lonestarcyclist

So I am driving home from the shop tonight, feeling good about today being payday when I see a couple of kids on bmx bikes riding down the street.

Normally, when I see kids on bikes I smile and give them a thumbs up. but these two morons were cruising down the street at 8:30 p.m. So it is dark out, the street is poorly lit and they were lucky that I spotted the ONE reflector one kid had on his pedal. Not to mention the fact that these two were weaving in and out of the oncoming lane of traffic!!! They were doing what most people typically do, which is ride against the flow of traffic.

So I flash my high beams so maybe they'll stop weaving, when one of them shoots the finger at me.

I've got the top down on the Jeep so I tell them to that they should ride with lights if they want to ride at night and that they should ride with the flow of traffic.

How is my concern for their safety met? With a slew of obscenities!!!



WTF is going on with these friggin' kids these days? Is it just me or has anyone else come across this kind of thing???

AndrewP

Until they have had a few close calls they think they are immortal - it's nothing new.

Middi-zon

BMX punks. I know from experience, my little brother is their leader. He has calmed down since I found him in a heap next to his bike on the side of the road. He had a minor concussion, he still has no idea if he fell, if he was hit by a car, or just passed out.

-Middi-zon

Lady Jane

Even with the rude reception you got, lonestarcyclist, don't give up trying to help kids. If you talking to them keeps even ONE KID somewhere down the line from getting hurt, it will be worth it.

Keep it up!

:thumbup:

ndbentrider

Lady Jane's remarks are right on target - gets a bit tougher when you face this daily on the roads or in some of our classrooms.

JDP

I never know what to do when I see stupidity on a bike so I usually just ignore them or give them a disapproving head shake. Most people don't like to be told what to do especially by a complete stranger. The last thing you want to do is feed their defiance. The other day I saw a mother and her young son biking against the flow of traffic and hiding behind a parked car to let traffic pass in my own neighborhood. I really wanted to say something then but it could be even worse to question a mother's parenting skills. I think the best thing to do is set a good example. If they see alot of cyclists travelling with the flow of traffic, obeying laws, being safe it will be more inspiration than a lecture from Joe Schmoe.

D*Alex

The BMX crowd seems to be the anti-social wing of the cycling spectrum. I'm surprised the snot-nosed twerp didn't yell a predictable obscenity at you...

shokhead

It seems to be a new thing,going against traffic the last few years.I've said things on the bike path and either get the same result or a clueless look and they just keep going.I dont understand it.Tickets would help but most the kids dont have ID so the cops dont bother.

oscaregg

When I encounter this while cycling, I ride close to the curb to force them out!

bac

They sell bikes to idiots too. That's my quick and dirty explanation. I wouldn't read much more into it than that, really.

oscaregg

Another thing--BMX and BMX bikes encourage stupid riding. They are imitation stunt motorcycles, phony motor vehicles NOT real human-powered vehicles. The BMX culture does not value riding as part of traffic, does not acknowledge the notions of riding either for speed combined with distance or as part of the flow of other traffic. BMX makes bicycle riders stupid; it was the lobotomization of American cycling.

sistinas

It's not just kids. Commuting back and forth to work every day in the Boston area I see people of all ages riding against traffic, without helmets, without lights, carrying cups of coffee, talking on cellphones, wearing headphones, etc... on bikes.

Just yesterday I saw a father riding his bike down Massachusetts Avenue (the main street through town) with his daughter sitting sideways on the rear rack holding on to him.... aiee!

djpluv

some kids are just stupid and rude and there isn't anything that can be done short of a nice @ss whoopin' :-) Don't get me wrong, I'm not stereotyping all kids...I have come across many fine youngin's on the trails.

The other day I was called a rather lewd name by some kids in a car driving by as I was riding...man, i was pissed! I sped up to catch them at the next light...just to see if I was still a "lewd name" when I was right there next to them and not on the side of the street on my bike...being the punks that I had suspected, they sped off as I rode up along side of them. I think that made me even more mad as they were "tough" enough to call me a name driving by, but not "tough" enough to call me the name to my face. Sorry...I didn't mean to go off on a tangent, but it really got me fired up.

Paul L.

