erk

make that +2.

In the city, delivery boys are the worst about riding the wrong way... they do on every street regardless if there's a bike lane or not... Seeing as they likely have a poor command of the english language, yelling is pointless. So now when they're being their usual ridiculous selves, I give 'em the middle finger and segue into pointing forward... they get the picture. I use this for non delivery cyclists too, but i think DB's are pretty much the only ones who have the balls to ride the wrong way on Manhattan streets and (even worse) avenues..

Though some people are just over-zealous with reprimanding people. At the end of my evening commute, which is fairly up-hill the whole way, I do go the wrong direction up my street for about the width of 2 brownstones and dismount.
I've been yelled at by "serious" (looking) cyclists for doing that once or twice; and while I know that its technically not allowed, I would much rather break the law for 40 feet than go another block uphill and circle back just to get to my front door "legally". they get the finger too, but minus the pointing part.

erk

just so y'all don't jump all over me for being a hypocrite, my street is residential and sleepy. I'm not stupid and would never go the wrong direction or ride on the sidewalk anywhere else..

unterhausen

I saw a couple riding the wrong way once. They were riding expensive bikes, helmets, spandex, the whole works. It wasn't so bad when I met the first rider, she was on the far right of an 8' wide shoulder so there wasn't a problem passing. The real problem was when I made the next right onto a country road, there was the other idiot in my line. They were both smiling like idiots. I was impressed by how dangerous this practice is. The overtaking rate is much higher than expected.

TarmacDude

Sometimes you really don't have a choice, like when there is a construction zone or other obstacles etc. that keep you riding with the flow of traffic. Sometimes you have to go against the grain, but I think most are sensible enough to ride with the flow.

jeanHTX

i'm saying if you guys had to make this left turn into congress and you live two blocks from school and you got five minutes to get to class, park/lock bike and run up three flights of stairs, going the wrong way on a fuc_king tiny bike lane for 10-20 yards yards is NOT a big deal. there's no parked cars on this street either.

i hate bike lanes too. good thing there's hardly any in austin. and fyi, i'd never ride against traffic on a regular lane. i mentioned that in my post. "but if it is just a plain street then you definitely have to go with the flow of traffic."

frpax

Hey, I resemble that remark!

NYJayhawk

ERK's right about NYC. I can't tell you how many times I've almost gotten taken out by messengers going the wrong way down 1 way streets.

I ride in the bike lane....you know..that narrow 4" strip between those yellow lines in the middle of the road....people are always yelling at me.

Once upon a time, people were taught to walk against the direction of traffic if they were walking along the side of the road. That way, if a car was going to hit them, they'd theoretically 'see it coming' and have time to dive sideways into the ditch to safety.

Since way too many people don't understand that bikes are vehicles, some of them ride this way too.

I don't yell at them. They're few and far between and seldom impact my ride. I figure that the laws of natural selection will sort this kind of thing out.

CardiacKid

Thank you for the explanation. That makes your choice even harder to justify. When there is a lot of traffic, it is even more important that you comply with the rules. Here are 2 safe alternatives:
1) Get up earlier;
2) Walk; who takes their bike 2 blocks to school to risk getting it stolen, or worse, risk getting killed by someone in a 2 ton car turning into you.

zdrifter

sorry ... couldn't resist telling this related story ... one of my training rides is a 2.5mi loop inside the gated community where I live ... I go round and round and round.

I generally ride this at a pretty good pace and one day I come around a bend at around 20 and there is a guy on a MTB coming right at me ... he makes no attempt to move, I swerve out and yell 'get the f... outta the way' and continue ... on the next loop, now going faster, here he comes again!!!!! and again makes no attempt to move so as I go by (real close) I suggest he try the other side of the road (using my most impolite terms) ... next loop, sure enough here he comes, so I stop and block his progress and begin to try to calmly (really) explain the problem and solution ... he states it's his right to ride there; it the safest place; he almost got hit and now can see them coming.

I explained I intended to use the portable telecommunications device I had in my seat bag and he could explain all that crap to the LEO that would be along shortly.

I have never seen him since ... but am still amazed and the overall level of knowledge (as in real real low) of much of the biking public.

jeanHTX

even when i do get up earlier it's just hard to make a left turn on a vehicle, even harder on a car when there's no stop light. also, I, and a lot of other students who live right across the street even, take our bikes to school. besides, a 20-30 minute walk vs. two minutes on my bike? it's not like i go to UT, i go to st. eds, bikes here on campus are safer than at UT. why wouldn't i ride my bike everywhere i go if everywhere i need to go is within a 10 mile radius?

jasandalb

sooner or later there gonna be:

YOJiMBO20

Fixed.