"Those Bicyclists Blow Right Through Red Lights!"
#326
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IMO riding on the interstate shoulder in many cases would be far safer.
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#327
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I have witnessed it several times in the last 3 months as the weather has warmed up. My reaction: "thanks for making law abiding cyclists like me look bad ***hole". My girlfriend notes "wow, the idiocy is spreading from the drivers to the people on bikes!". To which i wryly reply "everyone is a sweaty faced madman 5 seconds away from committing a crime, where are the cops when you need them?!?".
In all seriousness, road safety involves everyone, including and especially cyclists.
- Andy
In all seriousness, road safety involves everyone, including and especially cyclists.
- Andy
+1,000,000
And then those same cyclists wonder why it is so difficult in getting anything positive done for cycling. Who wants to "reward" bad behavior?
#328
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Bicyclists would never just blow through a stop sign. Or would they?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TikyIcoop60
Cheers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TikyIcoop60
Cheers
#329
incazzare.
No accidents were caused. No near misses were seen. Everybody had clear line of sight. Nobody cut anybody off. None of the cars stopped either. Everyone yielded when they needed to. The one guy who stopped did so as a joke because it was clearly not necessary.
This is actually a really good example of a spot where it's perfectly fine to just look and go.
Not sure what alley cat races have to do with it.
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Last edited by lostarchitect; 05-23-16 at 03:26 PM.
#330
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I've ridden freeways at times and it worked well, main problem being offramps and onramps.
scott s.
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scott s.
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No accidents were caused. No near misses were seen. Everybody had clear line of sight. Nobody cut anybody off. None of the cars stopped either. Everyone yielded when they needed to. The one guy who stopped did so as a joke because it was clearly not necessary.
This is actually a really good example of a spot where it's perfectly fine to just look and go.
Not sure what alley cat races have to do with it.
This is actually a really good example of a spot where it's perfectly fine to just look and go.
Not sure what alley cat races have to do with it.
the law-and-order fanatics having an aneurysm over this is entertaining.
#332
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Bicyclists would never just blow through a stop sign. Or would they?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TikyIcoop60
Cheers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TikyIcoop60
Cheers
#333
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You guys can argue it all you want to but it's a fact that there are a number of bicyclists who do blow through stop signs and red lights without slowing down. Just like there are a lot of bicyclists who ride at spoeed on sidewalks evnen narow ones where pedestrians are walking or exiting stores. It's also a fact that such behaviours alienate people against all bicyclist and increases their wish that bicyclists be licensed or banned. You advoctate for bicyclists but your "I don't need to follow the rules" behaviours are detrimental to all bicyclists.
Cheers
#334
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I have witnessed it several times in the last 3 months as the weather has warmed up. My reaction: "thanks for making law abiding cyclists like me look bad ***hole". My girlfriend notes "wow, the idiocy is spreading from the drivers to the people on bikes!". To which i wryly reply "everyone is a sweaty faced madman 5 seconds away from committing a crime, where are the cops when you need them?!?".
In all seriousness, road safety involves everyone, including and especially cyclists.
- Andy
In all seriousness, road safety involves everyone, including and especially cyclists.
- Andy
#335
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Also notice that the vast majority never even slowed down. That's "Blowing a stop sign". It's a STOP sign not a YIELD sign and therefore those bicyclists and motorists should have slowed down.
You guys can argue it all you want to but it's a fact that there are a number of bicyclists who do blow through stop signs and red lights without slowing down. Just like there are a lot of bicyclists who ride at spoeed on sidewalks evnen narow ones where pedestrians are walking or exiting stores. It's also a fact that such behaviours alienate people against all bicyclist and increases their wish that bicyclists be licensed or banned. You advoctate for bicyclists but your "I don't need to follow the rules" behaviours are detrimental to all bicyclists.
