Chris516

My subject title is pathetic, but I couldn't think of what else to call it.

The question in title, has to do with motorists' passing by breaking the speed limit.

On a few roads, where I can go the posted speed limit, and the road is a two-lane blacktop, I will be passed, even when I am close to speeding. I wonder what the justification is for that, the law enforcement level.

achoo

This just in - humans are dumb.

zonatandem

Cops are too busy with real crime or drinking coffee and moochin' donuts?
Supposably could do a citizens arrest but would not attempt that.

I-Like-To-Bike

More late breaking news: some motorists exceed the speed limit! Some motorists exceed the speed limit when passing other vehicles that may be traveling at the speed limit. Who wudda thunk it??

Looigi

Speed limits are too low. Nobody around here drives anywhere near the speed limits, including me. If it's ludicrously low, nobody is going to obey it.

rebel1916

Why would you care if they pass you? Just let em go, man.

B. Carfree

Last month I had a woman pass me while I was being a scofflaw and riding faster than the posted speed limit. Actually my wife was the scofflaw since we were on a tandem and she was the captain. What's a poor stoker to do? Anyway, the motorist not only passed us on a narrow, winding residential street (inexplicably posted as a 35 mph limit) when we were doing 40 mph, but the bike on the trunk carrier of her car hit me in the shoulder as she went by.

I'm sure if I asked her what that was all about the first words out of her mouth would be, "I'm a cyclist too." (Okay, ILTB, I can't be sure those would be the first words out of her mouth, but I sure have heard that expression quite often when I ask people why they chose to put my health at risk.)

adamhenry

I would rather they pass instead of tailgating me.

009jim

Stop Press:- Person who exceeds speed limit is first, and loudest, to complain when their child is hit by person exceeding speed limit. Person who exceed speed limit is same person who knock you with their cart in grocery store. Person who exceed speed limit is same one who lie in bed at night with thoughts about such important and special person they are.

I-Like-To-Bike

Ya sure about that? Who told ya?

B. Carfree

He met my neighbor who literally went door-to-door telling everyone to slow down because she had three kids who might be in the street. Now that her kids all drive and have been seen going over 60 mph on our dead-end residential street, she no longer cares how fast people drive.

I-Like-To-Bike

That neighbor must get around. Probably was the same evil doer who had the audacity to pass the OP.

myrridin

Which it must be in this case if the OP is not mistaken about his speed... After all residential speed limits are usually 30-35 mph, which few cyclists are going to be able to maintain. And hitting that range on down hills doesn't qualify as riding near the speed limit...

rydabent

The first thing I thot of when I read the title of this thread was Blackhawk Colo. FYI for those that havent heard, they have banned bicycles from the only street that goes thru town.

The speed limit there is ------ get this 15mph!!! Almost anyone can get up to 15mph. Altho there has never been a recorded auto-bike accident they claim that banning bikes from the street is a safety measure.

FenderTL5

roads are full of cagers afraid of coming in last

jon c. 

I have very little in the way of negative interactions with motorists. Either at home or in the beachfront area where I occasionally ride. Which is why I was really amused when we were riding in a tiny beach community with tons of weekend traffic and a 15 mph speed limit and the guy behind us angrily leaned on his horn. There is an MUP next to the road, but that's filled with walkers and people riding rented beach cruiser bikes slowly. We were riding two abreast in the lane, but traffic was dense enough that we and the cars in front of us weren't even quite getting to the speed limit. We were just holding our place in the line of cars. I guess we were depriving him of his perceived right to be one car length further ahead.

unterhausen

They have wised up and residential speed limits here are 25mph, which admittedly I generally can't maintain on a bike. I see no reason for the cagers to pass me when I'm going over the speed limit downhill, particularly in a residential area. Most of them don't, but given the number of college students here you will occasionally see a moron that has to pass even if it means going 50+. If I was only going the speed limit, there would be passing. I definitely take the lane when going the speed limit or higher, in that case FRAP means take the lane (particularly in PA where FRAP is only required of slow moving vehicles).

nelson249

As long as the motorist who passes me in such a situation does so safely and stays the hell out of my way I don't care too much.

I-Like-To-Bike

Huh? Where is the outrage? A motorist passes you and you don't have your pride wounded?

You need more training from the A&S educators, as well as several cameras to document the crimes of these motorized evil doers.

myrridin

The point is that despite the OP's claim, he is not likely maintaining the speed limit, much less exceeding it... Burst of speed on downhills only count to children and JAC's. Even a automobile that isn't speeding is going to pass a cyclist, and a cyclist that is speeding up on the downhills and slowing down on the uphills is going to be difficult for a vehicle operator to judge speed, so they may end up passing on the downhills. Another issue is the general annoyance cause by cyclists who continually filter past automobiles at stops and such... again, the car will pass (and making the same vehicle pass repeatably will incur the kind of annoyance that leads to poor interactions)...

And I would suggest that there is more of a problem (compared to the OP's complaint) to the general attitude where another class of road users are dehumanized by such terms as cagers...

Don in Austin

If I understand you correctly, you are going over the speed and, apparently, feel no need to apologize for it. But you are resentful of those that go MORE over the speed limit than you? Who appointed you to draw this arbitrary line?

Don in Austin

dynodonn 

Sounds like the mom that I saw driving 40 mph through a school zone with her vehicle loaded with children, since it wasn't the school that her kids went to she must have considered it rational.

The irony to the story is that on the back bumper of her vehicle was a "Drive Carefully, School's Open" bumper sticker.

Kactus

IIRC, a motorist is allowed to temporarily exceed the speed limit in order to pass a slower vehicle. You most likely would be going under the limit at some point, so if this was a safe place to pass and the motorist allowed you ample room, who cares!

wphamilton

To sum up my opinion:
Any pass is more dangerous than vehicles holding the same relative positions.
Speed limits are upper bounds, not minimums. Not suggestions.

curbtender

Pass them back and cut them off hard, or, be glad they are away from you. Myself, I'm just glad to not have these people around me. Let it go.