rjkfsm

I saw this today and I didn't say anything to them. I should have as I saw them later salmoning on the sidewalk later.


Any suggestions on what I can say to people like this without being a jerk?

RK

howsteepisit

So would you chastise a jay-walkers or one who crosses against the light? Seems like its pretty much like none of your business, unless you feel compelled to correct all of the rule breakers in the world.

agent pombero

No. Let them spawn.

rjkfsm

No, I don't want to correct all the rule breakers, but jeez, what does that do for the rest of us cyclists? Their actions have an impact on the rest of us. People here have a real bad "get on the sidewalk" attitude towards cyclists and every one that does only further re-enforces this.

Blowing the light also reduces what little respect cyclists have.

People say that education is the key. Well, maybe if someone let people like this know that there's a lot more to bike riding than just pedaling in a straight line, maybe it might make a difference.

RK

rjkfsm

lol

agent pombero

Who cares what drivers think? Please read the thread in my signature. Car drivers perceptions of us simply don't matter and we shouldn't try and appease them.

genec

Heck I tried to correct my 25 year old son on his street riding and caught an earful. "The cars already assume we are going to run the stop signs dad, give it a break..."

I stopped, the son went on... driver looks at me like I am the idiot... go figure.

rjkfsm

I don't agree with your philosophy. Not 100% anyway. What people think of us affects the way they treat us. Appeasement is not the answer, but there's nothing wrong with mutual respect.

CB HI

Really, another thread on "they give us all a bad name" garbage.

Where do these guys get this crap?

agent pombero

A similar and equally illogical scenario is believing that the one black person in the room represents all black people.

tergal

While i don't run red lights, it looked like they where in no actual danger. It isn't like they where causing cars to come to a screeching halt .


It isn't worth your time to stress over .

I-Like-To-Bike

Suggest you keep your mouth shut and don't say anything to other cyclists who aren't endangering anybody, even if they aren't as perfect as yourself; unless you want to be a jerk.

B. Carfree

Drivers think? I suppose anything is possible, but such an extraordinary claim would seem to require extraordinary evidence.

Kidding aside, until I'm dictator of the world, I refuse to be responsible for other people's behavior. If someone has a problem with another person's actions, they should either hire a lawyer or go deal with the person who is causing the knickers to be twisted.

unterhausen

nothing you will say will change people's behavior. They may notice what you do. Probably not much wrong with what those people did in the greater scheme of things

FBinNY 

You have to get past the idea that other people's actions reflect on you. Maybe they do to some extent, but most people today, do not see every person as emblematic of his class. Mel Gibson didn't convince America that Hollywood is a cesspool, crooked politicians in Chicago don't mean that all politicians are crooks, and cyclists who run red lights (BTW-no traffic in the intersection) don't make all cyclists cowboys.

Of course there are some people who may point to this kind of thing to bolster their opinions, but they've already had those opinions beforehand.
Live your life, do what you think is right, and unless there's a clear and present issue, mind your own business.

BTW - the OP framed the question perfectly, he already knew he'd sound like a jerk which should have been the first clue skip it. Oh, you might want to check out the "run red lights survey" here on A&S.

unterhausen

I hope my actions reflect on the rest of you cyclists because I'm a shining paragon of virtue. I've always thought that having the image of other people rest on your actions is a pretty big burden, and I don't really believe it works that way.

tagaproject6

Believe it or not the world moves on.

Looigi

Kids say the darndest things...

ModeratedUser150120149

OK, you posted a video of two cyclists crossing the street in a marked crossing and riding down the sidewalk. Can't be sure, but it seems they crossed when they were supposed to. Don't know about there, but where I ride it is legal and accepted to ride a bike in the crossing. They don't seem to be causing a hazard to pedestrians as they ride on the sidewalk. So, what is the problem?

FBinNY 

Even though we can't see the signal in the video, the OP is waiting to cross, so I suspect the "problem" riders crossed against the red.

Truth in posting, I'd never have gotten this shot. The intersection was clear with no crossing traffic. I would have been gone before the other two showed up.

rebel1916

I'm a pretty calm, peaceful guy with no mental problems and a good job. I don't react well when people come up to me in public minding my business. There are a lot of people out there who are far less stable than I am. MYOB.

sdold

I do, somewhat, and you should too, because as a group, the way they perceive cyclists has a big bearing on the way they try to work with us (or not) on the road.

Keith99

The only cyclist I've 'corrected' in recent memory was one out with his kids and they were ALL wealing helmets that were not properly in place.

That allowed me to start by saying I could see he cared about safety and the go on to point out with helmets back like they were a lot of the value was lost.

Since I was toally honest in opening statement and DID think he cared it seemed my comments were well received.

capejohn

At the beginning of the video I couldn't help wondering why the OP wasn't riding across the road? Personally I never would have seen those two on the sidewalk because I would have been long gone. Not criticizing, just saying.

CB HI

Motorist do not act as a group towards cyclist. >99% of motorist are law abiding towards cyclist and properly share the road with cyclist (as long as they are not driving distracted). The problem for cyclist are the <1% scofflaw motorist that will never share the road with cyclist regardless of how cyclist behave and the distracted motorist who think their gadgets are more important than safety and unintentionally harm cyclist, motorist and pedestrians.