Commuting - Commuting or Suicide?!?! (long)

My office is located on THE BUSIEST STREET IN MONTANA! (10th Ave South, 6 lanes + L/R turn lanes) We have just had 8 inches of snow. The streets are VERY ICY. I mean we are talking over 1" of glaze ice on the road surface. So you get the picture, were talking really slick roads.

On my way back to the office today from taking my wife to her post-op doctors appointment we are in the left turn lane at 9th street. (major busy intersection) 9th street is a 2 lane road that should be 4 lanes due to the volume of traffic. Here is this guy on his bike riding out into the 10th Ave traffic against the light! He makes it 1/2 way across the 6+ lanes and then the light changes to his favor and he continues on. Right in the middle of the traffic lane.
I feared for his life until a car "tooted" its horn at him to which his response was to stop dead in the middle of the traffic lane to turn and "salute" the driver of the car. The guy finally stopped at a local bank and that was the last I saw of him. I had to get back to the office.

Now, I know I am very new to bicycle commuting and to winter riding in general, but geeze! Was this guy really trying to kill himself? He could have been on far less busier roads that would have ridden much better due to the snow pack over the ice. (I have ridden both and the side streets are much more forgiving) I realize we have just as much rights to use the roadway, but wouldn't most folks use a bit of common sense and get out off to the shoulder or better yet a side street?

Sorry for the rant, but this guy really shocked me by his actions.

Sorry for the rant, but this guy really shocked me by his actions.

Relax. He's not your problem.

Relax. He's not your problem.


I agree with Allister's comment.

To put it another way--traffic will soon be a method of population control in this guy's case.

Ah, but I beg to differ. Idiots like our wrong-way, arrogant, stupid (impaired?) rider reflect on us all. Such fools, while soon corrected in Darwinian fashion, leave a lasting impression on drivers, cops, and other non-riders. The develop the image of bike riders as idiots who should be banned from real roads, and relegated to bike lanes, sidewalks and all those other dangerous places I hate to ride.

Ah, but I beg to differ. Idiots like our wrong-way, arrogant, stupid (impaired?) rider reflect on us all.

YAWN!

And the myth is perpetuated yet again.

Ah, but I beg to differ. Idiots like our wrong-way, arrogant, stupid (impaired?) rider reflect on us all. Such fools, while soon corrected in Darwinian fashion, leave a lasting impression on drivers, cops, and other non-riders.

Only those not sufficiently intelligent to tell the difference between sensible cyclists and stupid ones. Are these really the people that you want to impress?


The develop the image of bike riders as idiots who should be banned from real roads, and relegated to bike lanes, sidewalks and all those other dangerous places I hate to ride.

Which is made worse when people in the sensible category (such as yourself) make a big deal out of it and draw attention to the "problem". I suspect that you don't draw similar attention to car drivers or pedestrians who behave in similar fashion (and yes, I see them do it everyday without fail) -- so why target cyclists?

Relax. He's not your problem.

No kidding! I feel the well being of my fellow man is of my concern. I guess that is just the way I was raised. Don't worry, I am very relaxed.. :beer:

There is only so much we can do. I tried to help my fellow man one day when he was going against traffic... Crossing my path from right to left where a line of parked cars was hiding him from the SUV about to do a right on red.

Well it wasnt pretty but he was lucky he did not get hit.

The SUV went all the way into the on coming traffic to avoid killing him.

I said as he cruized past... "You are going to get killed riding the wrong way one day."

His response was a very non-shalant... "Oh well I guess it will happen some day..."

Perhaps he was trying to comit suicide?

As for reflection on us... Well the argument would be to point out how many people behind the wheel perform dangerous maneuvers. And currently there are more cars making mistakes driving than cyclist. We need to correct the larger problem as the cars making the mistakes are tossing around 2000lbs not 200lbs

As for reflection on us... Well the argument would be to point out how many people behind the wheel perform dangerous maneuvers. And currently there are more cars making mistakes driving than cyclist. We need to correct the larger problem as the cars making the mistakes are tossing around 2000lbs not 200lbs

I really wasn't trying to make this into a bicyclist vs. car driver debate. My intent was to share a, "HOLY COW" moment. Life is way to short to get worked up over a debate that will not be settled here. :D

No kidding! I feel the well being of my fellow man is of my concern.

