I bike to work and act as a sort of default ambassador to my coworkers for the bicycling community (as many of us do, I'm sure). I am the first person someone will come to when they want to vent about some obnoxious thing a bicycle rider did. I try to explain that bicyclists are entitled to their lane and should be given 3 feet at all times, but yeah, I concede, it can be obnoxious when a rider moves to the front of the queue at red lights (thereby making everyone re-pass them) or runs them.

I just wanted to detail the conversation I had with a coworker this morning. She came to me complaining that a rider was taking up the ENTIRE right lane and she had to switch lanes to get around him. Then she said, “I don’t understand why you can’t just drive to work like everyone else!”

“Well I save a lot of gas, it’s a great way to exercise, and it’s great for the environment,” I responded.

“Well why do you have to ride on the street!?”

“Where else can I ride?”

“Bicycle parks!”

Maybe you had to be there, but this got the entire surrounding cubicle farm giggling.

So, fellow bicycle enthusiasts, if you wanna keep the drivers happy keep your riding limited to “bicycle parks,” got it?!

It's as ridiculous as saying "keep those cars off the streets and on the race tracks!" but then again, if they could think that far ahead they wouldn't be saying stuff like that.

Hate it when people come to me with this stuff...'you won't believe what this stupid cyclist did today!...'

A few months back some driver t-boned a van full of people and like 12 people died. So that's pretty much my default comeback. 'Wow what a jerk! You like totally had to turn your wheel a few inches to the left! Hey that's almost as bad as when 12 people died in a fiery explosion when those two cars...oh wait no it's not at all.'

The one I love is "why cant you use sidewalks?" While that may seem like a great idea, its a deathtrap for you and anyone walking.

I do however think that cyclists need to pick what they want to be, a car or a pedestrian. If you are a car, you ride as if you were driving, stopping at lights, and following the rules of the road. If you are a pedestrian, stay on the sidewalk, wait for crosswalk lights, etc. I see a lot of people that think they can do both and I seem to think (and have been told) that that type of behavior also irks people.

Not sure how one can take a bicycle park to work, but I'm sure it sounded like an airtight plan to your coworker.

Me, I ride to work because it's fun. There may be other benefits, but that's the reason I'll use if people ask. Thankfully, my coworkers are supportive, and in a couple cases, are interested in trying it for themselves.

Wow. I am looked at as harmless oddity, at BEST.

I know this is wrong, but whenever I imagine such people; I'm always picturing an obese man/woman stuffing his/her face with a slice of cake.

For some reason, this story reminds me of a time when an American born, Iranian co-worker friend of mine, used to get asked questions concerning terrorism, Islam, and all of the middle-eastern problems. Like he was supposed to be an expert, just because of his ethnicity.

It would never fail, that immediately after some bombing in the middle east, he would get asked questions and jabbed about it, in one form or another. Like he was the responsible spokesman for everyone in Iran, the middle east, and Islam.

PS.

BTW, he was a Christian and hated politics. Most times he knew less about what was happening than they did...


Why should anyone come to you with complaints about other cyclists?

“I don’t understand why you can’t just drive to work like everyone else!”
"Because I am not everybody else..."

Shuts them up.

>>>I concede, it can be obnoxious when a rider moves to the front of the queue at red lights (thereby making everyone re-pass them)<<<<

Oops! I didn't realize this is wrong. I go to the front of the cue so that everyone knows where I am and so I'm not in anyone's blind spot. Then, from the far right of the lane, I make sure to make eye contact with the driver right beside me. When the light changes, I proceed forward and subtly wave the cars on, as if to ensure them that I am not about to make any crazy moves and that it is OK to pass. Usually, I get a "thank you" wave from the drivers afterward.

Crap! I don't want to be "obnoxious." Can somebody explain why I shouldn't be doing this?

I do it if there is plenty of room to go around me without having to wait for oncoming cars. If the lane is narrow, I concede that they have already earned the right to be ahead of me by passing me safely the first time. In that case, I don't make them do it again. Fair is fair.

I really do not see what is wrong with this as I think about it. For example, today there was a long line when I pulled up to a stop light.... about 15 cars back. If I stayed in the 16th position, the cars might be pissed that they didnt make the light but if I moved up a little ahead of the first car and off to the right side a little (granting I see no turn signals turning right and in this case if that happens, I stay behind them) because it lets them see me and everyone can make the light.

I don't think there's a one-size-fits-all solution to lining up for a light. I treat these situations case-by-case. It depends on the intersection, the time of day, the volume and speed of traffic, whether it's an area where motorists are used to seeing cyclists, how I'm feeling that day, etc. I try to base my approach based on safety, predictability, efficiency, and legality -- usually in that order.

