Advocacy & Safety - Get outta my bike lane...

Get out of my bike lane
Pedaling to work is such a joyful thing -- if only all those recent new cyclists (with an aversion to high gas prices) would go back to their cars.
By Del Dickson
Special to The Times

September 15, 2008

Southern California should be a bicycling paradise. The weather is perfect, the roads wide and the terrain favorable. Given our natural advantages, we should have named one of our cities after the Madonna del Ghisallo, the patron saint of cyclists.

So why don't we have better cycling infrastructure? Holland and other progressive countries have beautiful networks of bicycle-only highways that take you anywhere you want to go.

Why don't we? Blame the bicyclist's natural predator: the automobile. Cars suck up public money and real estate as greedily as they consume fossil fuel, and drivers see bicycles as unwelcome competition.

As far as I can tell, most drivers are not actively trying to kill bicyclists. They just don't care whether we live or die. If a driver wants to turn right 6 inches in front of me without signaling, that is, apparently, my problem.

A few drivers go out of their way to be polite, waving cyclists through busy intersections or giving us a few inches of extra room as they pass. These people make it a joy to ride, and I just wish there were more of them.

Sadly, there are a lot of hostile drivers out there. It is difficult to get a driver's license if you are an illegal immigrant, but it is easy to get one if you are sociopath. Hostiles not only believe that cyclists don't belong on the road, they also want to hurt us. They honk, yell, throw things, buzz us and occasionally run us over. They are a minority, but even one can wreck your day.

What is most disturbing is that drivers seem to have a license to kill when it comes to cyclists.

When a driver hits a cyclist, he or she will invariably say, "I never saw her." And they almost always get away with it. It is rare that a driver is ticketed, let alone charged with a more serious crime, when a cyclist is injured or dies at the hands of a motorist. Cyclists are, to drivers and to the law, invisible.

Despite the perils, I love to cycle. I commute from National City to the University of San Diego two or three days a week and ride 400 to 500 miles each month.

Why do I ride? I could claim to be an environmentalist, but I am as indifferent toward the Earth as anyone. Last year, I put enough AA batteries into the landfill to make Iron Eyes Cody cry for a week.

I do have one environmentalist fantasy. I want to ride up to a Prius at a stoplight and berate the driver for destroying the Earth just as surely as if he drove a Hummer, only a bit more slowly. They have it coming.

I do not ride for economic reasons. I rode almost as much when gas was 50 cents a gallon.

Like most cyclists, I ride for selfish, intangible reasons. I love the long stretches of quiet when I can reflect and be alone with my thoughts, punctuated by moments of terror when I am helpfully reminded of the fragility of mortal life.

Fortunately, others are more virtuous. The biggest local do-gooder cycling event is Bike to Work Day. Organizers try to get people out of their cars for a day, hoping that they will start riding bikes. This will leave more gasoline for SUV and Jet Ski owners.

This year's event was a revelation. I finally figured out why there seem to be fewer bad drivers on the road these days. They are all riding bicycles. With gas prices so high, there are swarms of new cyclists on the road. Most of them have no idea what they are doing. Bike lanes are suddenly much more crowded, and I don't know which group is worse, the slowpokes blocking my way or the maniacs who want to pass me.

It is now common to see cyclists riding against traffic, their heads down and pedaling at me like two-wheeled kamikazes. My happy, peaceful and solitary commute has turned into a gauntlet of mindless cyclists, riding like zombies after their queen has been decapitated.

It is no longer enough to be on guard against automobiles. Like a limping member of the Donner family, I now have to watch out for my own kind.

So please, go back to your gas-guzzling carbon belchers (yeah, Prius owners, I'm looking at you). Drive your Hummers, Escalades and Civics. Use up all of the world's oil in the next 10 years. I don't care.

What I learned from Bike to Work Day is this: To heck with the Dutch, I really like cycling alone.

Del Dickson is a professor of political science at the University of San Diego.

[end]

http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-hew-myturntwo15-2008sep15,0,5546654.story

I find living in an autocentric city has its rewards.

I laugh at the people who like to zoom zoom on a MUP. Cycling with out competition, leaves me free rein of the bikeway err road. Not less scary. Yet you don't have to look out for those cycling ninjas.

