tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6965621089203558790.post5408035162554973730..comments2024-01-28T07:49:24.060-08:00Comments on Cycling Dynamics: An Open Letter To Cyclists. The Traffic Laws: If I, A Fellow Cyclist, Can Follow Them, So Can You.Darryl Bustamantehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11973973790451215687noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6965621089203558790.post-49112152822432565112014-05-07T08:03:27.454-07:002014-05-07T08:03:27.454-07:00While it is true that many (most, even) cars do ro...While it is true that many (most, even) cars do roll stop signs and run red lights, I'm afraid red light running cyclists make more of an impression because many of them do it with no hesitation whatsoever. :(<br /><br />Just about the only times you see a car running the red light are when they are running from the cops (quite rare occurrence) or when they didn't see the light or just missed the yellow. A lot of times when you see a bicycle run a red light, however, they do it knowing it is red... and many times they do it en masse... I think THAT's what makes the difference in perceptions. <br /><br />It does bug me. I cycle everywhere and I always stop for red lights and stop signs and a commute doesn't go by where I wouldn't find myself stopped at a light only to watch at least one other cyclist ride right through as if they don't think that traffic lights apply to them. And the cars that are waiting for the light with me... they don't remember me. They only remember the light runners! :PSmorghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01604438508775705758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6965621089203558790.post-73336448992637889662014-05-07T07:02:42.726-07:002014-05-07T07:02:42.726-07:00I am sure Helen Blackman will disagree with you: h...I am sure Helen Blackman will disagree with you: http://helenblackman.wordpress.com/2014/05/02/chris-hoy-cycling-and-the-borg/<br /><br />I agree with both points of view: http://bostonbybike.blogspot.com/2014/05/on-general-perception-of-cyclists-and.html<br /><br />Generally, I obey the law when riding my bike - stop at the stop signs and never run red lights, but very often I witness cyclists ignoring these rules. Once I had a near crash with another cyclists just because I stopped on yellow light while he (riding right behind me) expected me to run red.<br /><br />Interestingly, when driving my car makes me feel like I always have to race with time, saving precious seconds of my daily commute. This is why I prefer to bike to work instead - it relaxes me. But then I see a whole bunch of cyclists running red light, ignoring stop signs and I ask myself - are they in a mad rush somewhere that they can't stop for a few seconds?bostonbybikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16002562971047930168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6965621089203558790.post-63149091863959984762014-05-06T20:26:59.623-07:002014-05-06T20:26:59.623-07:00Yes, bicyclists should obey the laws. I do. I ge...Yes, bicyclists should obey the laws. I do. I generally don't get comments about my obeying the law but I often get accused of breaking the law when I am not (mostly when I'm using the full travel lane). I have had pedestrians refuse to cross a crosswalk as I was approaching and then braking and then waiting. That was weird.<br /><br />The thing is, bicyclists are not actually worse about breaking the law than motorists. Every time I'm on the road I see numerous drivers speeding, failing to signal, rolling stop signs, rolling right on red, failing to yield to pedestrians and numerous other violations.<br /><br />The reason that people freak out about every single infraction by bicyclists is not that bicyclists are particularly bad. It's because they are looking for an excuse to hate bicyclists.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06515478319953433279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6965621089203558790.post-49187669129285893252014-05-06T16:42:51.456-07:002014-05-06T16:42:51.456-07:00When we share the road with each other, there need...When we share the road with each other, there needs to be understanding. Without it, we are a danger to each other. Being preachy is one way of pleading for understanding.cyclifisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12152811696308512209noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6965621089203558790.post-21960264861092539202014-05-06T13:53:26.313-07:002014-05-06T13:53:26.313-07:00Sorry, this is a little preachy. I agree with sme...Sorry, this is a little preachy. I agree with smellyBacon. Face it, people who ride bikes are disliked by a very small minority of drivers and whether we all follow rules or not, the same small hateful few will still disregard cyclists.<br /><br />Your just making excuses for hateful people or your one of them pretending to be a cyclist ("fakelist"). Just because people in cars kill over 30k people per year, I don't look at those that haven't as murderers. That's the flawed logic.<br /><br />No matter what I do or how I ride. I'm only one distracted driver away from reality.<br /><br />I'm sorry I was even pointed to this horse manure the more I think about it. I don't care how people ride just that they are.Yang Chonghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02529569849521281876noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6965621089203558790.post-8067631888298804572014-05-06T10:09:43.356-07:002014-05-06T10:09:43.356-07:00One cyclist behavior I see a lot is that they get ...One cyclist behavior I see a lot is that they get some miles under their belts, make some observations, and become preachy. It's kind of an epidemic. I myself have yet to grow out of it. <br /><br />I'm tired of drivers, tired of cyclists, tired of everybody knowing how everybody else should behave. RM smellyBaconhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00490186103599183608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6965621089203558790.post-40218303446434487762014-05-06T09:28:37.167-07:002014-05-06T09:28:37.167-07:00Agree with the post and with Cyclifist's comme...Agree with the post and with Cyclifist's comment. :o)<br /><br />#1 should probably be better clarified. I share the lane when it wide enough for that to be safely done, but when the lane gets substandard narrow, it is much safer to ride in the middle-1/3 of it and force cars coming up behind to slow down and change lane to pass. Alert drivers would hardly lose any time at all by spotting me early and changing lane early. Not so alert drivers have better chance of seeing me before it's too late when I'm somewhere in the middle of the lane than if I'm invisible to the far right of it (else he doesn't see me until he has no reaction time anymore; there is no room to pass, and the passing lane or opposite traffic lane isn't clear... I become a roadkill and he becomes a manslaughter with blood on his windshield). That's a much worse outcome for everyone just to avoid being called a lane-hogger by some people or being honked at by cars.Smorghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01604438508775705758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6965621089203558790.post-57351291361365449912014-05-06T09:08:28.817-07:002014-05-06T09:08:28.817-07:00Great list of lawfully needed cyclist behavior, wi...Great list of lawfully needed cyclist behavior, with one exception, the first one. If the lane is too narrow to safely share with a motor vehicle, I am going to control the lane. It's my right as a legal road user. It's for my safety and the protection of motorists to help prevent them from doing something stupid (attempt a close pass at an unsafe speed) that could result in my injury or death and land them in court and be something they will regret for the rest of their lives. It is not "hogging the lane" and if the motorist is paying attention to their driving, I will not be "forcing others to swerve to avoid me." They will see me in plenty of time to adjust their speed, scan left and back (and ahead for oncoming traffic if only two lanes) and make a lane change to pass me with the skill that is expected of them to have the privilege of driving a motor vehicle.<br /><br />Don't marginalize yourself as a road user just because you are driving a bicycle. Get respect by acting as an expected part of normal traffic. Same rights. Same rules.cyclifisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12152811696308512209noreply@blogger.com