srsly? sideWALK

The other day I was riding to the El Polo Loco next to school, to get there with any simplicity I took the side walk. As I was going through a cross street two guys decided to start walking closer and cut off my path. As I cut between them one guy hit me with his arm and started yelling. He looked homeless and crazy so I just kept riding.

Wednesday on my way to work going north on Highland approaching the red light at Sunset, this lady decides to get as close as she can to me. So close in fact that I got pinched up beside the curb and started to fall. Luckily we were going slow so I just bounced of her car. I am angry, but it's sort of my fault for not having taken the lane...Highland is not fun in the morning.

So if that isn't enough, I'm way back at the light and it's on a hill so I decide to split the lane and try to get closer to the light. As I go to pass the same woman's car she tries to open the door and yells "This isn't a bike lane". Having barely brushed through that, I continue on my way.

Then totally my fault for not just turning off of Highland or pulling over until she was gone...She got behind me again and actually swerved closer to me when she passed me at a much higher speed this time.

Oh little red Nissan with a license # 6HQ755 (something like that) how I hate you.

I was just on sunset/highland yesterday!

That's when I slap a phone out of someone's hand and ride on.

Today I was riding to work, taking the entire lane, and I noticed a nice looking masarati coming from behind me driving was a rich young blonde who fits the movie cliche in a masarati; she looked annoyed by my presence as I let her pass. But she stayed at my pace. Thinking ahead, as she opened the passenger window to spew shiet out of her mouth, I shouted "Quick what's 1 + 1? Does daddy know where you are?" I started loling hard but also wishing I had a gopro cam so I could upload it on youtube; while she started dumping her DERP DERP DERP DERP while staying at my pace. End of story she started getting violent and swerved into the bike lane, b'gosh PMS much?, and I cracked/ broke her right rear light and most likely dented her rear panel with my u lock considering I'm a south paw. She sped away before I could lift the rear cursive "masaratti" emblem. Bad for her and good for me is I know where all the rich people in bentleys and masarattis hang out during the day and this calls for further escalation for LOL's before I flee north for the summer.

This is la jolla so there's a bunch of rich jerks like this.

its' amazing how people feel entitled

I live at Highland and Santa Monica, I ride that patch of Highland everyday...it is one of my least favorite spots to ride. Maybe that's because I broke my collarbone there in February.

Highland just sucks in general

I concur, except for that one time I hollard at a sqrl in a car at a stop light.

sckiiiiiiirrrrrrrtttt. dude, that sqrl wasn't a sqrl. if you were near that intersection that was a dude with a tail.

-my condolences.

I cracked/ broke her right rear light and most likely dented her rear panel with my u lock considering I'm a south paw. She sped away before I could lift the rear cursive "masaratti" emblem. Bad for her and good for me is I know where all the rich people in bentleys and masarattis hang out during the day and this calls for further escalation for LOL's before I flee north for the summer.[/QUOTE]

Your stories get more and more outlandish every time. Decent entertainment, at least

Less rage, more actually sharing the road.

Y'know, like the law suggests.


EDIT: I still boggle a little at folks getting mad about driving and following the rules. Folks seem to forget that when they signed that document giving them a driver's license, they agreed to follow the rules of the road. Including sharing it.

And yes, if you're on any kind of machine that puts you on the road, you're subject to those same rules (stop, yield, obey signals, etc...). Yeah, you sometimes have to yield to bikes (and you always need to look for them while you're in a city). And yeah, we should stop at stop signs (when there is cross-traffic).

I will be honest I have clothes-lined side walk rider while I am walking it is amusing to me.
you do know it violates California vehicle code and is way more dangerous than the black top and you were being a ****** bag riding on the sidewalk anyway

It's "******y" to cycle on a sidewalk for sure. It's equally as ******y to clothesline someone off a bike as they cycle on a sidewalk. Not too mention illegal, irresponsible and cowardly. It's also "******y" of car drivers to swerve at cyclists, damaging said car with a u-lock is equally as bad.

A lot of the posts in this thread do not do a great deal for the image of cycling.

"Less rage more actually sharing the road" is one of the most sensible comments in this thread. Most of the rest of it is pure nonsense and looks terrible for new members such as I.

Some people need to go to a gym and hit a heavy bag for a while to work out that aggression, or just ride their bikes with a smile nomatter what.

Hogwash.

I'm in no way an advocate for always riding on the sidewalk but whether or not you're allowed to varies depending on local laws. Here in my town, the law states it's perfectly okay to ride on the sidewalk anywhere outside of a business district (ie: downtown). There are a few sections of my commute to the shop (really tight multi-lane roads with no shoulder) where if I didn't ride on the sidewalk, I'd have to get off and walk.

If some dickhead ever tried to clothesline me as a result, I'd be sure to mercilessly ruin his day.

It is not against the CVC to ride on the sidewalk and it's not an ass move to ride there if you are going along pretty slowly. Also consider that the El Pollo Loco is across the street from the school and a block up/down from either corner

the CVC is not explicate however it states all rules that apply to motor vehicle also apply to bicyclist I personally have been ticketed as have many of the people I know for riding on the sidewalk in many major cities in California

Retem, i think you are confusing the Sacramento City Code with the CVC. We have banned sidewalk riding with certain exceptions, I think the CVC defers to local jurisdictions on this matter.

All this aside, there are times where it can make sense to do it. Just remember to ride and act like a pedestrian if you do this. 15mph is not ok on a sidewalk.

meh..... oh I am coming home for 15 days in about 3 weeks then its off to Colorado

Maybe someone just should have clotheslined you instead.

+1.

I don't ride like an ******* but when you see someone on a bike coming towards you, and you close the only gap on purpose i'm not sure what you expect to happen. Also it's okay to ride on the sidewalk in LA, as long as its in a safe manner. Also, thank's for being a dbag to other cyclists. I'll throw a stick in your spokes if I see you.

I agree. I generally avoid Highland. The surrounding neighborhood roads parallel to it are much less trafficky.

+1

It's perfectly legal to ride the sidewalks here in L.A. with a few exceptions and those are posted.

Yep.

I actually pulled a dumb stunt the other day. Following another cyclist I turned left to go between two islands into a plaza on the other side of the road. It was night so I missed the island gap. Thats when I was an idiot and decided to pull a u-turn in the car lane. Surprize surprize I ended up challenging someones headlights to get to the gap in the island. I will be looking out for that next time, and going around the long way if I run into this problem again. Good thing the driver saw me pull my stunt and slowed down. I have lots of reflectors, including those long thin ones from the 70's that go in the spokes. They probably helped.

I was riding on the American Tobacco Trail here (rails to trails) and ran into a few idiots. The first one was some older guy that was riding and I was coming up on him fast so I rung my trusty bell to let him know I was approaching. I get probably within 20 feet of him and he slows and starts u-turning right on the trail in front of me without looking. I locked them up and stopped within inches of him. He was so startled he slammed his brakes and fell over mid u-turn. Then I noticed he had ear buds in. Christ I hate people who listen to music out on the trails/streets so loud that they can't pay attention to what's going on around them.

Second one was some lady running with a baby stroller that decided to stop right at the gate to one of the road crossings on the trail to mess about with her baby. I'm coming at her full speed figuring she's going to realize she is blocking all the trail traffic in both directions but instead and all she does is look up at me approaching.....and goes back to her baby. I slow down and stop right there, give her dirty looks, and then her husband walks over and pulled her out of the way and apologized to me and the other people who were being blocked.

Lesson of the day.....don't be an oblivious jagoff people....you're not the only person on the earth.