Cheers
You guys can argue it all you want to but it's a fact that there are a number of bicyclists who do blow through stop signs and red lights without slowing down. Just like there are a lot of bicyclists who ride at spoeed on sidewalks evnen narow ones where pedestrians are walking or exiting stores. It's also a fact that such behaviours alienate people against all bicyclist and increases their wish that bicyclists be licensed or banned. You advoctate for bicyclists but your "I don't need to follow the rules" behaviours are detrimental to all bicyclists.
Cheers
#336
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I don't know. When I commute, I really do not like the idea of changing routes on the fly. Time is too tight. I already did the work: finding a route I like that I feel is safe and comfortable to ride.
I know that a bird's eye view on Google may show a different route---in fact I know of two---but until someone has lived it, it may not be a better route. The traffic pattern may suck on those roads; they may be bumpy and in general disrepair; there may be dogs, or the road maybe has no shoulder. Lots of things come into play. Pretty much any road I have not ridden before comes with unanticipated issues. So, I stick to what I know.
I can't imagine how someone 1000 miles away can have a clue which route would be "better."
I know that a bird's eye view on Google may show a different route---in fact I know of two---but until someone has lived it, it may not be a better route. The traffic pattern may suck on those roads; they may be bumpy and in general disrepair; there may be dogs, or the road maybe has no shoulder. Lots of things come into play. Pretty much any road I have not ridden before comes with unanticipated issues. So, I stick to what I know.
I can't imagine how someone 1000 miles away can have a clue which route would be "better."
Some folks just don't get it that there are people who have been more than one place.
Helpful hint - note the window cling (WWOZ). That stands for Wonderful Wizard of Oz:
-mr. bill
#338
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Also notice that the vast majority never even slowed down. That's "Blowing a stop sign". It's a STOP sign not a YIELD sign and therefore those bicyclists and motorists should have slowed down.
You guys can argue it all you want to but it's a fact that there are a number of bicyclists who do blow through stop signs and red lights without slowing down. Just like there are a lot of bicyclists who ride at spoeed on sidewalks evnen narow ones where pedestrians are walking or exiting stores. It's also a fact that such behaviours alienate people against all bicyclist and increases their wish that bicyclists be licensed or banned. You advoctate for bicyclists but your "I don't need to follow the rules" behaviours are detrimental to all bicyclists.
Cheers
You guys can argue it all you want to but it's a fact that there are a number of bicyclists who do blow through stop signs and red lights without slowing down. Just like there are a lot of bicyclists who ride at spoeed on sidewalks evnen narow ones where pedestrians are walking or exiting stores. It's also a fact that such behaviours alienate people against all bicyclist and increases their wish that bicyclists be licensed or banned. You advoctate for bicyclists but your "I don't need to follow the rules" behaviours are detrimental to all bicyclists.
Cheers
I never argued that cyclists didn't blow them. You and DC asserted that cyclists often do it without looking. I argued that point. I also said that blowing stop signals can be done perfectly safely. Thank you for posting the video that proved my point.
#340
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(BTW, notice anyone going around the rotary clockwise? I didn't think so.)
-mr. bill
Last edited by mr_bill; 05-24-16 at 09:45 AM.
#341
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Evey time you blow a light or stop sign at an intersection where there are other road users or pedestrians and every time you blast down a downtown/shopping area sidewalk and force pedestrians to get out of your way you're not an advocate for bicyclists but you are a hindrance to advocates because you've given even more ammunition to the anti-bicyling crowd. you can rationalize your behaviours but blowing through stop lights and stop signs and riding at speed on busy sidewalks is irresponsible and dangerous to other road users. Denial isn't just a river in egypt.
Cheers
#342
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Evey time you blow a light or stop sign at an intersection where there are other road users or pedestrians and every time you blast down a downtown/shopping area sidewalk and force pedestrians to get out of your way you're not an advocate for bicyclists but you are a hindrance to advocates because you've given even more ammunition to the anti-bicyling crowd. you can rationalize your behaviours but blowing through stop lights and stop signs and riding at speed on busy sidewalks is irresponsible and dangerous to other road users. Denial isn't just a river in egypt.
Cheers
Cheers
Maybe we need big SIGNS that say "HEY, PAY ATTENTION TO THIS ONE!"