Same thing happened to me last week djpluv. I just had to think, "what a bunch of cowards!". I was waiting for the light to turn green and I was in the straight ahead lane, they were in the turn lane. They could have said it to me at any time, but they waited until they were almost through their turn. How do some people live with themselves? If I was that cowardly I would feel like a total loser. Maybe it's the fact that they don't stick around for any feedback on their actions that they don't realize they are being cowards. There, I've said coward three times, I feel much better. Thanks for letting me vent!

roadbuzz

Don't know about BMXers, but most roadies (including myself) automatically assume any communication from a motorist is hostile. Usually, it is.

caloso

I sometimes see a kid with the helmet strapped to the handlebars or backpack. I usually say something like "Hey, nice helmet. Doesn't work if you don't put it on your head!" I try to keep it light, give them a smile and tap my own helmet. (Of course, under my breath I usually add "Dumbass!" )

I figure that if enough adults yell at these kids, eventually one of them might actually put his helmet on. Or I'm just a prematurely cranky old man (to them).

Rotifer

Bright and insightful, give the man a cigar.

Don't forget Tomac.

At least the kids were riding their bikes rather than driving a fricking Jeep.

mykster

I use to be just like them when I was younger(15yrs ago) on my BMX bike. So I don't give them a second thought. They'll grow up sometime.

lonestarcyclist

Very nice, Rotifer. What exactly was your point? Knocking my choice of vehicle? Think that I should have been riding my bike as well? Or was it just a shot at me in general?

Do tell, as I am dying to hear your brilliant insight.

Rotifer

You're right, I shouldn't have said anything about your Jeep. The tone the thread was developing hacked me off, neither do I like it when upright riders slam recumbent riders, xc riders slam dh'rs, etc. - ignorance, in short. Picture yourself, though , leaning out of a topless (probably sharp looking) jeep yelling (?) something unintelligible. I probably would have flipped you the finger as well. Is that brilliant enough for you?

lonestarcyclist

Sharp, perhaps.

I did slow down enough for them not only to understand me but also for me to smell that they were in desperate need of a shower.

I appreciate your clarification.

closetbiker

"At least the kids were riding their bikes rather than driving a fricking Jeep."

That was going to be my response as well.

Everytime someone (knowing the amount of biking I do) talks to me about morons like this, I always say that at least they're not exibitting the same behaviour in a car and killing innocent victims.

Rotifer

Hey, young males sometimes need a gentle nudge toward the deodorized world.

RunYun

When I moved to my new neighborhood the BMX kids were going to ride down a huge dirt pile, which was basically vertical. I was out working in the yard and shouted them some pointers so that I would not have to go over and scrap their bodies off the ground. (Just a note: The pile was 10% dirt and 90% shale (Rock)) I told them to push the bike out in front of them with their butt over the rear wheel. Well shortly after I heard "What do you know old man?” Well at the time I was 26 yrs old so being called an old man sort of pissed me off. I went in the house to the basement and got out my Trek 990. (I'm a roadie, but the dirt still calls me) I proceeded to put my Mtn shoes on and coast out onto the driveway. None of them had gone down the hill yet. It turns out they had big mouths, but were too afraid of the drop. They proceeded to yell things like "You are too old to ever climb this hill" So I climbed the hill. Once at the top they were silent. I proceeded to ride down the ledge butt over the rear wheel and pedal away. They never called me the old man again.

Last summer they started begging me to race them. So I did. My neighbors must think I am nuts racing a bunch of kids. Then they started coming to my door asking if I would come out and ride. My wife laughs every time they come to the door because it's like she has a 12 yr old kid. They even taunt me when I am outside in the yard. I've found that now when I give them pointers safety or otherwise they seem to listen. Maybe now I can teach them to respect the elderly like me.

P.S. Since I have been training this year I look forward to them coming to the door.

wabbit

IT's not just BMXers, but a lot of kids in general- they seem to totally disregard everything around them. Last year, we were riding behind some teenage girl on a bike and suddenly she just turns off left without even signalling! When we called her on it all she said was SORRY. Dumb idiot. And I see kids riding their bikes right out into traffic, weaving in and out of pedestrians on sidewalks. Doesn't anyone teach them basic safety? BMXers are a problem too. I think BMX parks are a good idea, though, there should be more of them- it's safer for everyone and I am impressed with what some of those kids do! I look at it this way, at least the kids are out on bikes and doing stuff instead of sitting at home playing with video games or watching tv. Whenever I see kids on bikes I always wave at them, but I agree, a lot of them should know better.