rumrunn6

I'm at the exit to McDonald's & I am making a right onto a busy street. I'm looking left cuz that's where the traffic is coming from. there is a sidewalk but I already checked that in both directions. I get my break in traffic & start to roll & I see a blur. hit the brakes & see that's it's a kid (16?) on a bike absolutely flying at near 20mph. he skirted around me & went (back?) onto the sidewalk. I guess I should have glanced right again before starting to roll, but man I was not expecting that

no motor?

I was walking on the sidewalk to the library last week and as I approached the entrance I see an older woman riding down the sidewalk intently looking down at her phone. There are a lot of people that ride to the library and park by the entrance so seeing a bicyclist there wasn't too surprising, but it did surprise me to see someone who looks like they should have known what they were doing acting like an oblivious kid. She didn't even react when I asked her to please pay attention.

canklecat

Ditto, last night on the bike lane. Adult male salmon. Big one. Made me wish I was a grizzly bear.

On the plus side he did have a front white blinky. But this is a risky stretch of bike -- few street lights, passing cars often drive too fast don't give us much room, driveways lead directly into the bike lane.

I semi-fussed at the fellow to remind him to ride with traffic in the other lane. He looked baffled. Probably didn't understand a word I said. He was Hispanic and many folks riding bikes in this area are low income working stiffs who can't afford cars, can't get a license, and need to go where the city buses don't.

I really need to learn Spanish. It's just silly and laziness on my part that I've lived in Texas so long and can't speak rudimentary Spanish. Most of my Latino neighbors and acquaintances speak English well enough to get by. They've made more of an effort than I have.

AlexCyclistRoch

Vamanos derecho en la calle, por favor....

BobbyG

Ninja Salmons are the worst. There are a couple of repeat salmon offenders on my commute routes. I honk (AirZound air horn) and as we pass I say, "Ride WITH traffic!" which as we all know sounds like "...ide WITH trff..." to a passing bicyclist. THat is if they don't have headphones on blasting music.

But seriously, there are a couple of blind-ish corners on my driving commute and I usually do remember to look for salmons.

B. Carfree

That's a basic driver's education fail there, OP. Always look both ways immediately prior to launching. Far too many motorists hit pedestrians, or simply intimidate them out of their right of way, by only looking left to make a right turn (compounded by their near-universal refusal to stop at stop signs behind the limit line and prior to crossing over a sidewalk from a driveway).

mr_bill

First:

A person riding a bicycle on a *sidewalk* can not be a salmon [NSFW, because, well Bike Snob NYC uses words, sometimes even naughty words, and people who comment on Bike Snob NYC use words too, often naughty words. Also has a link to urban dictionary, which defines words, even naughty words.].

Salmon has been extended to people who ride the wrong way on the street too, but sidewalks are two-way.

Second:

So, unless that McDonald's was in that town's "business district" (which may be *different* than district zoned for business), or there is a bylaw in the town prohibitting sidewalk bicycling that applies to that location, the person on the bicycle did nothing illegal.

(What they did was not *SMART* - riding on a sidewalk against motor traffic is a good way to get yourself hurt by a person in a car, especially a person in a car pulling out of a driveway onto a road. That would be you.)


Finally, what isn't clear, did the person "skirt around" you in front of your car or behind your car?

-mr. bill

rumrunn6

in front of me, that's how I saw him. I was in the exit entering the traffic & blocking the sidewalk while I waited for an opening

if I was the kid on the bike, I would have stopped & waited

he didn't stop, but instead decided to go around me in the street & then zipped onto the sidewalk. I don't know if he was riding on the sidewalk before going around me, only that he got onto the sidewalk after passing me. that's why I called him a salmon

he appeared seemingly out of nowhere after I checked in both directions for pedestrians & traffic & then moved up so the nose of my car was at the edge of the roadway. riding 20mph in front of me without him knowing that i would wait for him was really dumb

FBinNY 

If he was on the sidewalk he wasn't a salmon since sidewalks aren't governed by the one way rules of the street. But, even if sidewalk riding were legal, this is where the law gets sticky. Pedestrians on the sidewalk enjoy excellent legal protection from vehicles crossing at driveways. Possibly that legal protection extends to bicycles, but it becomes a question of sight lines and practical expectations.

It's one thing for a motorist to see and yield to pedestrians moving at 3mph, or even running or skateboarding. But it's harder to see and estimate the speed of a bicycle, especially one moving fast where he isn't expected, so while the law may say one thing, practical reality says something else.

Right, wrong or otherwise, cyclists on sidewalks have to anticipate people not seeing them or misjudging their speed, and exercise due caution.

FWIW - while I've ridden on sidewalks from time (usually 1/2 to 1 block to avoid going around a one way), I think laws allowing sidewalk riding, should impose low speed limits, and limited rights of way.

eff-J

Jeez, the guy's nice enough to get your afternoon coffee, and you almost hit him!?

rumrunn6

lol I know, I'm such an a*s

indyfabz

That should teach you not to get coffee from McDonald's, but if you feel you must, walk next time.

fietsbob

Salmon cross the road when Its Rainfall flooded and High Tide and spawning season,
But that is way out on the Mouth of the river and not in the city.

italktocats

mcdonalds
"coffee"
and pulling out w/o looking both ways

Rollfast

At least there were no fries harmed.

Camilo

I always say "wrong way" or "other side" - thinking they might understand that. But, I tend to believe that wrong way riders wouldn't care anyway even if they understood me because they probably think they're doing it correctly and safer and it would take a 5 minute discussion to explain to them why not.

howsteepisit

As well as after the five minute discussion they don't agree with your POV anyway. People do what they think is right.

Rollfast

I guess if you're dead it was wrong, but who votes for that?

howsteepisit

Maybe this is one of those things where there is not much of a right or wrong. Live and let live

Chris0516

Let me guess. They were on a dirt, mountain, or hybrid.

Rollfast

If it's the side of the road the place I'm going to is on and I'm past the mall so little pedestrian traffic really exists, I'm probably on my way to get groceries and stuff, and that's the only way I meet nice married femme salmon and they ain't swimming up my stream to see that I simplified the TV line enough to get the oldies station when the signal was moved to a 250 watt translator 50 miles away when the station got sold.


It's either Elvis or "BOB", there is no jazz, though my cat could care less

rumrunn6

ha! close! he had overgrown his BMX trick bike

Chris0516

I knew I was missing something.

mr_bill

A 16-year old boy. Who had out-grown his BMX trick bike. At 20 mph. On a sidewalk.

I suspect either PEDs - or a fish tale.

-mr. bill

no motor?

Is that keep right please in Spanish? I've been wondering how to say that for a while.