Originally Posted by nerys

ok maybe this is not the most popular sentiment but here is my go.

cyclist "ARE" inferior to motorists. all cards on the table. BS out the stinking window. lets get down to brass nickles here.

40 pound bike 200 pound rider. 10-25mph

4000 pound car. 40-60mph

this is simple physics folks. BIKE LOSES every time.

people have a natural "RIGHT" not Privilege to utilize the public roadways of this nation to transport themselves and their property.

to TRAVEL.

but this right does NOT INCLUDE "by any means you wish"

in fact this has been defined. any "common conveyance of the time" by the supreme court. Common conveyance has dual meaning here. describing common (bicycles are common) and common CONTEXTUALLY. so a Park trail common is cycle and foot. not "go cart"

on the roadways that means sometimes both bike and car and sometimes JUST car.

for the same reason you can not ride your HORSE on I95 you also can't right your Bicycle on I95. for the same reason I can't ride my hovercraft on I95 for the same reason I can use I95 as my personal runway for my cessna that I wish I had :-)

you are a DANGER. period. you make the roadway UNSAFE no matter how carefully you ride by your mere PRESENCE.

you can NOT mingle 4 lane 65mph traffic with a 10mph bicycle. you just can't. there is no safe way to do that unless the roadway is DESIGNED to do that.

this is not about "rights" this is about simple stinking common sense.

Now there are roads that are borderline. the cars are not doing 65 but they are doing 40-45.

we should work toward "SHARING" the roads. I don't really care too much about the law (the law stopped being based on common sense 100 years ago) I care about what is "right just and moral"

it "right of the fog line" is safe YOU SHOULD RIDE THEIR. its really that simple. its rude and selfish (regardless of what the law says) if you can get out of the way of faster traffic without endangering yourself.

Bekologists post #132

the FIRST picture. if you don't think that FULL LANE WIDTH shoulder is wide enough for you to safely ride your bicycle I seriously question your ability to ride a bike. that is luxurious a path for a bicycle. (most of our shoulders are not that wide but wide enough that I feel safe.)

now if there is no shoulder or no safe shoulder I take different actions in "THIS ORDER" and this order is based on Just Moral POLITE behavior.

now I DO have the RIGHT to use that roadway but having the right does not always mean one SHOULD.

so step #1 can I go around? if yes DONE do that. if No goto Step #2

Step #2 do I really NEED to go that way. ie stop going that way or take a bus or car. if yes DO THAT if no goto step #3

Step #3 all other "sensible" options are exhausted. I really NEED to go this way.

Then do it. but do so as safely and politely as one can without compromising ones safety.

if you can right the edge do it. if that is unsafe take the lane "when needed" and for as short a time as needed to keep yourself safe.

this is pretty simple stuff folks.

this is not about "right and wrong" and "legal and illegal" this is about common sense common courtesy and human decency and not being a ****** toward your fellow human beings. thats all.

this should not be complicated or controversial.

and ride far right MAKES SENSE in most cases

its the LAW in most states. slower traffic stay right. YOU ARE SLOWER TRAFFIC.

so stay right as far as you can do so safely.