kickstart

A "DRIVE THROUGH" is designed and intended to cater to a specific clientele, saying they should be accessible to pedestrians is like arguing that a walk up window should be accessible to drivers.

I-Like-To-Bike

Perhaps some A&S whiners are of the opinion that establishments that offer "Happy Hour" Specials discriminate against those poor souls who work long hours and can't get to the place during the "Happy Hour." Probably will argue that restaurants that offer freebies at the bar discriminate against young people not entitled to drink too!

ModeratedUser150120149

Given content of many posts this would be true.

hotbike

The issue is really "complicated":
A motorist expects always to be entitled to the privilege of passing bicycles;
But when in a drive-thru lane, it becomes tantamount to jumping ahead of someone in line...

hotbike

On one occasion, I had a driver go into a RAGE, because , according to his "Logic", IF i am riding a bicycle, THEN I don't have enough money to buy a Hamburger...

I didn't know a Car was as cheap as a Hamburger...???

kickstart

A motor vehicles ability to quickly and easily pass a cyclist isn't an entitlement, its simply the natural differences between two different types of vehicles, and there are laws that grant the privilege of faster vehicles to pass slower ones, where as a drive through has a specifically intended use with no guarantee that it may be used otherwise.

hotbike

What? Are you suggesting that some sort of Intelligence Test be required before people can get a drivers license?

lopek77

Here is the deal. Very long story short - owners of biggest fast food franchising in SE Michigan, including McDonald's, don't allow cyclists to use drive through windows.
The only reason is - stupid, distracted drivers. They were sued by cyclist who was hurt by one of the drivers while waiting in line.
Similar situations happened in many other places all over US.

I guess it's a ....cyclists fault, that they are so "invisible" to these poor, distracted drivers.

Some laws are just plain stupid, and allow to protect idiots, instead of potential victims. IMHO, fast food place shouldn't be responsible for any accidents between 2 customers waiting in line....period!

I'm not a big fan of eating in fast food places, but it's a great place, and awesome way to fuel up when on a long/touring rides. I hate to leave my bike outside...

lopek77

I have German, Polish and American drivers licence. First two took me a long time to earn, and the process was pretty expensive. The American drivers licence was almost given to me. It was quick, easy and cheap... That's one of the reasons why we have so many bad drivers around here. It's way too easy to get one. I hate riding on most roads...
Check this Wikipedia page. It's about road signs in Poland...notice how many of them are there...To get your licence, you not only have to know all of them, but you also have to be able to call them by their "technical name/number".
https://pl.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wzory...owych_w_Polsce

Stay safe everyone!

hotbike

So; when the sign says :

[TABLE="width: 580, align: center"]
[TR="bgcolor: lightblue"]
[TD="width: 20%"][/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
.
B-15: zakaz wjazdu pojazdów szerszych, niż określono na znaku (tu: 2 m)

B-15: the ban on entry of vehicles wider than specified on the sign (here: 2 m)

The Vehicle may be No wider than 2 meters. That's a concept few Americans can wrap their heads around. The presumption here, in the USA, is that the bigger your car is, the more "privileged" you are.

lopek77

That's a clear win for the guy in a little Fiat or stupid Smart

KingCat

I ride a lot at late night/early morning hours when fast food places are the only food joints open. Unfortunately they are all closed to bikes and that makes getting food very difficult. The only place that's open to walk inside is Subway so I eat there.
Private businesses are free to set their own policies. Their choice.

Daniel4

On one occasion after a long ride, I went through the drive-through of a Tim Horton's and got a coffee. There was no line up and it was not busy.

In another occasion I lined up in a drive-through but when it was my turn, nobody went on the speaker to ask for my order. I'm not sure how long I waited before I turned around to see a line of about ten cars going all the way out to the road. Then I saw a person in a Tim Horton's uniform walking to each of those cars taking their orders. I then walked over to the window where they told me the drive through wasn't for cyclists. So Tim Horton's would rather hold up a line than tell me that at the speaker. If I hadn't walked to the window, I could have stayed at the speaker all day.

That's bad customer service if they would rather hold up a line than take my $1.30 and tell me not to return.

