HoustonB

Congratulations you have attempted to educate 1 cyclist (that might actually want to learn) - now how do you address the same misunderstanding in 200 million car drivers (that currently enjoy and want to reinforce the misunderstanding - i.e. they do not want to learn)?

crackerdog

My basic rule is, if there isn't room for a car to pass me while another car is coming (that is if there isn't room for all three to occupy the road) then I take the lane. What is amazing here, the car passing the bicycle will actually force the oncoming traffic to stop instead of waiting for a safe gap. The road isn't even that busy and is only a 35mph road. We don't have 4 lane highways near here (that's why I live here).
It would be interesting to drive a slow moving tractor down the same street. Driving with one set of wheels on the shoulder so the tractor is no further out than a bike. I wonder what the car drivers would do then?

Bioflamingo

EDIT: I stand corrected. I had previously checked an out dated site that had clearly said "possible". However after checking a more recent one, I see that you are right.


And my only reference for the other one is a $200 ticket for getting "too close" to a stalled car. I attempted to argue in court, but to no avail. I've never looked for/found the actual law, but I make sure that it doesn't happen again. I know of several other people that have gotten tickets for similar things, so at least the cops think it's a law.

EDIT #2: It's been a couple years, but I believe the officer that pulled me over claimed I was reckless driving because I didn't go into the opposite lane completely to pass the car. One of my friends got a ticket for not going into the other lane to pass a pedestrian. I've never seen this situation dealing with bicycles, but it should be the same.

But this is Hutchinson, and some(many) cops here are rookies or have power gone to their heads, so I'm sure that accounts for part of it. Some of them say you have to ride on the sidewalk, others say you can ride anywhere. I've seen people in the lane, on the wrong side of the road, or without a headlight in the middle of the night pass a cop and have nothing done. This only happened once(all of those at the same time), but it seems to be 100% up the officer at that particular time.

wheel

That is where a mirror and a bright ANsi II vest comes into play. Which I am wearing both.

Thats how I was able to inch over slowly.

njkayaker

Well, if cyclists are confused, don't expect the 200 million car drivers to get it! Anyway, it's a start. Unless you adhere to the fallacy that a problem isn't worth addressing unless you can be 100% successful!

No big deal. The states do often try to use uniform wording for their laws.

I don't think it is the same for bicycles (generally). The "3-foot laws" that people talk about is evidence that supports my statement.

The misunderstanding or the misapplication of the law is a different discussion. It might be useful not to mush the different discussions together.

Chris516

This is a perfect reason why, I 'take the lane'. I don't ride to the far right. I ride to the far left, so that forces motorists to pass me, just as if they were passing another motorist.