Why even mention Christianity here? Seems like a straw man to validate your earlier point. Unfortunately, by exercising prejudice you just put yourself in the category the pseudo quotes you claim as logic.
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This is not about what is right, this is about making sure everybody knows the rules, and by following them avoid getting in trouble. Smarter laws are good, but the best law possible is useless if nobody follows it. Ignoring traffic signs as a way of arguing there are better rules out there is dumb.
Have to agree, in New York City where the current (and thankfully soon to be gone) Transportation Commissioner has made the cyclists her little darlings. They run lights, go up the street the wrong way etc. And they shoot dirty looks at cars that have the right of way.
In New York City the current (and thankfully soon to be gone) Transportation Commissioner has made the cyclists her little darlings. They run lights, go up the street the wrong way etc. And they shoot dirty looks at cars that have the right of way. I have seen them go as far as riding in the traffic lane to slow cars and not use the bike lane that was provided for them.
What leads to this sense of entitlement? They have been given all the privileges and none of the responsibility. When in the article you try to head off comments against cyclists it shows you know what really happens. Come to New York. Stand on any busy street corner and watch the cyclists shoot through the lights, pedestrians and motorists be damned.
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I now both sides pretty well (not from NYC though) and I observe myself getting mad at cyclists when Iām driving a car and getting mad at motorists when cycling. The difference, however, is that when Iām cycling there are frequently situations where I fear for my health, if not my survival, by the care- and recklessness of motorists. The other way around, never.
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Yes, cyclists and pedestrians need more laws for protection because they will easily be killed by automobiles.
Not so much the other way around.
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easily 9 out of 10 cyclists that donāt stop at intersections.
Who cares as long as they use proper judgment? How many have caused an accident? Be honest. I bet that number is zero.
I too stop at every intersection on my bike even if thereās no cars around.
Thatās nothing to be so proud of. You just sit there for no reason other than to feel good about yourself following the rules to the letter. If I hit a stop sign or intersection, then look around and see thereās no cars coming, I use my judgment and go through it. And, I donāt regret it and Iāll do it again and again and again. If Iām too tired and donāt have my wits about me, I sit there and rest. I use judgment.
Iāve never even remotely caused an accident this way and Iāve never seen anyone else cause one this way either. And, thatās in about 20 years of riding in cities.
I also donāt drive the speed limit exactly on the mark; Do you do such a thing? If not, why not? Itās the rules, after allā¦
Iāve even seen dads with kids in tow plough through the stop signs putting their kids at risk.
How many of these poor kids have you witnessed get injured or killed at the hands of these horrible fathers?
Other cyclists get angry when I stop.
Frankly, it sounds like youāre perhaps the public nuisance who doesnāt use good judgment.
As someone who drives and rides a bike, Iāve seen far more dangerous behavior of automobile drivers that have caused actual accidents. In all my years of riding in various downtown cities, the only accidents Iāve seen is from careless drivers whoāve hit (and killed) bikers and pedestrians and killed people in other automobiles. Iāve been hit by an SUV from a lady who was literally looking behind her while gunning it forward. If it wasnāt for my falling skills Iāve learned from mountain biking and surfing, I know Iād be dead right now.
How many accidents have you witnessed that were caused by all these ācrazyā bikers youāve seen? Be honest. Zero? Youāre making out all these other bikers to be reckless maniacs. Surely youāve seen them kill or be killed by now from their reckless actions.
And, whatās you point anyway? This boingboing post is about how cyclists are treated. Are you claiming that people who ride bikes deserve being treated worse than people driving cars? For you to act like people riding bikes are more dangerous than automobile drivers is ludicrous.
When is the last time you drove on a major highway? Jesus Christā¦ get some perspective.
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City bus drivers hate cyclists, āworst people on the roadā was one of the statements made, in regards to their attitude and behaviour.
Iām sorry but I find this not to be the case.
They have been given all the privileges and none of the responsibility.
That is just silly. They have the same responsibilities. I hear plenty of stories of NYPD ticketing cyclists and a lot of them are pretty trumped up charges. I also hear plenty of stories of drivers in NYC actually killing people and not getting cited. Where is the responsibility there?
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Ha, the feeling is mutual. Most are okay, but there are some that just love to pass right before their stop and then cut you off to pick up/drop off passengers. Or they pass within an arms length distance from you, super dangerous.
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What a terrible attitude. All it takes it seeing one group of people that happen to be using the same mode of transportation as another, to lose any care for for them? How do you care about anyone with that kind of attitude?
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So youāre admitting the referenced article about cognitive bias is bullshit. Do you do the same in your car?
Iāve seen lots of pedestrians get hit. Iāve seen cars have to slam on their breaks, swerve into other lanes. Mostly I just see cyclists pretending they own the road. They just plough through and assume others will get out of their way. Stand on pretty much any corner on Valencia and watch how many pedestrians have to jump out of the way of cyclists running lights or at least yield even though the cyclists donāt have the right of way. Itās called sharing the road and being considerate. Something few cyclists are.
As for not stopping itās one thing if youāre on some country road where thereās 100ft or more of clear view down all streets. Itās another in a place like SF where you canāt see more than 20-30 feet down a road until youāre at the intersection. This is especially true in SF where bikes are often going downhill so they have significant speed.
Yes, because all laws should just be ignored at your whim.
Iād been in accidents with those cyclists on my bike. I cross on the green, they plow into me as they run the red. This has happened 3 times in the last 4 months. Last one has at Market and Valencia.
