kemmer

SLC has proven to be a really nice place to ride. Drivers are complete asses to other motorists, but pretty considerate to cyclists. The only incident I've had recently happened couple of Sundays ago. I was in the middle of the right lane, it was freaking Sunday and the left lane was unoccupied. There was enough room for me to ride off to the right hand side of the lane and still leave room for someone to pass, but the road kept going from wide to narrow forcing me to merge in and out of traffic every few blocks. I was going downhill at a decent speed (about 17mph, I was on my tallbike) and I decided I would just stay in the lane. Suddenly some guy came up behind me and blasted the horn (left lane still wide open BTW). He stayed behind me for a little while, I guess waiting for me to move over. Finally he buzzed me, revving his engine and honking the whole time (yep, left lane still wide open). When I caught up with him at the light, I pulled up to the passenger window and leaned against the top of his Navigator (ahhh, the joys of a tallbike) and gave him the bird. He rolled down the window and started going on and on about how he rides too and how you have to ride within 3 feet of the curb and how people like me give cyclists a bad name. He finishes his diatribe with "I ride more miles a year than you've ridden in your whole life." I responded with, "yeah well, I ride 30 miles RT to work 3 or 4 times a week plus a nice long ride on the weekend, so I know where I should ride" and he didn't really know what to say. The best he could come up with was a sarcastic "oh yeah, good for you." The funny thing is he's the one who tried to use mileage to prove credibility to begin with. I should have kicked off his mirror, it was inches from my foot.

This was in Sugarhouse of all places. (one of the most bike friendly parts of Salt Lake) Go figure, after so many trouble free miles, I get harrassed by a "fellow cyclist" in a bike friendly part of town.

soccer.me

yeah you shoulda kicked off his mirror.. That would have shown him.

Sawtooth

Just because someone cycles, does not mean they are laid back and easy going individuals (check out the A&S forum if you need to verify this). Heck, it is not even safe to assume that they have verified the rules they are insisting that you follow.

I once got screamed at by a crotchety old man on a recumbent for coasting a stop sign. It was clear the dummy had never even read Idaho's cycling code. My suggestion is to find solace in the fact that these types are voluntarily shortening their lives by up to ten years, according to research, with their red faced tyrades.

Chris L

Yep. I realised some years ago that there are just as many d!ckheads who cycle as don't. It's also worth remembering that when he says he "cycles", his experience may well be limited to riding to the end of his driveway and back. Personally, I treat idiots who claim to "cycle" just as I treat any other idiot -- with complete disdain.

JeffS

Nah, just would have given him an excuse to run you over.

jyossarian

Well, if you kicked off his mirror thereby giving cyclists a bad name and he's a cyclist, he'd be lumped in w/ those same cyclists. Ergo, kicking off his mirror would've been worth it.

oilfreeandhappy

Some people always have something to prove. Here in the West, you ought to simply count your blessings that he didn't pull a gun on you.

noisebeam

Some cyclists also learn bad habits if all they ever do is club rides, where hollers of 'car back!' and resulting scoldings to those who don't move way to far to the right, even when not necessary or dangerous. Those scolded who don't know any better then become the scolders and the cycle continues.
Al

DataJunkie

Keep in mind that in these types of arguments every motorist is a cyclist. Whether they do or do not own a bike or ride 10 miles a year or 300 a week.
In my mind anyone in a car is not a cyclist until I seem them on a bike.

genec

You could have asked him to quote the "3 foot" law. I have never heard of such a law... sounds like this guy was just another cager.

SDRider

What the hell is a tallbike?

Serendipper 

Amazing. This exact same conversation happened to me because I took the lane last year at a street that merges into a turning lane on a steep upgrade. I try to beat the traffic so I won't get detoured, and let the cars creep behind me for a few minutes while I struggle up the hill. There is a left lane for the impatient, but motorists still get annoyed. Fine.

But one guy in a van felt the need to chase me down and tell me he's 30 something and has ridden way more than me, that I should be 3 ft. from the curb, that I can't change lanes, yada yada, ad infinitum.

So then I told him I was thirty-five, and car-free...so it was doubtful he could ever ride as much as me, what with being a slob driving a van and all. I look young, so seeing his jaw drop as he realized I was older than him was priceless.

CommuterRun

It's safe to bet money that when a cager claims, under circumstances like this, to be a cyclist: He/she is lying.

genec

Where are these people coming up with this "3 foot from the curb" crap?

kemmer

I was thinking/hoping the same thing. It's kinda sad really, if cyclists can't or won't stick together.

CommuterRun

Good question, Gene. And they have it backward. For safety's sake it should be no closer than 3' to the curb.

kemmer

This is a tallbike, and I'm pretty sure this is the reason the guy assumed rides more miles in a year than I have in my lifetime. In reality, I've probably ridden more miles on this contraption in a month than most people do in a year. I'm sure he wouldn't have given me s**t if I had been riding my CF road bike.

cc_rider

The 3 foot rule I know is that cars passing a bike must give them at least 3 feet of clearance. I've not heard of a distance-to-the-curb law. I think the wording in Virgina is for bikes to ride as far right as practicable.

Would have been a good time to pull out a copy of the state bicycle laws and give them to him for his "education."

SDRider

Okay, I have a follow up question. Why would anyone ride that? I mean, it's an interesting fabrication but to use it as transportation boggles my mind. In case of a fall you want to have farther to fall over? I don't get it.

kemmer

This guy wansn't going to listen to reason, plus the light turned green. I've been thinking of printing up sections of the traffic code that deal with bikes to give to people who think they know where bikes do/don't belong.

In Utah, motorists must be no closer than 3 feet when passing a cyclist. This is probably where he came up with 3 feet, and ironicly he is the one who broke this particular rule when he buzzed me. A cyclist must travel as far right as is safe to do so, unless there's not enough room for a car to pass leaving the obligitory 3 feet in which case, the cyclist is free to use the whole traffic lane.

cc_rider

Wrap it around a baseball bat first, then larn him upside the head.


That's how Virgina law works. I think Maryland is the same.

knobster

I prefer to quote an exact reference from the drivers manual for my state. That usually shuts them up. Then I kick their mirror off.

maximan1

Why are you flipping us off?

Chris L

That's the wording just about everywhere. I think the "3 feet" claim that the motorist mentioned in this case is just wishful thinking. I find a lot of people quote "laws" or "facts" that they want to be true in the hope that doing this enough times will somehow make it true.

In the end, if anyone really wants to know what the law says, it's best to read it for yourself and clear up any confusion. It won't stop idiots like this from trying to jump all over you of course, but it might come in handy if you ever encounter one of them who happens to have a police badge.

kemmer

I don't really use it for transportation per se, I've ridden it to work a few times but just for fun. Most of my trips on that bike are <2 miles. It's a blast to ride, you just have to try it to understand.

I don't know, I just am. Maybe you looked at me funny.