New to the forum and the only one who commutes to work by bike at my employer (I try to at least 2x a week) Sometimes I am unable to based on what I have to do and if I have to transport project files to our corporate office about a mile away.

I get the "I hate it when bicyclists are on the road and I have to slow down"....

"Not as much as I hate it when people who drive cars hunt me down to whine about having to add three seconds to their commutes because some guy was trying to get some exercise in.

"Ooops. Did I say that?"

+1 That's what I do, too. The intersection that my work is at is wide enough for me go pass the cars at the red light to get to the intersection and I can then turn right. But there is a left turn lane closer to home that doesn't have much room if cars are already stopped in the left turn lane and the lane next to it, and in that case I wait behind the car in front of me.

This is my first week of commuting from home to work and on my way home earlier in the week I had some snot-nosed teenager yelling at me that I'm not a car and I belong on the sidewalk. They actually passed me with plenty of space, really fast and yelling at me, so they could make their right turn (more of a "bear-right turn") and came to a near stop to yell some more. I did not respond kindly, but the amount of ignorance is abundant amongst drivers. In Illinois it's become law that all vehicles must pass with a minimum of 3 feet of space from a bicycle. There are lots of drivers that give plenty of space or pass as if I were a car and I'm thankful to all those drivers - I try to do the same. But there are a lot of drivers who don't feel it's necessary to give a safe passing distance. Perhaps I should complain about the dump trucks and public buses that like to try and pass as close as possible to my coworkers and how those drivers are breaking the law.

I'll also add that on my way home today there was a fellow who passed my up and I noticed he didn't feel it was necessary to stop at stop signs. This I also come to a near stop - I'll unclip and put a foot down if there is any cross traffic - and continue on my way. It takes longer, but I think we all need to respect and obey the rules of the road for a safer trip.

A little courtesy can go along way. For example, let's say you're sitting at a light and there's a car behind you wanting to turn right. If you've got room to scoot over so they can get by, it might help improve their perception of cyclists if you do so.

I've had people roll down their window to thank me for doing that.

Hey, if drivers are willing to lobby for the funding, I'd be more than happy to ride a bike park to work. Heck, I'd be happy with any sort of trail network dedicated to bikes. It might be necessary to get rid of a few roads to make space for it, but that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.

My commute takes me thru a tunnel that goes under one of the runways at the Long Beach Airport. There is a very skinny sidewalk in there you can walk on but not ride on. There is about 4 feet between the outside edge of the lane and the sidewalk that I use as my "bike lane" Cars have room to go by me w/o changing lanes...it is close but there is room. I just wish motorists would resist HONKING in there... since I am trying to concentrate at staying within the space next to the sidewalk/curb and maintain my line going relatively fast (there is a good downhill leading into the tunnel going both ways so I get some speed up to get thru the tunnel as quickly as possible)

But I want to be a jet plane.

My office is out in the Boston suburbs, and there's a handful of people who bike commute with some regularity (myself included). We have a pretty good setup, with showers in the office, a quiet crime-free neighborhood, etc.

At any rate, my commute is about 14 miles each way, and this year I've been fielding all the usual questions: "how far is it?" "how long does it take you?" One colleague today mentioned that he would like to bike to work, but "it's three miles". At first I thought he meant that three miles wasn't worth the trouble of getting the bike out, but he meant that "three miles is too far". I didn't really have a response to that one.

What is the point of moving to the front of the line so everyone sees you? If you didn't cut in front of everyone, it wouldn't matter that they see you or not because they had already been troubled to pass you and should be ahead of you already. If you want to make sure you aren't in a blind spot, just take the lane at the end of the line like any car would have to.

I had a similar argument on a news site forum with a poster who insisted that bikes stick to bike paths. I tried to explain to him that our paths don't really go anywhere useful for most commuters. They're all along our waterways surrounded by parkland.

What can you do? Sometimes there's just no use arguing with the ignorant.

It's not the cars that are travelling in the same direction as you that are the issue. It's the on-coming cars that want to turn across the intersection. If you are in a line of traffic, in the lane, it's easy for the turning car to see the space you are in as a 'gap' and turn into you. If you are in front of the line, they will see you before anyone sets off. It's much safer.

That said, every intersection is different. Sometimes I head to the front, other times I stay in place.

"I don't understand why you don't drive a car like everyone else."

"I don't understand why everyone else isn't riding a bike, so we're even."