Grillparzer

https://www.weeklystandard.com/print/...25.html?page=1

CB HI

Best written article of the same old BS that I have read.

Matariki

Lot of stereotyping in that article. Of course, that's typical.

irwin7638

That was the best organized and well written compilation of stereo typical stupidity I have seen. I only found 5 grammatical mistakes. It is nice that the author reaffirmed our "powerful lobby," presumably to support the demented Dorothy Rabinowitz . I wonder what any of these people will think when they realize we ride bikes because it's fun. It will dilute their conspiracy theories.

Marc

Chief

So chock full of fail... or maybe it was an attempt at parody? But it fails at that too!

FenderTL5

..or ride to and from work as a mere utilitarian concept that's immensely more enjoyable and practical than driving a car.
If you squint real tight and think real hard.. you can almost see the stereotypical biker in the article. It's so far from me that it's past insulting and on to laughable.
Oh, and I'm paying more than my fair share of 'road taxes'.

RaleighSport

I was looking for a parody disclaimer anywhere... if that's how the thought process works inside his mind,oh boy.

dynodonn 

Didn't read the whole article, I pretty much shut down after reading the article's author state that cyclist's don't pay taxes to maintain the road, insinuating that the posted speed limit is the designated average speed that must be maintained, that many roads currently in use were "unfortunately" designed autocentric, and for the safety of cyclists, and motorists needs, that cyclists should stay off them, and that cyclists "take over" the road when it "suits" them.

tigrpal

I just want to ride my bike. Sometimes to go to work. Always for fun. I don't want to lead a revolution. I'm not asserting anything. I'm not protesting anything. I don't despise drivers of automobiles. I am one myself. I'm not wealthy. There's no innate psychology involved except simply that it's fun for me. When I drive, I don't care if cyclists go through red lights-no skin off my back. I'm never in such a hurry that I can't wait a few seconds to pass slow moving vehicles or cyclists, or pedestrians. I get honked at when I ride. I get honked at when I drive. I don't understand all the contentiousness. I just want to ride. I drive alert for cyclists, deer, squirrals, pedestrians, other autos, et al. Other cars are more dangerous than anything else I encounter on the road. I ride where it's legal and safe.

RaleighSport

I'll break it down real quick, dribble dribble, rant, cyclists suck, dribble dribble, rant.

Looigi

"""Bicyclists are exactly like cars when it suits them—as when they occupy the middle of a lane in rush hour. But they are different when it suits them—going 18 mph in that very same lane even though the posted speed is 45, riding two abreast, running red lights if there’s nothing coming either way, passing vehicles on the right when there’s a right turn coming up."""

Of course. These are among the principle advantages and joys of riding a bike.

genec

Biggest line of BS probably right here...
And here is another heap of a steaming load:

Gee I almost don't know how to follow that up except to mention that cyclists come from a wide range of classes... from the most poor who can't afford cars to students to well educated professors... cyclists might include your aunt Beth or your dentist... and yes, there are truck drivers that bike. And most cyclists drive, so it is quite likely they have shared the road with a delivery guy... and may even have one for a neighbor, like I do.

Now this next quote is interesting... yet sad, as it first points out that there is a "lump" of cyclists going through the "pipeline" so to speak and that we don't seem to be well followed by the youth of the nation... second it points out that the data is rather limited, and based only on those cyclists killed in some manner... perhaps the only reliable statistic that can be readily obtained about cyclists. (something of a Heisenberg Principle Phenomena exists for cyclists... they can't be measured unless they are "dead still")


And to close, again, the writer misses the whole point of PUBLIC roadways by indicating that cyclists are trying to take over, and that motorists are being duped. No, the sad fact is that if we really tried, we could easily get along by simply SHARING the roadways. You know sharing, right...? Something learned in Kindergarten.

Maybe if motorists thought of cyclists as just human individuals, just as they are, just trying to get somewhere, just like each individual motorist, rather than some interloper on "car streets," we might just all get along.


