curbtender

We have them...
https://www.sfgate.com/local/article...i-16101541.php

livedarklions

Fellow driver here. Get over yourself, that's a really crappy attitude.

livedarklions

Anger at cyclists who are riding in the lane legally is a "negative idea." Most of us on the thread have probably had to deal with various forms of harassment and assault from people with that "idea". Are we supposed to be grateful they didn't kill us?

L134 

That's a joke. Coincidentally, I'm in NYC now and, near as I can tell, it is a total free for all - anybody on/in anything can be anywhere going any direction at any speed. My nephew is an orthopedic surgeon here and he texted me "Yeah it’s crazy. Watch out, so many injuries we see are from the bikes hitting pedestrians…Yeah traffic cops are on every block but you can break any rules you want on a bike or car and they’ll never intervene haha"

I also wonder at how "bike" is defined here. The vast majority are heavy electric affairs with pedals that are never pedaled. The pedals must be there just to get these motorcycles classified as bicycles? It may be the real world here but whatever statistics the mayor's office pumped out eleven years ago certainly have no relevance to almost any other place I've been, or even today's NYC itself with the majority of bikes now being electric.

DanielGatli

Ok, I apologize for my words; it was just an expression, not so serious as you all got it. Sorry* .

livedarklions

I think you're missing the point, the "expression" was the least of the problems with what you said. No matter how you phrase it, I believe that the attitude that a bicyclist sharing the road with you is an "annoyance" is a major component of the hazards that cyclists face because that affects the way people drive around cyclists in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. I would hope you'd actually examine your attitude that makes you say such a thing rather than suggesting we're taking this too seriously. You bike, this is about your safety as well.

livedarklions

I have never ridden in NYC, but what you're saying is consistent with what a lot of people say about riding there in this era. I think that's a fair point about the statistics not reflecting the rise of the over-powered ebike.

I suspect if you broke down the comments that assert that bike lanes are universally good or bad, you'd find there's a remarkable consistency between posters from the same metropolitan area. Most people tend to look at this through the lens of their local conditions.

Gear_Admiral 

I know you meant this qurmestion rhetorically, but many people (esp. in North America) unironically think this. A cyclist is trespassing on the road invented for automobiles and paid for exclusively by fuel taxes. If someone is so immature and incompetent he is riding a bike instead of driving everywhere, then it is to be expected he would risk his life being on the road. As a driver, they think, I have been benevolent and skilled. I had every right to hit this obstacle, but I chose not to, and my impeccable driving has allowed me to circumnavigate this moron gallivanting about on my motorway. The cyclist should be grateful. If the car never ran him over, he has nothing to complain about.

In reality, that is like me stalking a movie star, but saying she has no right to get a restraining order because I never physically attacked her. However, many motorists who do not ever ride bikes or exclusively ride as hobbyists on velodromes or wherever *do* think like that. You would think "this driver has a bike rack tied up to the back of the car or SUV" means you would get *some* sympathy, but it guarantees nothing. Plenty of bikeforums posters here fall into that category. On one thread a few years ago on the "end of car culture?" you have even seasoned bike tourers screeching that it is a human right to own a car, as if it is possible to furnish our planet with 8 billion F-150s. And that attitude is on here. It is even worse for non-cyclists.

raqball 

Gonna have to disagree with just about all of this.. While there are probably some people who think like that, I'd guess they are in the minority.

Most people are either absolutely clueless about the rules of the road, are distracted drivers and / or can't properly judge the speed the bike is moving at. A lot of times it's probably a combination of those 3 all rolled into one 'waiting for an accident' to happen scenario..

Brennan

One time I was riding in the bike lane when I came upon one of the many cars/trucks that momentarily park in it. I moved out into the actual lane to get around the obstacle, which caused the car behind to slow down slightly until I moved back into the bike lane. The driver yelled at me. Point being, you're going to get yelled at by entitled motorists no matter what you do. They haven't figured out that moving through the world in a 15x6 foot box will limit their movement considerably. If it's that much of a problem for them, they need to get a motorcycle.

Daniel4

Haha. In those situations I sort of want drivers to honk. Then I simply point to the bike lane and they'll see I can't ride in it for the car that's in there forcing me to ride in front of them.

curbtender

Ha, most people? Most people expect cyclist to do something unpredictable. That's when they let you have it. Probably a good thing they don't trust us incase we make a mistake.

White shadow

It's crazy that cars get PO'd when bikes are forced out of the bike lane into the road because of a parked car! It ain't like we asked to leave the bike lane.........

b88

So on a cycling safety Amsterdam site, it states:

• Avoid rush hour: between 08:00 and 09:00 or 17:00 and 18:00, there are thousands of bikes on the road, often resulting in big queues at junctions. If you don't need to be somewhere, wait until the rush calms down.
  

So I guess bike lanes are out of the question. Unless you don’t mind getting home by 24:00

urbanknight

Yesterday, I did a 1 hour ride in rush hour that must have had the most polite motorists ever. Not even a close pass! Three of the times I had to move into the left turn lane, the vehicles slowed or stopped and let me cross in front of them. Once I was even stopped and content to let that wave of traffic pass before going, but the pick-up stopped and waved me over. At one intersection where the bike lane simply ends, the cars let me filter in without a complaint. Not a single honk the entire ride, and about 1/3 of the route has no bike lane, no shoulder, not an inch to spare.

DMC707 

Long thread -

perhaps others have offered up similar answers, -- but i will say: It all depends on the condition and intended use of the "bike lanes"

If its a true bike lane i'll take it , but if it has morphed into a MUP with dogs, strollers, senior citizens doing some power walking - etc etc - i'll take the road (all those other users have a right to use that lane too )

If its basically a shoulder thats marked "bike lane" but is full of trash, glass, etc -- again, i'll take the road but have the space there as a bailout if i get buzzed

I do admit to being a bit more timid now as a chubby 51 y/o man , than i was as a fit USCF licensed racer just a few years back though. I take my mountain bike out a lot and as such , im more apt to hug the right side as i'm travelling at 10-12 mph now and not 20 mph

b88

What the hell this bus driver thinking. We talking inches here??

You Tube /watch?v=GRBbm12pSpk

JadeVamp1986

I'm too scared of cars so will ride on sidewalk if I can.

Daniel4

When there are bike lanes, you have choices.

Miele Man

Around here riding on the sidewalk can get you a ticket. Depends on the police officer though. My friend got a ticket once for riding on a sidewalk where there were no people for many many blocks.

Cheers

b88

I’m never comfortable riding on the road. A couple months ago here in TO, a police officer was handing out tickets to cyclists at a park running stop signs. Apparently the same police officer rolled through a stop sign at the park, striking a cyclist who was in the middle of the intersection. He apologized claiming the sun was in his eyes.

rumrunn6

maybe not in that area?
Posted on Fri, Sep 14, 2012 : 5:57 a.m. Banning bicycling on downtown sidewalks? Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje floats idea

rsbob 

In tennis, this is called a fauxpology

rsbob 

If I owned a trike I would be afraid too due to how low a trike is. Visibility of you by vehicles is paramount and even with a orange flag on a pole I would not be satisfied. Your chosen mode of transportation is best used on trails and sidewalks. I question the safety of people I see on recumbents and the like competing with vehicles.

Road Fan

Hello, JadeVamp, I live in Ann Arbor as well. Can you talk about which roads frighten you?