No, Iām claiming they should get treated the same. If a car runs a red light the cops will pull them over. If a bike does they wonāt generally. The law should apply equally to all people. If you donāt like it change the law.
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Man, and donāt get me started on those black people. So lazy!
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Calm down Satan.
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My point was ā and it seems to have zoomed right over your head ā when you say things likeā¦
That is indistinguishable from racism ā treating an entire group of people as if they all share the same negative characteristics, based on your limited experiences.
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While so many people here whine and moan about annoying biker behavior, Iād like to complain about something I find very annoying.
Police corruption.
Like when a cop refuses to accept a witness statement and add it to a police report. You know, the first anecdote in the fucking article. Thatās a lot more significant than a biker running a fucking stop sign.
You knwo what else annoys me? When a corrupt police department refuses to hold a driver liable for the injuries he causes. Because, you see, then the injured party has to pay their medical bills out of pocket. Thatās the kind of shit that causes people to wind up homeless and disabled. Youād think people in San Francisco would be concerned about the kind of thing that causes yet another person to join the ranks of the people sleeping rough downtown.
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Iāve seen plenty of Critical Masses. Iāve even seen a Clitoral Mass. Iāve seen the same behavior by drivers of cars too. Iāve had drivers intentionally swerve at me. Iāve had them swear at me and flip me off, when they cut me off while riding in a bike lane and I literally just yell āwatch outā. Iāve had drivers pass me with less than 1ft of space on purpose and then yell at me for not stopping at stop signs, which I actually did stop at. They were too busy looking at their phone to notice. The list goes on and on, but I donāt think all drivers are bad and have no regard for their lives.
You are literally saying you donāt give a crap about what happens to me, because an entirely different group of people behave poorly while riding bikes. Those people you encountered are not me, and I am not those people.
The Critical Mass here in LA actually has police escorts and they block the intersections. So its a pretty safe and sanctioned event here.
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You donāt have a problem with the whole premise of this thread? It treats an entire group of people (police officers) as āanti-cyclistā based on the limited experience of a few cyclists.
So youāre admitting the referenced article about cognitive bias is bullshit.
Nope. But, you should speak for yourself instead of trying to speak for me. This wonāt go well for you otherwise.
Iāve seen lots of pedestrians get hit.
āLotsā? Ok. Is ālotsā two or three? How many cars, pedestrians and bikes have you seen get hit by automobiles in comparison? You strangely avoided that topic. How many of these people that got āhitā by all these bikes ended up injured or killed, by the way?
Mostly I just see cyclists
Right, all you mostly see is cyclists. You seem to have blinders on when it comes to the behavior of motorists. Once again, try having some perspective.
Itās called sharing the road and being considerate. Something few cyclists are.
Ah, now I seeā¦
So most cyclists are inconsiderate and donāt share the road. No wonder you hate cyclists and are a nuisance to them. 
As for not stopping itās one thing if youāre on some country road where thereās 100ft or more of clear view down all streets.
I told you I ride in cities. I still manage to look both ways. Why canāt you?
Yes, because all laws should just be ignored at your whim.
Soā¦ you never answered my question so Iāll ask you again. Try not to avoid it this timeā¦
Do you always drive the speed limit? If not, why not? Please be honest.
Also, donāt you find it strange that youāre getting into a bunch of wrecks with your methodologies? After I got hit by the SUV over 10 years ago, I learned that riding a bike and driving a car arenāt the same thing and adjusted my behavior (probably not to your liking).
I got hit by that SUV and almost killed by following the rules instead of using more common sense and that also means not always following the rules and laws. Despite my audacity of using common sense and my own judgment, Iāve never had a collision with a pedestrian, cyclist and Iāve never hit a car since that SUV errantly hit me.
Iāve been accident-free for over a decade. Maybe itās because Iām willing to think out of the box instead of worrying myself to death with rules?
Iād been in accidents with those cyclists on my bike. ā¦ This has happened 3 times in the last 4 months.
Have you ever considered that itās you that should get off the road? Iāve ridden my bike in cities for ~20 years and have only had a couple of near collisions with other cyclists. Not one actual collision. This has been in NYC and 3 other cities.
Maybe you ride too fast for a bicycle in a city? I mean, have you ever considered thereās a reason that youāre a magnet for bicycle collisions? For everyoneās sake, it sounds like you should take stock instead of blaming everyone else.
No, Iām claiming they should get treated the same
Thatās something we can agree on, but I still donāt see your point jumping all over cyclists in a thread via a boingboing post on hostility to cyclists.
And, all the same, I donāt agree that you should ride the same as you would in a car or youāll end up in collisions (like you already do). Thatās why I suspect youāre getting into so many wrecks with others. Thereās different ways that cyclists ride and thatās just the way it is. I cope with that fact and stay out of wrecks.
A bike even with blinky lights, etc. is much more difficult to detect on the road than a car (for a host of reasons) and I ride with that in mind in regards to pedestrians, motorists and other cyclists. Stopping at intersections when thereās no cars coming is the very least of my concerns and if I am going to stop at one and thereās cyclists behind me Iāll pull to the side and hop on the sidewalk (oh, I knowā¦ sidewalk! breaking the rules!)
Maybe itād do you some good as well to cope with the reality of the situation and go with the flow instead of riding around with a stick up your ass getting into collisions?
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Derp. Yeah, all it takes is one drunk driving incident (uh how many every day in the U.S.?) to never care about what happens to any driver againā¦
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