theden

Hey guys.

I appreciate seeing a lot of other commuters on the road this time of year, but one thing that some people do drives me nuts! Part of my commute goes to and through a university campus, so on the way there there is often quite a few people riding bikes in the same direction. When there is a redlight, I always take my place in line behind the other bikes, single-file, but on occasion someone comes screaming up from behind, between the cars and line of bikes, and takes off in front of everyone. Most of the time I end up passing this person just a few hundred yards after the light turns green. Why can't they just wait in line like the rest of us, and pass after the light turns green?

lala

Wrong way (riding against traffic) riders really bug me.

SecretSatellite

i've read a lot about passing other riders. specifically passing a rider you've already passed. i dont understand whats so wrong with that. otherwise, yeah-wrong way drivers are about as kosher as xmas.

theden

It's passing at redlights that annoys me. Just get in line and be courteous, then pass after the light turns green.

mmerner

Car drivers that are too nice!

people that stop and wave me through an intersection. or people that wait at a four way stop because think you're not going to stop. had a few of these yesterday.

-=(8)=-

I will offer the diverging opinion with the understanding that it is not meant
to be antagonistic, condecending, argumentive etc, etc......
I have been commuting by bike or motorcycle for decades depending on my
living/work situation. I'm two-wheel oriented and very aware of my surroundings
to have made it this long in a very hostile environment. That being said, I am only
worried about me and my safety. I go through redlights if it is safe and I will pass cars
if I can in a non-offensive manner. I dont care what they think of me. There is a
difference between a real offense and an imaginary one....If I go through a red light
and a car has to jam on its brakes, thats a 'Me' problem and a real offense ...If I pass
a car stopped at a light at 5:00AM because there is not another car in sight and that
driver gets mad, thats a 'them' problem, an imagined offense and something they will have
to get over. I dont assault cars with bad behaviour. If they want to be mad at me
over imagined offenses or because I am using my bike to be economical with time too
that is something I cant worry about just as Im sure they dont worry when they crowd
me or left turn in front of me.

theden

Ok, maybe I need to be more specific. It's bikes squeezing in front of other stopped bikes at a redlight that bothers me. Passing cars at redlghts is great!

barleyrocket

Lem, I think that there is more to it than just doing things for your convenience and that if it effects someone else that is their problem. When you act in a way that causes irritation to another, it will most likely not come back on you it will come back on your 2 wheeled brethren. I realize you won’t change. You can’t change the mind of someone that doesn’t want to listen. I’m just saying you are looking at it from a very selfish perspective.
You are trying not to be inconvenienced. This is not the same thing as been the only vehicle at a stop light and you can’t set off the sensor, you talk about passing someone. That’s just inconsiderate. Plain and simple.

noisebeam

If the passer is the fastest rider I can be OK with them doing this.
What bugs me is when slower riders do this, just after they were passed by a faster rider.

It probably depends on where you ride, but around here it is not easy to pass another cyclist due to heavy fast traffic, so if you want to go 25mph you can find yourself stuck behind a 15mph cyclist for several minutes until a gap in traffic opens up. Then you pass, get stuck at a light and there is nothing more annoying than having that slower cyclist move up in front of you again or blow the light and then you catch them right away after you get the green.

Al

-=(8)=-

I understand and sympthise with your opinion. That is why I tried to stress the 'Me' and 'Them'
heirchy of problemage but maybe it didint come across right. Something is always going to irritate
another person. I have a strong dislike of barking dogs. When I tell this to people 95% of them are
going to look at me like Im crazy but do they make any effort to stop thier dog from barking ?
That becomes a 'Me' problem and I am the only one who has power over what level of irritation I
am going to inflict upon myself before I let go of what in reality is a very trivial matter to everyone
but me. I also believe people hate motorcycles and bicycles for reasons that would be too many to
list here. With bikes, it is mainly that if you cause a car to have to slow down at all they react
very negatively....they honk, throw something, crowd you, etc....
I know this is going to happen so I just let it go....As a two-wheeler I head out volutarily
with the knowledge that every car has been inconveneinced by a slower moving object and
is aleady irate if they see a another potential slow-down ahead....After all....Those WWF and
Nascar collectibles might be sold out if they arrive at WaL-Mart 15 seconds later than they
might of......But, I digress sorry !
Here in Pa it is a very, very hostile environment to anything two wheeled. Someone is always
going to be mad at you for something. I consider cyclists being very unselfish in that you are
NOT another car for them to be stuck behind in a long line at a light, you are NOT taking up a parking
spot, I personally always wave them on at intersections as a little impromtu gesture of friendliness......
I make a supreme effort to not impede thier forward motion in any way whatsoever.
People pick how they want to be an ambassador for themselves. I always act in a non-confrontational,
passive manner that an introspective and considerate driver would never have a problem with.
I dont feel I should have to try to convert all people or constantly worry about what a total
stranger thinks of me. That to me is not realistic. In otherwards, if the two people who I just
passed on the shoulder at the red light are upset about it I am sure they didnt like me even before
they saw me. I cant possibly change that attitude towards me and selfish as it might seem I am
not worried about it because I know I have done absolutely nothing to alter thier forward
motion or day for that matter. Although you will disagree with me on this I want to reiterate that
I do a lot of things that other people would see as responsible riding. So, to respond to you saying
"I wont be inconvenienced" I would disagree and say I have no problem with being inconvenienced,
I just let different times and situations determine those inconveniences than you might.

