgt. Pete Simpson said in a news rele...
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/i...d_after_c.html

The cyclist was the 35th person to die in a traffic accident so far this year, bureau statistics show

**FormerKnuckleDragger** · 10-30-2016, 10:13 PM

Originally Posted by wyeaster

today followed one of pdx's finest cyclists on cornell for a couple miles. i was a couple cars back. he rode 20 mph right down the middle on a ruralish two lane road posted 35-45 and eliminated any chance of passing him and seemed pretty happy about it.

he had a dozen cars behind him when we got to the stop sign at lovejoy, at which point he passed the several cars in front of him on the outside and blew through the stop sign.

in unrelated news, a cyclist was killed this morning on the st. john's bridge.

A driver hit a cyclist on the St. Johns Bridge about 11:25 a.m. Saturday, a Portland Police Bureau spokesman said. The cyclist died on the bridge from his injuries. The bridge will be closed for several hours, Sgt. Pete Simpson said in a news rele...
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/i...d_after_c.html

The cyclist was the 35th person to die in a traffic accident so far this year, bureau statistics show

And yet these things go in the same post, if not the same breath. Driver seems like a real winner - 31 DRIVING CONVICTIONS before murdering a person on a bike. http://www.kgw.com/news/local/bicycl...idge/344186825

**iceman** · 10-30-2016, 10:46 PM

Originally Posted by FormerKnuckleDragger

Fuck inconsiderate assholes everywhere, no matter their mode of transportation.

Or even if they're just sitting around.

**Dexter Rutecki** · 10-30-2016, 11:37 PM

Hit by a cyclist a few days ago. Minor shoulder bump--guy riding the wrong way at night and I didn't see him. Occasionally think I should post random video from the street for those who think cyclists follow any sort of rules. Except at like 3 am I don't think I have ever spent 5 minutes outside w/o witnessing wrong way riding, blowing through lights, weaving through pedestrians, and usually a bunch in combination. As this thread demonstrates, they do feel unusually entitled.

**FormerKnuckleDragger** · 10-30-2016, 11:49 PM

Originally Posted by Dexter Rutecki

Hit by a cyclist a few days ago. Minor shoulder bump--guy riding the wrong way at night and I didn't see him. Occasionally think I should post random video from the street for those who think cyclists follow any sort of rules. Except at like 3 am I don't think I have ever spent 5 minutes outside w/o witnessing wrong way riding, blowing through lights, weaving through pedestrians, and usually a bunch in combination. As this thread demonstrates, they do feel unusually entitled.

People don't follow the rules when there are no consequences. It's endemic to people as a whole, it just gets expressed and perceived differently when you put the person on a bike.

**Dexter Rutecki** · 10-30-2016, 11:59 PM

Sure. Hell, if there were no danger of getting a ticket I would probably drive through stop signs/lights when it seemed safe to do so. I don't really dislike cyclists or even disagree with their ignoring rules (except when it's dangerous), but many do seem entitled and I have to laugh at the suggestion that they pay attention to traffic rules.

**FormerKnuckleDragger** · 10-31-2016, 12:03 AM

Originally Posted by Dexter Rutecki

Sure. Hell, if there were no danger of getting a ticket I would probably drive through stop signs/lights when it seemed safe to do so. I don't really dislike cyclists or even disagree with their ignoring rules (except when it's dangerous), but many do seem entitled and I have to laugh at the suggestion that they pay attention to traffic rules.

I hope you don't give anyone a shoulder bump with your car when you're pulling an Idaho stop...

**wyeaster** · 10-31-2016, 03:51 AM

Originally Posted by FormerKnuckleDragger

And yet these things go in the same post, if not the same breath. Driver seems like a real winner - 31 DRIVING CONVICTIONS before murdering a person on a bike. http://www.kgw.com/news/local/bicycl...idge/344186825

i posted it earlier in the pdx thread. i only posted my experience because i was annoyed and it was an example of antagonism which i have seen go both ways of course versus a criminal losing control of his unfit car. i love looking at st. johns bridge but not driving or biking on it. i am surprised there hasn't been a car-cyclist road rage fatality or just fatality on cornell/germantown/similar roads in forest park area where it is hilly, curvy, narrow and gets lots of car and bike traffic.

35 cyclists dead in 10 months seems pretty high for a cith this big but i have no context.

**muted** · 10-31-2016, 08:34 AM

Originally Posted by Dexter Rutecki

Hit by a cyclist a few days ago. Minor shoulder bump--guy riding the wrong way at night and I didn't see him. Occasionally think I should post random video from the street for those who think cyclists follow any sort of rules. Except at like 3 am I don't think I have ever spent 5 minutes outside w/o witnessing wrong way riding, blowing through lights, weaving through pedestrians, and usually a bunch in combination. As this thread demonstrates, they do feel unusually entitled.

I gotta point out though bikers in NYC are a different breed, you can't judge us all by your experience with NYC riders.

**Benny Profane** · 10-31-2016, 09:17 AM

Originally Posted by Dexter Rutecki

Sure. Hell, if there were no danger of getting a ticket I would probably drive through stop signs/lights when it seemed safe to do so. I don't really dislike cyclists or even disagree with their ignoring rules (except when it's dangerous), but many do seem entitled and I have to laugh at the suggestion that they pay attention to traffic rules.

Wrong way riding is the most dangerous cycling move in the city. I've done it rarely, but, slowly and carefully. Those delivery guys who do it fast should be thrown in the Hudson tied to their bikes.

If you want to see stop sign running, spend a little time in Fairfield county. It's like they don't exist. The latest is left turn on red. Rare, but I've seen it about ten times now.

**FormerKnuckleDragger** · 10-31-2016, 10:08 AM

Originally Posted by wyeaster

i posted it earlier in the pdx thread. i only posted my experience because i was annoyed and it was an example of antagonism which i have seen go both ways of course versus a criminal losing control of his unfit car. i love looking at st. johns bridge but not driving or biking on it. i am surprised there hasn't been a car-cyclist road rage fatality or just fatality on cornell/germantown/similar roads in forest park area where it is hilly, curvy, narrow and gets lots of car and bike traffic.

35 cyclists dead in 10 months seems pretty high for a cith this big but i have no context.

"a criminal losing control of his unfit car" - well, that's a new variation on the usual passive voice used to describe car/bike crashes.

35 dead in 10 months is a massive number. SF is around 15/year with 150% of the population of Portland.

**wyeaster** · 10-31-2016, 10:19 AM

it's not passive or a variation. i was distinguishing between antagonism and random accidents.

**FormerKnuckleDragger** · 10-31-2016, 10:35 AM

Originally Posted by wyeaster

it's not passive or a variation. i was distinguishing between antagonism and random accidents.

There's nothing random about that particular driver killing someone.

We're all super casual about driving. I'd guess it's because bad things rarely happen, and when they do, it's usually just a pain in the ass dealing with insurance companies and having to take the car to a body shop. But you literally have one job while driving - don't hit anyone or anything. But hey, someone slowed you down, so that's worth mentioning in the same breath as someone getting murdered.

**wyeaster** · 10-31-2016, 10:50 AM

no, bud. i'm not casual about driving because i have a kid in the back and i bike the same road. since much if the thread discussion involves attitudes and behaviors between car drivers and cyclists, i was conveying a common problem on this road which is popular with cyclists since i lived on it for 13 years. i happened to read the notice about the bridge being closed after i wrote the post so it was added as business as usual.

feel free to keep being righteous n shit tho.