-mr. bill
Last edited by mr_bill; 05-24-16 at 10:05 AM.
#343
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i see a lot of posters here on A&S rationalizing and denying that bicyclists blow through stop lights and/or stop signs, ride the wrong way on a one way street , ride at speed on sidewalks when pedestrians are in very close proximity and so one. like i said I see these behaviour nearly every day and i've seen where motorists and/or pedestrians have had to yield their right of way and/or take evasive action ie. swerving to avoid hitting or being hit by the bicyclist. the point you all seem to be missing is that when motorists or pedestrians see or are victims of these scofflaw bicyclists it makes it even harder for any bicyclist or bicycling group to advocate equal rights on the roads. That's because those motorists and pedestrians don't want bicyclists near them a motorist or pedestrian doesn't see the scofflaw bicyclist checking their possible route. they see the bicyclist inconsiderately flaunting the rights of everyone else and demanding that come hell or high water that bicyclist is going through that intersection or on that sidewalk and everyone else had best get the hell out of their way. it's a wonder that more isn't being done to have bicyclists licensed or banned from downtown roads.
Every time you blow a light or stop sign at an intersection where there are other road users or pedestrians and every time you blast down a downtown/shopping area sidewalk and force pedestrians to get out of your way you're not an advocate for bicyclists but you are a hindrance to advocates because you've given even more ammunition to the anti-bicyling crowd. you can rationalize your behaviours but blowing through stop lights and stop signs and riding at speed on busy sidewalks is irresponsible and dangerous to other road users. Denial isn't just a river in egypt.
Cheers
Every time you blow a light or stop sign at an intersection where there are other road users or pedestrians and every time you blast down a downtown/shopping area sidewalk and force pedestrians to get out of your way you're not an advocate for bicyclists but you are a hindrance to advocates because you've given even more ammunition to the anti-bicyling crowd. you can rationalize your behaviours but blowing through stop lights and stop signs and riding at speed on busy sidewalks is irresponsible and dangerous to other road users. Denial isn't just a river in egypt.
Cheers
Thus laws like the Idaho stop law really do make sense. As long as you are not infringing on the rights of others... does your stop/non stop matter?
#344
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Thread Starter
Way back, someone said that this issue can't be resolved on an internet forum because of the diversity of our riding circumstances. I've been paying attention, and where I ride and how I ride, I violate way more than I obey. And it is completely safe to myself and others. It would be ridiculous to stop at some of the red lights and stop signs I encounter. If I rode in a different environment, I'm sure it would be completely different. I've given up on my role as a cycling advocate long ago. Drivers will never accept us and they will always be hostile no matter how we ride. Harsh, but true. We should not deliberately antagonize drivers, but we should disavow ourselves of the notion that drivers will like us if we follow the rules. My whole point in starting this thread was to speak out against the falsehood that cyclists run red lights without checking. That's suicide. It does not happen or happens extremely rarely with the result being an injured or dead cyclist, which we are not seeing. There are plenty of dead and injured cyclists as a result of interactions with cars, but not for that reason.
#345
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Why slow down if one can verify the way is clear to proceed without doing so, while still allowing oneself sufficient stopping distance if the way isn't clear? From 20 mph, I need less than 20 feet to come to a complete stop. If I can verify the way is clear before I am 20 feet from the intersection, then there is no reason to slow down at all before proceeding safely through the intersection.
#346
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Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans?
Some folks just don't get it that there are people who have been more than one place.
Helpful hint - note the window cling (WWOZ). That stands for Wonderful Wizard of Oz:
-mr. bill
Some folks just don't get it that there are people who have been more than one place.
Helpful hint - note the window cling (WWOZ). That stands for Wonderful Wizard of Oz:
-mr. bill
#347
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If the ability to get away with something makes it OK, then we are OK with this standard for all road users disregarding any law they can get away with?
#348
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Yeah, that's just stupid signage. The whole point of a traffic circle is to keep traffic moving. Outside vehicles yield to inside vehicles.
#349
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So yes...I am OK with this standard.