Please ride safely !

darkmother

I find waiting in line really slows me down. I usually change lanes and pass the line of riders at the light. It may be rude, but I have never been passed by a fellow cyclist after the light turns green. I find the nice weather brings out a lot of less experienced riders, and having "done my time" riding all winter, I'm in no mood to wait for them to get in shape enough not to hold me up.

noisebeam

Thats cool, but the opposite experience is waiting in line behind a couple of cars as you've done every work day for the past year and then a gaggle of slow spring riders that you just passed comes up and filters forward using the right turn only lane.

Al

RonH

THIS IS MY BIGGEST PEEVE TOO!!!! Not a bike commuter peeve, a motorist peeve!

I really dislike these "courteous" drivers. They cause all sorts of problems. Like what if there is a car coming from the other direction and that driver (#2) doesn't want to be "courteous" but goes ahead because he has the right of way. Hmmm.
If the cyclist waits for driver #2 to do his thing and then goes ahead can find that the first driver got tired of waiting and decided to go ahead and not wait for the cyclist.
I see this all the time. Don't get suckered into this "nice" situation. Your safety could be at stake!

PaulH

That's a problem for me, too. The end result is that I can't enter the intersection, because the "helpful" dtiver's car is blocking my sight line into the next lane, messing up my traffic scan.

Paul

I-Like-To-Bike

What's the difference? If you are stopped (or going slow for that matter) for any reason and another cyclist passes without cutting you off or altering your ride, how are you affected in any way?

CdCf

Heh, I've yet to see another bike commuter where I live!
(I've seen a couple of other, serious, riders, but not along my commute.)

EnigManiac

There may be something we haven't taken into consideration. At a light, whether I am in front or waiting behind other riders, I try to get up to speed as quick as I can (remember I am riding long, heavy cruisers / choppers) and I find that I am often closing in on top speed while other much faster bikes are still slowly gearing up. I have no choice but to pass them in spite of cars being in close proximity and even though they will likely (but not always) pass me a minute or two later. People have different styles of riding and I am always surprised how long it takes these nice, light road-bikes to get up to a half-decent cruising speed (my chopper is often way faster). I have tried continuing behind these lazy-peddaling cyclists but it's much harder for me to go that slow, requiring alot more effort. That doesn't excuse the inconsiderate and selfish idiots that by-pass fellow cyclists waiting at the light, but it may explain, at least in part, why they do it: they can establish their cruising speed easier and stake their lane.

Treespeed

I think it definitely depends on the strength and speed of the rider doing the passing. If the person shooting up to the front of the line stays in front, cool. But I agree, there is nothing worse than having to pass the same cyclist multiple times. I use this same logic when passing cars, if I know I will be moving faster than traffic then I'll move up, but if I know I'll be holding people up I'll wait my turn in line. Sadly, the people who would most benefit from these concepts of common courtesy would never read this forum.

-Marcus.

p_ill

is this your ego talking, here? if i'm not endangering you, i dont see why you should be concerned about me passing you. often, i need to get out into the begginning of the intersection to see if cars are coming so i can get through the light. i ride without stopping, only slowing down to get through redlights, intersections etc. if i wanted to be stuck behind a line of people i'd be in a car.

my job demands that i get to destinations as quickly as possible. no offense to you, but commuters often wait leisurely at lights and stop in situations where i want or need to squeeze through.