Sounds like we should organize a day of action at all the drive-throughs.

KraneXL

Banks allow all of the above. What do they know that Fast food doesn't? I really don't see that its that complicated folks.

I-Like-To-Bike

Any references available that discuss the details of any of these "situations" and/or the outcome of any of them?

lopek77

I only talked to one of the owners by phone. I was unhappy with the refusal of the service, and the way menager talked to me. He told me his story, apologized, and gave me some freebies. I fully understand his decision, but I will never get why he was responsible for all of that...it just makes no sense. Law sucks! All of his places have a sign now, to let us, healthy customers that we are not welcome there lol

I-Like-To-Bike

OK, got it, somebody told you about these lawsuit situations all over the country involving cyclists suing fast food operators because of distracted drivers.

lopek77

Yes. It was the owner of around 50 local fast food restaurants. I have no reason not to believe him.

I-Like-To-Bike

I wouldn't be surprised if Somebody told that owner all about those alleged cyclist lawsuits and he also believed it.

FBinNY 

No, they heard it from their cousin.

kelsodeez

its definitely an odd situation here in california where there is this imaginary line drawn between being able to go through the drive-thru on my motorcycle no problems, but once im on a bicycle, everyone loses their minds.

only drive thru i go through anyways is in-n-out. everyplace else can kick rocks.

RomansFiveEight

Car width in the US and in Europe are two very different things. Many european roads are far, far older than the autombile. They might be repaved and rebuilt; but they are still a tight squeeze. A running gag on the U.K. show "Top Gear" is having 'challenges' which involve driving exotic supercars through tight historic cities. And those cars aren't wide in order to help the driver stick his nose out; they are wide in order to allow the exceptional handling they offer.

I drive a Focus; which is wider than a lot of subcompacts but small for American roads. My wife has a Mustang and it's pretty wide; but honestly it's hard to tell except for the fact that there's less wiggle room through the garage door. American roads are wide because, for the most part, they really weren't built until later and they were built in more spread out places!

lopek77

Not anymore my friend...many "American" cars ARE European versions. Buicks, Chevys, Fords (inluding your Focus), Cadillacs, Dodges... are 100% European size. They are re badged Opels, Daewoos, Toyotas, Fords, Alfas, Fiats and so on. Even some Jeeps and Chrysler cars are more European that American.
You right about road width...European countries are way older than USA. They used to have roads before cars were invented. And it's hard to make a wide roads if there are some 700 or more years old buildings in the way already

Some people like to argue about American/European/Japanese cars...I always ask what car/brand is more American....Toyota or GM? The answer may surprise you...

bicyclelove

Amen to that! Let's kill all the lawyers, kill them tonight. (And the greedy idiots who think they won the lottery if they get injured)

RomansFiveEight

Well... sort of. As far as "re-badged" you can go all day deciding which is a re-badge of what but it's all the same company. Their marketing folks have just bought and established different brands in different markets. Is Chevrolet a re-badged Vauxhall or a Vauxhall a re-badged Chevy? Neither. They are a General Motors product badged for their respective market. Heck, even in the U.S., GM is fond or re-badging the same car with different branding to attract key established markets (like the Chevy Cobalt and Pontiac G6). Ford used to do this as well (Mercury Cougar, Ford Thunderbird, Lincoln Continental, Ford Mustang. All the same chassis, most parts interchangeable. Just re-badging and a few option variations; like the Mustang having a 'high output' engine; same 5.0L motor as the others but with beefed up intake and exhaust components, and the Lincoln having more 'luxury' features as standard)

The Mk.3 Focus (2012 and up) was designed from the ground up as a 'global car'. It's not a re-badged European car, or an American car forced on Europe. It was a car built and designed to be sold everywhere in the world without modification (with the exception of right-hand drive for those countries). And actually, the Mustang is going to have it's first right-hand drive models available soon. Previously if you lived in the U.K., Japan, etc., you had to import the Mustang from another country and it was left-hand drive. But even my 2014 "Global" focus is wider than the Fiat's you'll find on old Italian streets. But it fits nicely on American roads! Even the Mustang, which is pretty wide, doesn't have problems here. But it would be tough even on some British roads.