In my dotage I have the opinion: Maniacs are only a passing irritation before they're a grease streak, Slowpokes are the worse, they appear in Spring and you have to suffer them until the bad weather in autumn.

solution to the author's problem:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1066/1162469167_366577314c.jpg

Id be interested in quantifiable evidence as to how many more bicycles
were on the road daily, recently. I dont mean boosted sales figures from LBS's,
bicyclists who actually on the road and werent a year ago. None here.
I think the author had a bad episode on his commute.

Cycling in the Netherlands is great - but you definitely have to adjust your mindset to "share the road" with lots, and I mean lots of other cyclists. After I watch my short videos biking there I can really appreciate an empty MUP on a cold winter day.

http://www.futuregringo.com/index.php/2008/04/03/biking-in-amsterdam-videos/

solution to the author's problem:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1066/1162469167_366577314c.jpg

I've seen this pic so many times. What's the story behind it?

My big complaint about cars parking in the bike lane. The biggest culprits are the courier delivery trucks like UPS, Fedex, DHL, and the post office hogging the bike lane. Wanna see pictures? In Toronto there is a website that shows off the miscreants. (http://toronto.mybikelane.com/)

....I want to ride up to a Prius at a stoplight...

Is it just me, or has the Prius taken the place of the Volvo station wagon? :rolleyes:

Cycling in the Netherlands is great - but you definitely have to adjust your mindset to "share the road" with lots, and I mean lots of other cyclists. After I watch my short videos biking there I can really appreciate an empty MUP on a cold winter day.

http://www.futuregringo.com/index.php/2008/04/03/biking-in-amsterdam-videos/

Yes, but the slowpokes in Amsterdam are significantly faster than the slowpokes in Copenhagen. Additionally the slowpokes in Amsterdam don't appear to get off on deliberately slowing everyone else down. I've seen fellow cyclists in Copenhagen flick the rear wheel locks on of slowpokes, out of shear frustration.

We should have such problems of too many bicyclists.

we should have such problems of too many bicyclists.

+1000

Like most cyclists, I ride for selfish, intangible reasons. I love the long stretches of quiet when I can reflect and be alone with my thoughts...

That is enough to convince me that the author of this article is about on par with the same jerks who don't know what the hell they're doing in the BL.


Most of them have no idea what they are doing. Bike lanes are suddenly much more crowded, and I don't know which group is worse, the slowpokes blocking my way or the maniacs who want to pass me.

It is now common to see cyclists riding against traffic, their heads down and pedaling at me like two-wheeled kamikazes. My happy, peaceful and solitary commute has turned into a gauntlet of mindless cyclists, riding like zombies after their queen has been decapitated.

It is no longer enough to be on guard against automobiles. Like a limping member of the Donner family, I now have to watch out for my own kind.

^
The only good part of the article. The rest is "fill the minimum word count" journalism.

Just wait until these pop up: YouTube - Trikkes on the bike path.

EDIT: Have to love the idiots in this video too. Filmmaker gets some nice bone-head points too:

YouTube - Santa Monica to Venice Beach Bike Path

-Kurt

My big complaint about cars parking in the bike lane. The biggest culprits are the courier delivery trucks like UPS, Fedex, DHL, and the post office hogging the bike lane. Wanna see pictures? In Toronto there is a website that shows off the miscreants. (http://toronto.mybikelane.com/)


I almost nailed a DHL truck last winter (albeit at 15mph) because the the idiot was parked in a no parking zone at the end of a very icy curve where two one ways merge. I didn't hit him, but because I had to swerve I ended up spinning my car almost all the way around. Thank God there were no parked cars or pedestrians nearby!

There were parking spaces not 15 yards from where he was parked and he was taking up the entirety of the single lane one way he was occupying.

That is enough to convince me that the author of this article is about on par with the same jerks who don't know what the hell they're doing in the BL.



^
The only good part of the article. The rest is "fill the minimum word count" journalism.

Just wait until these pop up: YouTube - Trikkes on the bike path. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6CMfchv3h8)

EDIT: Have to love the idiots in this video too. Filmmaker gets some nice bone-head points too:

YouTube - Santa Monica to Venice Beach Bike Path (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tix_ke6yA3Y)

-Kurt


My first thought was that an "on your left" might be enough... but an Airzounds would surly work for those skakeboards on steriods... those Trike things.

