Cyclists hogging the road

I can't remember who I had the discussion with about cyclists hogging the road. It was either Combat or LTFG. Well whoever it was, it looks like you got busted!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34772270/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

I'm siding with the car driver on this one whether or not he did it on purpose. If the cyclists were obeying the law and not following too closely, they wouldn't have ran into the back of the car.

Man that story is funny as hell. The funniest part is when they said he has done it 2 times before lol.

franklinfan2 wrote:

I can't remember who I had the discussion with about cyclists hogging the road. It was either Combat or LTFG. Well whoever it was, it looks like you got busted!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34772270/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

I'm siding with the car driver on this one whether or not he did it on purpose. If the cyclists were obeying the law and not following too closely, they wouldn't have ran into the back of the car.

Wow, that was weird as hell... It didn't post?


Anyway, it was me Franklin... From the "why" thread.

I would like to see the circumstances on this... Was the rider riding his ass at 35 MPH, or was the good doc just raging? We all have nailed the brakes when another car is riding our asses relentlessly. Granted they have 4,000 pounds to protect them if they do hit us, but still. I know this guy has a history, and I'm sure he deserves whatever gets thrown at him, but I can't help what wonder...

As for me... I don't do it when a bikes on my ass. My tailgate isn't as forgiving as a trunk lid and back window, and I'm honestly just too nice a guy. The guys I have issue with are the Tour jersey wearing dipshits (Yeah, you look like a dipshit if you're sporting that gear) that ride four wide into the car lane because they think they are entitled and that cars should have to go into oncoming traffic to get around them. If riding single file in the bike lane is good enough for me and my family on our rides, then it's good enough for these idiots! I usually give a blast with my horn and accept the fingers that inevitably fly as I go by. But they almost always get back in the bike lane... And the ones that only move near or to the line get my, "It's not my fault if you bounce off my dually fender as I pass" blast while I drive by. Haven't hit one yet, but there's been a few close calls... Well I've hit one, but not in my truck or under these circumstances, that's another story altogether...

"Cyclists hogging the road" are you kidding? They take up the far right side of the right lane.. and you are actually siding with someone who deliberately tries to hurt people (not vehicles).. Really?

Like it or not bikes should be ridden on the road and not sidewalks.. and I find it funny that people who sit on their ass to get to where they are going get pissed off that someone "supposedly" inconvenienced them maybe 5 fucking seconds...

Sorry man I am not on your side at al.. I am in the belief that EVERYONE should be riding bikes.. its healthier for yourself and for almost everything .. I sold my car, bought a bike and moved to Austin Texas .. I ride 50 - 70 miles a week (12 miles there and back to work 3-4 times and 8 miles there and back to school 2 times) ..

but you are right we are just assholes out to just piss you off.. so get drunk and get behind that piece of metal and kill someone.

GolbeZ wrote:

"Cyclists hogging the road" are you kidding? They take up the far right side of the right lane.. and you are actually siding with someone who deliberately tries to hurt people (not vehicles).. Really?

Like it or not bikes should be ridden on the road and not sidewalks.. and I find it funny that people who sit on their ass to get to where they are going get pissed off that someone "supposedly" inconvenienced them maybe 5 fucking seconds...

Sorry man I am not on your side at al.. I am in the belief that EVERYONE should be riding bikes.. its healthier for yourself and for almost everything .. I sold my car, bought a bike and moved to Austin Texas .. I ride 50 - 70 miles a week (12 miles there and back to work 3-4 times and 8 miles there and back to school 2 times) ..

but you are right we are just assholes out to just piss you off.. so get drunk and get behind that piece of metal and kill someone.

GolbeZ wrote:

"Cyclists hogging the road" are you kidding? They take up the far right side of the right lane.. and you are actually siding with someone who deliberately tries to hurt people (not vehicles).. Really?

Like it or not bikes should be ridden on the road and not sidewalks.. and I find it funny that people who sit on their ass to get to where they are going get pissed off that someone "supposedly" inconvenienced them maybe 5 fucking seconds...

Sorry man I am not on your side at al.. I am in the belief that EVERYONE should be riding bikes.. its healthier for yourself and for almost everything .. I sold my car, bought a bike and moved to Austin Texas .. I ride 50 - 70 miles a week (12 miles there and back to work 3-4 times and 8 miles there and back to school 2 times) ..

but you are right we are just assholes out to just piss you off.. so get drunk and get behind that piece of metal and kill someone.

