16 Tons

Greetings all! My 1st post - it may as well be a rant.

There seems to be an increasing population of people on bicycles these days riding against traffic. Not cyclists, per se, but the general pop, young and old, sporting 2 wheels. Is this what is being taught in school these days? Did I miss the PSA explaining how much safer it is to ride toward an eighteen wheeler, for instance, instead of with? It HAS to be more exciting, I'm sure, I just don't see much longevity. Anyway, I expect I'll encounter a lot more of it as the weather gets warmer but hope for no head-ons with those who ride against the grain, so-to-speak.

Thanks for listening, and be careful out there.

Fastfingaz

It is general consensus of many that they want to see who is going to run them down,,,,,

DrIsotope

I call it salmoning, and it is quite popular among the involuntarily car-free. They will often populate the sidewalks (still riding against traffic flow) for a nice double-whammy.

JanMM

Yesterday saw guy riding the wrong way in a bike lane on a one way street smoking a cigar.

mprelaw

And when the driver pulling out of a side road or driveway, turning right, only checks the oncoming traffic from the left, I call them hood ornaments.

It more common for them to be involuntarily license-free, parenthetically. The reason for which can often be found in the plastic bag hanging off the bars.

Mobile 155

I tend to be pretty forgiving about cyclists, I don't care what they wear or what they ride but I still have three pet peeves. Wrong way Salmons, Side walk riding for anyone over 12, and Ninja riders. The first ones will even ride the wrong way in a bike lane and I almost refuse to move out into traffic so they can pass. The sidewalk riders disturb me the most when I happen to be walking out of a store or other business onto the side walk and end up having to dodge a bicycle coming at me. The ninja may be as bad as both of the others. You just cannot see someone coming at you at night all dressed in dark cloths, no lights and no reflectors. And it always seems, though it may not happen as often as I think, that they turn in front of me at the last instant showing up in my headlight just in time for me to grab a hand full of brake lever.

So the rant wasn't lost on me.

16 Tons

That's the other thing...car drivers with their heads down at intersections. Scary stuff! I'm glad I learned to whistle.

CliffordK

I encounter them periodically. They're a bit of a pain when one isn't expecting them in coming at you in a bike path.

However, I don't know their whole story either. I have one store that when I exit, it seems easier to go down the left side of the street for a short distance until the traffic clears. For some reason, I think the overall traffic is less 50 yards down the street, and it is easier to get across to the right.

jefnvk

Almost hit one yesterday. Tight four lane road, two lanes in each direction with no center lane, I was following a box truck, and the two of them decide to jump off the sidewalk into the road, swerve out in front of me avoiding a pothole, and continued on their way. No way I didn't hit them if my car was about thirty feet further forward.

canklecat

My mom is 77 and grew up in small Texas towns. She swears she and her classmates were taught to walk or ride bikes against the flow of motor vehicle traffic.*** That sort of thing tends to get passed on from generation to generation and is difficult to break once kids have been taught the wrong way.

Not only do I see salmoning among most of the middle aged vehicle-less working poor and down-and-outers riding squeaky rustbuckets, but I see it in upscale neighborhood kids who are wearing helmets, knee pads, bright clothing and reflective gear... and still riding on the wrong side of the road.

It might help if schools taught basic public safety and civics. But it probably wouldn't undo the disinformation. Young kids bring all kinds of home taught lessons with them as baggage, and trying to teach them otherwise comes across as a threat to their family value system.

***(Mom also swears bikes never got flat tires or needed any maintenance whatsoever when she was a kid. I'm pretty sure that in her selective memory she averaged 20 mph on a 50 lb single speed coaster brake bike and rode across Texas every day just to and from school, through blizzards and headwinds both ways, and passed that lazy goodfernuthin Abe Lincoln along the way as he loafed along on his penny farthing, chopping down cherry trees, planting apple trees and discovering America.)

indyfabz

Wut? There are a growing number of people riding bicycles against traffic but they are not cyclists "per se"? If you are riding a bike you are cycling, which makes you a cyclist.

OldTryGuy

Just note that with walking, jogging and running, it is advisable and statue dictated in many locations that they be done facing traffic. It could be that it is simply an extension of this action that is brought over to bicycle riding.

Maelochs

All of which I find ridiculous and even moire ridiculous, because it puts walkers, joggers, and runners heading head-on into cycling traffic using the same turf.

for half a century I have walked, jogged, run, and cycled With traffic and I find it far superior. I am not blinded by headlights at night, I can hear what's behind me or look if need be. Why there should be separate requirements is ... human government, doing what it does best.

OldTryGuy

Agree to disagree. My wife and I find it MUCH more comfortable facing traffic when pavement pounding. Matter of fact, when we partake in 5K to marathon events around the country, it feels extremely strange when the event has us proceeding with the flow of traffic side.

bikecrate

I hear the OP. I already mentioned in other post I got broadsided by a wrong way cyclist on an MUP last year coming around a blind corner. My leg still isn't fully healed. Usually on the open streets it's more the cruiser and utility cyclist I see riding against traffic, so at least it's not high speed. Occasionally I have seen tri and road types going the wrong way at a full pace. They scare me. However, I only say things to other riders if I feel like there's going to be an issue.

Flinstone

I have to disagree there. On foot is a very different situation for a number of reasons. Going the "wrong" way puts my life in my hands. On a bike, it puts my death in my hands. On foot though it really just doesn't matter nearly as much either way.

BlazingPedals

Ironically, they can receive DUI tickets on their bike, which would be considered a parole violation and at the very least prolong their carlessness.

16 Tons

Yup. Tell kids they are riding the wrong way and they look at you like you have two heads.

fietsbob

Left in England (+ ex Colonies and Islands), or Japan. Right, on the Continent & the Americas.

As the critical mass riders said ... Not Blocking Traffic, You Are Traffic !


remember Salmon go up stream, And Then Die, after spawning..

italktocats

well that would be terrible driving

jefnvk

As others have mentioned, it generally is advised you walk against traffic. In Michigan, if you are on the side of the road, it is the law, as is riding with traffic on a bike in the road. I'd never walk with my back to traffic, although I accept I can't safely bike against traffic I'd far prefer if I could see what's coming.

ramzilla

Had to take a drivers education class a few years ago. Instructor reported that in over half the pedestrian fatal accidents involving cars that the victim was intoxicated.

mprelaw

How many times do you look to the right for oncoming traffic, when you're making a right turn? Very, very few people do.The last ting you expect is someone on the wrong side of the road. There's a lot to complain about bad drivers for. That isn't one of them. The only reason I do it is because I almost had a salmon ride into me one day.

I'm talking about driveways and side roads, that come to a T.

mprelaw

Not here. In Massachusetts there are no laws against cycling while under the influence---the OUI laws have a very specific definition of motor vehicle, which excludes bicycles.

Hot Potato

Salmoning got so bad around here I had to modify my road kit in order for them to yield me my right of way