Darth Lefty 

Well sure, the cars are going to lane-split past you somehow.

Jim from Boston

I don't understand your answer. As I think about "filtering," the bike filters, and the cars lane split around you. Nonetheless, I guess you consider filtering as reckless.

Then there is a distinction to me between filtering between moving cars vs between stopped cars (at a traffic light or sign).

Darth Lefty 

It was snarky. If the bike is on the line at a light the car can filter up next to it in the traffic lane.

In California it's not illegal. It doesn't matter who's filtering whom or whether the traffic is moving. I did it when I had a motorcycle. There's few laws to it but we do have some customs for motorcyclists, which are to do it between the two fastest regular lanes, don't do it along a solid line, don't go too much faster than traffic. On a bicycle it's not really needed, because you pass on the right over the fog line to accomplish the same thing and no one says boo, even though on a motorcycle this would earn you a ticket.

blackieoneshot 

+1

tarwheel 

I have mixed feelings about filtering, so it depends. I don't filter if there are only a few cars cued up at a stop light or if it would put me at risk for being right-hooked. However, when cars are backed up at a light and there is a bike lane, wide shoulder or plenty of lane width on the right to safely move up, I will often filter. I mainly do this in situations where staying at the back would make it likely that I will have to sit through more than one light cycle, and that doesn't happen very often.

Jim from Boston

I recently posted to this A&S thread, ”You take you life in your own hands,”

Leisesturm

The only time I might decide that another cyclist ran a stop signal recklessly is if that cyclist was either hit, or I heard the panic stop a driver had to make not to hit him. I've never seen or heard that. I've commuted decades in some of the most intense urban cycling this country has to offer (NYC, NJ, PA) and I've never seen a cyclist caught out while running a red. I think they look. I think they listen. I know I do. I don't really know (or care) how it looks to an observer, but when I'm rolling to that red I am aware of the location of every vehicle in a position to impact my safety or their right of way. I do not run a red, even if I could, until after left turning traffic has had their green arrow. Why, because it would jar a driver waiting for the arrow to see a cyclist streak through. After they are gone... all bets are off.

mcours2006

This makes sense to me and it's often what I do. Had no idea it was called filtering though.

eff-J

Interestingly, the "rules of the road" around here actually allow for bikes on sidewalks in residential (non "business district") areas.

And as far as not being able to hear being "reckless", what about deaf cyclists? Are they all reckless by default?

mcours2006

That's just stupid. I don't know who posted the being able to hear idea, but clearly he/she referred to cyclists who are wearing headphones/earbuds, which is completely different from be deaf.

eff-J

Different how? Not being either deaf or prone to wearing earbuds while riding, I could be missing something. But my simplistic brain is thinking of it this way:


Deaf rider: Can't hear traffic. Has to look.

Earbud rider: Can't hear traffic. Has to look.


Yeah... don't really see much difference there where "recklessness" is concerned.

mcours2006

Would you also make the comparison that a visually impaired person walking down the street is the same as a sighted person who chose to blindfold himself and walks down the same street?

Someone who chooses with earphones not only can't hear the traffic, but is likely to be much less in tuned with what's going around him than a hearing impaired rider, who does not have a choice.

fietsbob

When its enough to get a Police Citation you have to appear in Court to Defend.

Leisesturm

I think the distinction you are trying to make is that the deaf rider might not be able to hear, but is likely not being distracted by Lady Gaga, or Justin Beiber, pounding away at their eardrums at high volume, at the same time that they are trying to filter up to an intersection without a bike lane. I never wear earbuds when I ride. I love music when driving on long road trips but I turn it down in town, and off completely when parallel parking, or navigating parking lots.

MMACH 5

You're making an assumption about how "tuned in" a deaf or hearing person is to their surroundings.

Sound is quite an unreliable means of judging traffic around you. Speed differential means that by the time you hear an overtaking car, it is too late to react. And our forward-facing ears mean that we can't tell from the sound whether the car approaching from behind us is in our lane or the other lane. These two shortcomings mean sound is nearly a worthless form of traffic monitoring.

If you're riding on a multi-use path with pedestrians and other cyclists, your ears can play a much bigger part of what is approaching and whatnot.

MMACH 5

Some interesting info on this subject.

On bicycling, the sense of hearing and headphones

RubeRad

"Reckless" I consider to mean endangering myself or others.