Nobody is trying to "take over;" we cyclists just need a bit of space to get where we are going and we use less resources than a big ole giant car... for some reason, writers of this ilk fail to realize that another cyclist on the road means just a bit more room for motorists, one more parking space for a car, and just a bit less pollution for all of us.

gcottay

I willingly accept the burden of membership in a powerful and privileged class. It's not easy but someone has to do it.

Chris516

More of the same kind of stupid stuff from the anti-bike crowd.

howsteepisit

One thing I really do not understand - Where did the belief that road users have the right ( or even duty in some peoples beliefs) to travel the speed limit? Excepting Interstate Highways with posted minimums, somehow going slower then the posted limit is now deemed obstructing traffic. Even my 75 Y/O mother believes she should be driving at the posted limit. That belief fuels the anti-share motorists, who feel unjustly hindered by slower traveling cyclist. But where did that belief come from?

Chris516

Pibber

and we're giving a **** rag like the weekly standard page views and links for what reason? seriously, delete this thread. i've never read a rag with worse "analysis" than this POS, and i live in the area. a little scrutiny, please.

CB HI

Do you really think that the anti-cycling crazies come into BFs and that is how they find that article? To stay ahead of the whack jobs, we need to know how their most recent attacks are misconstructed.

unterhausen

thanks for a nice post. I also just want to ride my bike. I expect to be able to ride my bike like I drive my car, without worrying about someone's ego problems. There is some small percentage motorists that think they own the road and can't make themselves share without expressing their selfishness.

dynodonn 

Whenever motorists start expressing their personal views about my particular way of bicycle riding via intimidation with sheet metal, I then express my views via contacting law enforcement.

genec

Yeah this is something that I argue with my wife over and over again.... speed LIMIT is not "you must drive this speed..."

And motorists often don't realize (or perhaps don't care) that to drive the speed limit they are likely also driving over the LIMIT.

quicky

I read the article and found the video of the confrontation in NH.
About me:
I run stop signs and red lights sometimes. I am very lower middle class. I ride old beater bikes. I live on a island with 14 miles of paved road from side to side. I know and sometimes party with truck drivers. Big trucks and a few cars scare me. I try to ride defensively. I have flipped off and yelled at a few drivers in my life. And I have had a few close calls. All in all, I guess I am just a regular guy riding a bike.

Hey folks it's a big world out there, let's ALL try to play nice. Cut the vehicles some slack when you can and they will cut you some slack maybe. Piss them off and they will go out their way to piss off all bikes. I cringe at some of the behavior I see other bicyclists exhibit, they just make it harder for all bicyclists to co-exist on the roads with cars.

One of my truck driving buddies drives a 18 or 20 wheel gravel truck that is overloaded most of the time. He says bikes almost freak him out. His truck is not "nimble" overloaded or not. He is certain his career and ability to sleep well would be over if he hit a bike. Most bikes work with him and get over as far as possible when it is possible. He does the same in return. What goes around, comes around.

Was on vacation in the Tucson area a few years ago. My god were some of the bicyclists were ****** just cause they could be. They even made me angry in my car with they way they rode. These type of riders, just like the riders in NH, set back biking.

I guess what I am trying to say is a little courtesy and humility will go very far when dealing with people. Just because you "can", doesn't mean you "should".

spivonious

@genec As my dad told me when I was learning to drive, "It's a limit, not a goal."

PatrickGSR94

Read it earlier this morning after seeing it posted on FB. Got to page 3 and had to quit.

That whole deal about cyclists making drivers become 2nd class road users is the biggest pile of BS I've ever read! But perhaps it would be a good thing if drivers DID turn into 2nd class users!

ItsJustMe

It's interesting that in the cartoon accompanying the article, about 5 people in motorized vehicles are still taking up more room than the 18 people on bikes - because being big means you deserve that space and the smaller do not deserve their space.