But then I reconsidered, and thought why is it that cyclists cannot tolerate slower traffic in the cyclists' way, yet we expect motorists to put up with slower traffic in the motorists' way.

It all comes down to courtesy... we ALL need to extend a bit and learn to share.

Cyclists slow down other cyclists 10x more than bikes slow down cars . Lots of cyclists appear every spring and disappear when winter comes. The ones being a problem are a subgroup of this big group. The incompetent. Many small clues reveal their inexperience. If you ride half the speed than most of the other cyclists then let people pass. Don't be oblivious to your surroundings, if you don't notice you've got 4 bikes behind you you are doing something wrong. A lot of their riding reminds me of children for some reason.

I would not want to cycle on that bike path from Santa Monica to Venice beach. Just too crowded that's not fun. That's not a place to go 30 km/h.

Cyclists slow down other cyclists 10x more than bikes slow down cars . Lots of cyclists appear every spring and disappear when winter comes. The ones being a problem are a subgroup of this big group. The incompetent. Many small clues reveal their inexperience. If you ride half the speed than most of the other cyclists then let people pass. Don't be oblivious to your surroundings, if you don't notice you've got 4 bikes behind you you are doing something wrong. A lot of their riding reminds me of children for some reason.

I would not want to cycle on that bike path from Santa Monica to Venice beach. Just too crowded that's not fun. That's not a place to go 30 km/h.

So go 10km/h.

The most ironic thing is I did that bike path while touring the length of California... so imagine riding that path with a fully loaded touring bike.

Dodging pretty skaters in skimpy bathing suits sure beats dodging the Campers and RVs out on narrow Highway 1.

Id be interested in quantifiable evidence as to how many more bicycles
were on the road daily, recently. I dont mean boosted sales figures from LBS's,
bicyclists who actually on the road and werent a year ago. None here.
I think the author had a bad episode on his commute.

A lot of these people are on new bikes granted. But the bikes they buy are often very traditional design. But often their bike is a few decades old pos beater. I think even a lot of the bicyclists I just complain about have been cycling for years if not their entire life. Maybe they have not ridden a bike for 20 years and are coming back. I don't think these people are truly new cyclists. Apparently they are recreational/commuting on sunny days and never really improved their skills. I think their bike competence has not changed at all in the last 15 years .

Yes I would go 10 km/h on that part of the bike path. Someone else will come from behind going 30 km/h zipping by and scaring oblivious walkers. The whole thing causes sensory overload.That's too much stress for me there. I know California has a lot of people but for sure it must have been a lot more quiet on other parts of the route. A route like that is not for commuting. I think recreational trails and such should be kept separate from utilitarian bike paths. Having curvy roads is nice for recreation but commuting on that road would be horrible even if it was empty every morning and evening.

I've seen this pic so many times. What's the story behind it?

I googled 'car lane' images and there it was. I think it comes from MassBike.

Yes, but the slowpokes in Amsterdam are significantly faster than the slowpokes in Copenhagen. Additionally the slowpokes in Amsterdam don't appear to get off on deliberately slowing everyone else down. I've seen fellow cyclists in Copenhagen flick the rear wheel locks on of slowpokes, out of shear frustration.

impossible.

Jet Ski owners



My last jet ski managed 12ga/hr....Yeah I kept it one year.

Yes I would go 10 km/h on that part of the bike path. Someone else will come from behind going 30 km/h zipping by and scaring oblivious walkers. The whole thing causes sensory overload.That's too much stress for me there. I know California has a lot of people but for sure it must have been a lot more quiet on other parts of the route. A route like that is not for commuting. I think recreational trails and such should be kept separate from utilitarian bike paths. Having curvy roads is nice for recreation but commuting on that road would be horrible even if it was empty every morning and evening.

Actually the best part was through Goleta and Santa Barbara; well thought out bike lanes, good signage, lights controlled by buttons or sensors available to cyclists all contributed to a nice ride though that area.

The other nice part was the isolated bit of Highway 1 between Monterey and Morro Bay, which was a pleasure and a pain. The good bits were great views and low traffic, the bad bits were the large RVs which wanted to "share the road" perhaps much like that 30km/h cyclist you mentioned above... "zipping by and scaring" others.