I don't think I drive reckless at all, but some of the behaviors I do which either break the rules, or others might consider dangerous, include:

* not wearing a helmet for casual family or errand-rides for short distances
* riding on the sidewalk when it is convenient, always about 5mph, yielding right-of-way to (very rare) pedestrians
* blowing 3-way red-lights where there is no road to my right (like here, traveling NW)
* rolling stop signs in purely residential areas (barely touching the brakes if visibility is good) (but always stopping fully if there is anybody else at the intersection)
* not using a headlight during the day (and often not using a rear blinky)
* turning left using car left turn lanes and stoplights instead of crosswalks and pedestrian signals
* weaving through light-stopped cars to filter up to a stoplight so I am pointed right at the upcoming bike lane (like here, going SE, being on the line between right and middle lanes through the intersection allows me to ride the paint up to the bike lane, and all of the freeway-bound traffic stays to my right)

SpikedLemon

It's a stop sign. Not a "if it pleases you, please, stop" sign.

This is my #1 peeve with other road users.

When I'm out, on a nice summer day, I will see countless bicyclists think the sign doesn't apply to them and, in many cases, see car drivers who had proper right of way have to wait for the inconsiderateness of the individual cyclist who felt they were above the sign. It leaves quite the distaste for that attitude for others who may follow the law.

As a person who's ridden hundreds of thousand of kms on my motorcycle: people who refuse to stop (and, worse, don't look) at stop signs that me, and fellow motorcyclists, on edge. Having almost been hit by cars several times leaving my own neighborhood (by neighbors) and seen people almost hit many a kid: it's one that's very close to my heart. So many of these people are rolling through signs while on their phone, attending to their own screaming kids in the back or otherwise not watching.

This is a person issue. Not a bicycle, car or motorcycle issue. This, imho, is reckless.

/rant

bendoza

he's spot on.

San Pedro

The most reckless things I do are:
Drafting a truck if I can catch one accelerating at right speed.
Filtering (learned new term)
Passing moving cars on big shoulders.

CompleteStreets

My pet peeve is having cyclists pass we with only about a foot of space between my handlebars and theirs. Super dangerous. If either of us have to move laterally for any reason (debris in the road, a gust of wind, etc) we can knock into each other. I'm on the slower side. On gradual uphill stretches when I'm going about 10 mph I've had cyclists zoom by at about 20mph and give *maybe* 12-inches of space. Drives me nuts! Totally reckless. Give 3-ft minimum.

Todzilla

I run stop signs, slowing down a bit and ensuring no cars are coming. That is reckless and I am guilty of it. If I'm at a red light and no one is coming, I'll go through it, but that's rare where I am.

Otherwise, I'm pretty much by the book. I keep to the right, but not far right, remain as visible as possibly and signal cars to pass me if there's lots of visibility and time to do so.

JoeyBike

Let me answer your question backwards.

If you can get yourself across town without causing any other road users to react to your presence, then you are not being reckless.


I can cut across my entire city Downtown area at rush hour averaging 15-18 mph non-stop running red lights, dodging pedestrians, blowing stop signs, and speeding at times and not cause one human being to alter their course for me - not even cars overtaking me.

On the other hand, I see scores of other riders chugging along at 10mph obeying every traffic law, taking the lane, waiting their turn, etc., causing havoc and pissing off every motorist that encounters them, especially overtaking vehicles which creates close passes, horn blowing, and frustration for all involved.

I prefer to get home wreckless even if I have to appear to be reckless.

Get it?

Todzilla

This seems extreme. What do you do when someone wants to pass you on a two lane road, with traffic in the other lane? Don't you want them to react to your presence in these cases? or do you drive onto the shoulder so as not to cause them to react to your presence?

JoeyBike

I generally do whatever it takes to utilize gaps created by red lights and gauntlets of stop signs to avoid cars overtaking me. I often travel the entire 5 miles to work without being overtaken on a "regular" road. I string together parks, back streets, and bike lanes when possible. When I get to a section of my commute that is actually ONE lane each way on a 30 mph street for about half a mile - I sprint that section in a gap created by a traffic signal. Often I am flowing along with traffic same as if I were on a motorcycle. When traffic ahead slows or stops I filter past all of that, so the car behind me still does not have to consider me.

In my city grid there is NEVER a time when a motor vehicle can overtake me. Especially during evening rush hour. I am either filtering past hundreds of cars, or keeping up. Notice my claim was "I can cut across my entire city Downtown area at rush hour averaging 15-18 mph non-stop..." Once I leave "The Grid" I start hitting the back streets, MUPs, parks, dedicated bike lanes, and even some off road on some routes. Even riding the dedicated bike lanes I do not have many cars overtaking me because I can keep my speed up near 20 mph. I have also found that at 20mph it is almost impossible for a car or truck to right-hook me.