GolbeZ, I don't think anyone was "really" siding with the doctor and I certainly hope this wasn't aimed at me. Because if it was, you obviously have no clue of the circumstances that I speak. You might want to read the "why" thread to find the posts Franklin and I are speaking of. If after reading that you still think that cyclists riding at 15 MPH in a 45 zone four or five wide into busy traffic when they have four or five feet of bike lanes to work with is okay, then I'd say you're the idiot. Isn't the bike lane there for a reason? Are cars allowed to just pull into it and drive as they please? Why is it okay for my family and I to go on our rides and ride single file in the bike lanes while these fuck sticks think that they are entitled in some way to go four or five wide and block traffic? You see, I'm not seeing any justification for cyclists to ride this way. Now, if there's no bike lanes (Something we never touched on before your ill spirited rant), then obviously things are different. I'm hoping that you simply misread or misunderstood the intent of the discussion. You seem much brighter than you just came across in that rant (Especially that last part about drinking... WTF?)... And I'd hate to think that you might be one of those Tour wannabe jersey sporting dip shits that think they are somehow entitled to the car lanes even though they are travelling less than half the posted speed limits and have more than adequate bike lanes to ride in.

BTW - Not everyone works in a way that they can bike to work everyday... Good for you on that. Unfortunately, some of us require vehicles to haul 5 ton pieces of equipment from place to place daily. And if my 9,000 pound truck is pulling a trailer with a 10,000 pound piece of equipment down the road... A smart cyclist that isn't just an ass hole out to piss car drivers off will use his fucking head and give a bit of room rather than risking causing an accident. Because quite honestly, if given the choice between sucking the rider and his bike in to fill the gap between my duals or running my truck into an oncoming lane and wiping out a family coming at me in a mini van... I'm not giving a second though on where I'm going and not having much sympathy on that dipshit that has five feet between the fog line and the sidewalk with bike lane splashed on it every 100 yards, yet insists on being in the car lane like he doesn't understand what that other lane is intended for. It's pretty simple...

I'm hoping that you simply misread or misunderstood the intent of the discussion????????????????? When the OP said this..

Quote :

I'm siding with the car driver on this one whether or not he did it on purpose.

I might have gone overboard a bit with my comments (i didnt put a lot of thought into it, i just wrote, something happened recently that has pissed me off about drivers which I will touch at the end) but none of it was as bad as that .. no where in that article did it say he was taking up lanes or "riding five wide" as you call it or whatever .. and even if he was "doing something" to piss a the motorist off, to try and say he deserved it is ridiculous .. that guy should have been tried for Attempted Murder in my opinion ...

my issue with bike lanes ... they are not on every street.. so my 35 minute bike ride to work turns into 75 minutes if I followed bike lane routes, and I still would get to a point where I would have to not be in one .. and I dont have time for that.. believe me I am all for a mass construction of adding a 5 feet bike lane on every street ..

and I havnt ever seen bikes "ride 5 wide" unless it was a city sanctioned race event (which I am assuming "Tour wannabe jersey sporting dip shits" was what you are talking about) in which a large group pretty much occupies the right lane.. if that pisses you off than take that up with your city.. not dreaming that you can run them all over.

For the most part, cyclist are safer in numbers.. I ride in the farthest right lane as close to the curb as I can .. and I still have had cars pass me where i could reach out and touch there mirrors.. If there is 2 lanes.. I know drivers can pass with a decent amount of distance between them..

Quote :

if given the choice between sucking the rider and his bike in to fill the gap between my duals or running my truck into an oncoming lane and wiping out a family coming at me in a mini van

Lol, why is that the only two options ... "if given the choice that I had to either shoot this old man in the head or shoot a young child" well shit, how did I get into this 2 choice predicament. (exaggerated joke, please dont compare them)

Quote :

Especially that last part about drinking... WTF?

look man .. my best friend recently got hit by a drunk driver (Jan 8 2010 at 1 PM) than proceeded to run from the scene and almost hit a cop doing traffic right down the road, eventually got chased and caught and got 5 counts of felonies charged ... my friend ripped his ACL and MCL among other damage his ankle, and a ton of scraps all over .. I read this this thread at a time where I dont give a flying shit about what car drivers feel about cyclist.

I'm hoping that you simply misread or misunderstood the intent of the discussion????????????????? When the OP said this..

Quote:
I'm siding with the car driver on this one whether or not he did it on purpose.

This is why I asked whether or not you were responding to me... Though I'm pretty sure Franklin was speaking tongue in cheek here...


I might have gone overboard a bit with my comments (i didnt put a lot of thought into it, i just wrote, something happened recently that has pissed me off about drivers which I will touch at the end) but none of it was as bad as that .. no where in that article did it say he was taking up lanes or "riding five wide" as you call it or whatever .. and even if he was "doing something" to piss a the motorist off, to try and say he deserved it is ridiculous .. that guy should have been tried for Attempted Murder in my opinion ...

Eh, as drivers we are supposed to be paying attention to what's around us. If we are tailgating and the driver in front of us hits his brakes and we rearend him, 99% of the time the fault goes to the driver in the rear on the police report. Same goes for a cyclist. If you are so close that you can't stop, who's really at fault? This is why I mentioned I would like more detail in what transpired in this case. As a motorcyclist and a cyclist, I see shit all the time that pisses me off that drivers do (Yes, I too have seen ass hole car drivers doing stupid shit to cyclists... AND motorcyclists)... But it doesn't mean I have to act like a fuck to instigate. I give due respect to all on the road and hope top receive it in turn. Just follow the fucking rules of the road, it's not rocket science.


my issue with bike lanes ... they are not on every street.. so my 35 minute bike ride to work turns into 75 minutes if I followed bike lane routes, and I still would get to a point where I would have to not be in one .. and I dont have time for that.. believe me I am all for a mass construction of adding a 5 feet bike lane on every street ..

