I've only really experienced #2.
Cars and Bikes
I was about to post this on my blog, but realized that I am just irritable, so I thought I'd vent here where others might share my plight. Also, if I'm out of line on this, let me know as I (even at 38) have much to learn.
Typed for my blog, pasted verbatim:
This is less of a rant and more of a vent.
I know that not everyone knows how to drive with bikes on the road, but there are some pretty obvious things that people need to realize. This is all hypothetical.
1. Stopping IN the bike lane and then yelling at me to go, is NOT courteous. Do you realize, that you just forced me to come to a complete stop when you blocked my lane? I was doing just fine slowing down, waiting for your 3000 pound piece of German engineering to blast on through, and was actually quite fine with it. Making me skid my back tire b/c you decided to be "friendly" and stop in my path was NOT. Oh, and my yelling "THANKS" was definitely called for.
2. If you come to a stop sign at a bike intersection, and there is no bike AT the stop sign, it is alright to go. If a bike is 40-50 meters away, they are NOT going to have a problem with rolling your beat up old Accord through the intersection. If a biker sees a car stopped for a long pause at a Stop sign, we are not certain that you're doing it for us, especially when I can see in your car that you're texting someone. What I AM expecting is that you'll realize that you can go, and hit me. So what you've effectively done is make sure that I have to come to a complete stop.
Bottom line, if you're in a big motorized vehicle on the road, act in a predictable fashion, don't try to think about what the biker's thinking. We're focused on everything that we're seeing (gravel, pot holes, broken glass, twigs) and we'd like to assume that the big metal object in front of us will keep doing what it was doing.
Typed for my blog, pasted verbatim:
This is less of a rant and more of a vent.
I know that not everyone knows how to drive with bikes on the road, but there are some pretty obvious things that people need to realize. This is all hypothetical.
1. Stopping IN the bike lane and then yelling at me to go, is NOT courteous. Do you realize, that you just forced me to come to a complete stop when you blocked my lane? I was doing just fine slowing down, waiting for your 3000 pound piece of German engineering to blast on through, and was actually quite fine with it. Making me skid my back tire b/c you decided to be "friendly" and stop in my path was NOT. Oh, and my yelling "THANKS" was definitely called for.
2. If you come to a stop sign at a bike intersection, and there is no bike AT the stop sign, it is alright to go. If a bike is 40-50 meters away, they are NOT going to have a problem with rolling your beat up old Accord through the intersection. If a biker sees a car stopped for a long pause at a Stop sign, we are not certain that you're doing it for us, especially when I can see in your car that you're texting someone. What I AM expecting is that you'll realize that you can go, and hit me. So what you've effectively done is make sure that I have to come to a complete stop.
Bottom line, if you're in a big motorized vehicle on the road, act in a predictable fashion, don't try to think about what the biker's thinking. We're focused on everything that we're seeing (gravel, pot holes, broken glass, twigs) and we'd like to assume that the big metal object in front of us will keep doing what it was doing.
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While annoying - sometimes very annoying - these people at least have good intentions.
What really gets me teed off are the people like the guy this morning who decided to buzz by me within a few inches for no apparent reason (not a single other car around and 2 traffic lanes heading each direction.) as I was cruising along holding the speed limit of 25. He missed me by less than 6".
I will take the annoying but well intentioned tools over the reckless and intentionally disrespectful nad scratchers any day.
What really gets me teed off are the people like the guy this morning who decided to buzz by me within a few inches for no apparent reason (not a single other car around and 2 traffic lanes heading each direction.) as I was cruising along holding the speed limit of 25. He missed me by less than 6".
I will take the annoying but well intentioned tools over the reckless and intentionally disrespectful nad scratchers any day.
Bottom line; motorists panic when they see a cyclist. A few vindictive people aside, no one really wants to hit a cyclist, even those that are not really paying attention. It's like hitting a pedestrian, it's something you'll have to live with the rest of your life, so they panic and slam on the brakes. Or, they go all the way out in the other lane, over a double yellow when passing (when you have your own bike lane or enormous curb lane to yourself). Or, they just tailgate you, not really knowing what to do or how/when to pass. Hughes is right, they do have good intentions and they are better than the f*cknozzles who aren't paying, don't give a sh!t or may even be gunning for you. But yes, they are annoying! Most people on the road irritate me for one reason or another, but it's still less stressful than driving!
Yeah, good intentions has to count for something. It`s the thought that counts, right? Still I get bent out of shape (a little bit) over similar stuff. I guess those of us who find inconvenient good intentions to be irritating should just be thankful we don`t have to contend with the real nasty situations. Okay, RobertUI. I`ll try to remember next time I see you that you actually know what you`re doing. Next time you drive my commute zone though, you gots to promise not to wait at the stopsign so I won`t have to wonder what`s up and should I go or not.
<QR>
Commuter in Paris. Sadly for you, text is in French... but with the pictures you should have an idea on what Paris traffic looks like from a bike.
Bike lane is most of the time simply ignored by drivers.
Commuter in Paris. Sadly for you, text is in French... but with the pictures you should have an idea on what Paris traffic looks like from a bike.
Bike lane is most of the time simply ignored by drivers.
<QR>
Commuter in Paris. Sadly for you, text is in French... but with the pictures you should have an idea on what Paris traffic looks like from a bike.
Bike lane is most of the time simply ignored by drivers.
Commuter in Paris. Sadly for you, text is in French... but with the pictures you should have an idea on what Paris traffic looks like from a bike.
Bike lane is most of the time simply ignored by drivers.
Guy commuting in Paris for a year.
Bike lanes are ignored.
Safety distances are ignored.
Drivers do not look in their mirrors.
Sadly comments are in French but you should be able to understand.
Yeah it is annoying. But I would still rather have a careless driver that tries to kill me (racing engines, screatching tires etc. I can hear them) than a nervious driver who ends up hitting me because they paniced.
I'm more scared of the little old ladies, than the asses on the cellphones.
I'm more scared of the little old ladies, than the asses on the cellphones.
Yeah, you're all right.. this is also why I posted it HERE to vent my frustrations rather than on a site where folks how read it don't necessarily bike. I've commuted by bike on and off for about 20 years, and it's always bugged me... so I just had to vent! 
Traffic
...not much different than drivers in the SF Bay Area. But maybe a little better than traffic in India, the Philippines, or Egypt.dEOS said:
Guy commuting in Paris for a year.
Bike lanes are ignored.
Safety distances are ignored.
Drivers do not look in their mirrors.
Sadly comments are in French but you should be able to understand.
I can relate to what the OP said exactly. There are times where I will intentionally slow down or take what means needed not to be in situations like this. Just today on the ride home I came to an intersection, mind you we don't have a designated bike lane on the roads. It was a 4 way stop with a car stopped at the intersection. When I approached it the driver waved me through as they were on their cell phone. I slowed, stopped and when they went to wave me through they also went through the intersection. I hardly had a wheel's length into the lane, stopped looked at the driver and just shook my head.
Sure we are always on the look out for twigs, glass and potholes, but I try to never assume or predict what others are going to do. I can only be responsible for my actions and concerned for my safety.
Sure we are always on the look out for twigs, glass and potholes, but I try to never assume or predict what others are going to do. I can only be responsible for my actions and concerned for my safety.
1 - 12 of 12 Posts
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