That's all well and good, but at the end of the day people like this are probably beyond help anyway. And as a darwinist, I'm not at all convinced that's a bad thing.

YAWN!

And the myth is perpetuated yet again.
More fact than myth, I tell you what.

Everybody makes mistakes. Yesterday was one of the days my wife and i drive together to and from work. on the way home i see a guy on a mtn bike commuting home. he was in full mtn bike gear and his bike was a high end bike not modified for commuting. at a major intersection he made a very bad choice of where to stop in the right lane (all the way to the right). its a go straight or turn right. so of course a car comes along and tries to go around him. he reacted by pulling out in front of the car and then riding through the intersection on the red. it was one of those "holy cow ($hit)" moments. i think he panicked a little bit and didn't know what to do. i did some stuff like this when i first started commuting not to long ago. i learned some lessons this way. i hope he did too. I don’t think this is the same type of situation N7CZinMT is describing but it got me thinking about why cyclists do dumb things sometimes.

keep on keepin on,
CD

Not to defend idiocy, but.... Maybe the guy wasn't that much of an idiot (I ride like that sometimes).

On a busy road in icey conditions, "take the lane" or suffer the consequences. Riding in the middle of the lane and staying there are accepted practices in certain riding conditions. On an icey road you don't want drivers trying to squeeze by you and they're not smart enough to know they shouldn't try it. Taking the lane might get them a little PO'ed but it's an accepted defensive riding technique.

Riding on an icey road may sound idiotic, but if he has studded tires, it's not.

Sneaking into the intersection before the green may be idiotic to some, I do it fairly frequently, ONLY when there is no traffic coming. But then again, I'm doing this at 6:00 am when there isn't a lot of traffic.

Stopping and saluting the drivers does sound idiotic.

In the past 14 months of commuting by bike on a regular basis, I have had 3 close calls where I felt my life may be in danger of ending. All 3 times I was riding like a perfect gentleman. (2 right hooks and a driver darting across 2 lanes from a parking lot)

Maybe drivers notice you more when you're riding like an idiot.

That's all well and good, but at the end of the day people like this are probably beyond help anyway. And as a darwinist, I'm not at all convinced that's a bad thing.

I'll agree, but I still have one problem with wrong way bike riders. They ride right where I do.

This week, riding home in the dark after work, I see a slight shadow up ahead. I vere my way into traffic flow because what I suspect is true. It's some bozo riding up the wrong way with no lights. If I didn't see that shift of shadow and have the experiance to guess what to suspect, I would have ran right into him. Combined speed would have probably been about 50 kmh. My bike frame would have been pretzled, I would have gone flying (most likely into the road) and I would have to sue the bozo for damages personally (most likely being unable to collect on a court award because Mr. Bozo wouldn't have any assests to pay).

At least when a car hits you, you have a chance on collecting for damages from an insurance company.

(if this sounds like I have some experience in this area, that would be right)

At least when a car hits you, you have a chance on collecting for damages from an insurance company.

On the other hand, if a bike hits you, it's unlikely to do nearly as much damage.

On the other hand, if a bike hits you, it's unlikely to do nearly as much damage.

In general, yes. The way in which you're hit makes a big difference though.

Being side swiped by a car from behind may be less damaging than being hit head on by a bike. There was that case in Littleton where those 2 cyclists collided on a narrow bike path and one of them died. When I had my head on with a bozo going up the wrong way, my bike sufferered broken and bent frame, fork, wheel, and brake lever and derailer, I went flying 30 feet into the road. I was lucky I wasn't run over by traffic.

All that said, if more rode bikes, there would not be as much carnage on the roads as there is now.