Like I said, take a look at our other posts. Where I live cyclists are almost as prevalent as cars from May to September. All but the smallest side streets or old town roads that can't be altered have bike lanes and they are a minimum of 3' wide. Yet, I am constantly sitting on my horn to get a group of ass holes to move the fuck off the road because of this sense of entitlement to the entire road. At least a dozen times a year I will pull up behind a group side to side from the outside of the bike lane all the way to the dotted center line (YES, 8-10 bikes wide)... And the fucking attitude they shoot as they turn their heads is enough to make the most stable minded want to blow a gasket...


and I havnt ever seen bikes "ride 5 wide" unless it was a city sanctioned race event (which I am assuming "Tour wannabe jersey sporting dip shits" was what you are talking about) in which a large group pretty much occupies the right lane.. if that pisses you off than take that up with your city.. not dreaming that you can run them all over.

Again, come visit my fair town during the summer... You're in for an education. As far as the jersey's... No events necessary. Day in, day out during riding season, the roads are littered with men and women wearing their best. From the most fit to the fattest asses on the road trying to look the part in their Tour replica's... It's really quite comical. And I never dream of running them over. In fact, still wince at the thought of seeing the face of the one that I did hit, and that was some 20+ years ago.


For the most part, cyclist are safer in numbers.. I ride in the farthest right lane as close to the curb as I can .. and I still have had cars pass me where i could reach out and touch there mirrors.. If there is 2 lanes.. I know drivers can pass with a decent amount of distance between them..

As do I, and as have I...


Quote:
if given the choice between sucking the rider and his bike in to fill the gap between my duals or running my truck into an oncoming lane and wiping out a family coming at me in a mini van


Lol, why is that the only two options ... "if given the choice that I had to either shoot this old man in the head or shoot a young child" well shit, how did I get into this 2 choice predicament. (exaggerated joke, please dont compare them)

When you are ten tons travelling at 45 MPH, see how much stopping power you have. You see one and the other, and you make your choice in an instant just hoping that the cyclist is smart enough to use the rest of that bike lane he has because you KNOW you aren't stopping. I will ride that left outside dual on the center line hoping the oncoming car will have room, but the cyclist has to do his part or risk becoming a statistic.


Quote:
Especially that last part about drinking... WTF?

look man .. my best friend recently got hit by a drunk driver (Jan 8 2010 at 1 PM) than proceeded to run from the scene and almost hit a cop doing traffic right down the road, eventually got chased and caught and got 5 counts of felonies charged ... my friend ripped his ACL and MCL among other damage his ankle, and a ton of scraps all over .. I read this this thread at a time where I dont give a flying shit about what car drivers feel about cyclist.

Sorry to hear about your friend... But that has little to nothing to do with us and this thread. None of us have said that we like to pound the Cuervo and then go looking for bikes to run down. Just a poor choice of a parting shot there my friend. I think you would have been better suited to saying that you are in a poor state of mind and think that everyone who drives a car is a fucker.

BTW - The stupid fuck that I hit 21 years ago was so baked out of his mind that after he pulled his bike in front of me, drove his elbow and chin through my windshield, was catapulted some 40 feet into the shrubs on the side of the road only to stand and in his best Jeff Spicoli impersonation asked, "Dude, how fast were you going"? He had two seizures on the way to the hospital and was in a ICU room for two weeks with a swolen brain before he started his road to recovery. I guess I wasn't really in the mood to talk about cyclists at that time, so I didn't. Stupid shit happens and goes both ways, GolbeZ. I reiterate my statement about simply following the rules of the road... Pretty simple really. I see and understand your points... Can you see mine?

Eh, as drivers we are supposed to be paying attention to what's around us. If we are tailgating and the driver in front of us hits his brakes and we rear end him, 99% of the time the fault goes to the driver in the rear on the police report. Same goes for a cyclist. If you are so close that you can't stop, who's really at fault?

Yes 99% of "accidents" go against the person that rear ended the other .. but I am pretty sure that if I wanted to make someone rear end me, I dont think it would take me too long.. probably my first attempt actually..

Again, come visit my fair town during the summer... You're in for an education

I live in one of the most bike friendly towns out there..

simply following the rules of the road

I agree.. All I saw was "Cyclists hogging the road" and a person all for trying to injure a person on purpose and it made me sick to my stomach .. All I am saying is that Bikes are to be ridden on the road.. I am quite sure there are assholes that ride their bikes but coming up with scenarios on ways to justify running them over is a bit much ..