The worst part was from LA south... in city traffic, and having to deal with motorists that frankly didn't give a hoot. As I said, I'd much rather deal with clueless beachgoing skaters then clueless motorists. Bear in mind that while doing loaded touring, we usually moved at about 20 km/h.

And sure, for a daily commute at perhaps 30km/h... that path is less than ideal... but then again, dealing with 100 km/h motorists isn't exactly ideal either.

My first thought was that an "on your left" might be enough... but an Airzounds would surly work for those skakeboards on steriods... those Trike things.

But then I reconsidered, and thought why is it that cyclists cannot tolerate slower traffic in the cyclists' way, yet we expect motorists to put up with slower traffic in the motorists' way.

It all comes down to courtesy... we ALL need to extend a bit and learn to share.

I had similar thoughts.

Cudak888 certainly earns the title of "retroactive curmudgeon". I suppose we all have one of them in us. Mine emerges once in a while as well. But I'd like to think I can let it go.

I get a bit grumpy (to say the least:rolleyes:) if I have to share a lane in the pool, an aisle in the grocery store, a sidewalk in Times Square, a bike path in Santa Monica (brought back great memories btw- I used to ride that every day when I lived in Marina Del Ray) and cannot believe the level of idiocy and "in another worldness" of other people at times. But, on most days, I can shake it loose and have a good laugh at myself.

I also think it can be cultural. There is a portion of my bike path commute that takes me through a section where a lot of Chinese born immigrants do their morning walk, sometimes solo and sometimes in small groups, I've noticed they deal with passing cyclists completely differently than people who grew up here. Basically, they totally ignore any bells, "passing on your left" etc. now some US born people do this as well but almost with a kind of hostility or a "screw you" attitude. The Chinese born walkers would be completely puzzled if I were to be enraged or bothered by the fact that they ignored me. It's as though I had been on their sub-conscious radar but not even a blip on their conscious radar. What's interesting is that when I see these walkers up ahead I don't ring the bell, I don't say anything I just do the natural thing, which is usually to just slow down and find my way past them at an appropriate time- like "what's the use?"

I wonder if it comes from living in such a crowded environment that they share public space in a different way.

I typically ride at 14-16 km an hour if I'm on a flattish road, less when I'm on a MUP, and I've been shooed away by much faster cyclist. I'm pretty impressed with my current cycling abilities because if I compare my speeds and skills to last year's riding I am at least 3-4 km faster on flats, and 5-6 km faster than the year before that. Not bad when I add I've also burnied off 60 lbs of butter fat cycling rather than taking public transit.

I'm fine with cycling past someone riding slower than I am. I'm also fine riding behind that slow cycler because it's safer than merging with traffic. I'm also fine reducing my speed on the MUPs so I don't terrify someone walking with headphones clamped to his or her head. Manners, consideration, and the general acknowledgment that I'm not the sole person on the planet. Ride, repeat.

Cudak888 certainly earns the title of "retroactive curmudgeon". I suppose we all have one of them in us. Mine emerges once in a while as well. But I'd like to think I can let it go.

Thank you! :D

-Kurt

A friend had to grab my arm to prevent me from walking into a bike lane in Amsterdam a few times. It's very disconcerning to be watching for cars and forgetting you have to across the bike only lane first. You tend not to look up till you are ready to cross the car lane.

You begin to pay attention more and have the added benefit of learning Dutch words from the bicyclists. Gezellig.

Dealing with slower traffic is just a reality of cycling on bike paths, and Mup’s. If it's to much of an inconvenience to have to slow down for other people, they maybe your better off sticking to the roads.

In a perfect world people would be more attentive to their surroundings so faster traffic could pass quickly and without any problems. But this isn't a perfect world.

What is with all the skaters on that path when it says "bikes only" every 10 seconds? Haha, 45 seconds in is the best.

but because I had to swerve I ended up spinning my car almost all the way around. .
classic, "it's not my fault."
If you spun your car on snow/ice because you had to swerve, you were driving too fast for the conditions and your range of vision.

Here in Noosa, AU, cars are always veering infront of you on bike lanes and just randomly 'stopping' and obstructing bike lanes, they NEVER give way to cyclists and always give you about 1/2inch clearance inbetween you and them....

Joys of cycling in a non-city enviroment!.