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Pedestrians are Strange

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Pedestrians are Strange

Old 05-15-21, 04:24 AM
  #51  
canklecat
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Originally Posted by UCantTouchThis
I am the sweetest guy to those who follow the flow. 2 or 3 abreast walkers on a trail taking one lane, I will give a warning, slow, pass cautiously. To those runners coming head on and move off to the side or hop on the curb, I will smile and say thanks. To the little 3 year old kid walking aimlessly on a trail, I will stop if I have to in order to get around the kid safely,

But an obnoxious runner that is taking the outside of a bike lane when I am coming straight along on the correct path, with cars coming behind me and does not move, I have no problem giving him a vocal greeting. Totally obnoxious, inconsiderate, and downright dangerous. Ok, so it's safe for his knees, so what if I get killed? His precious knees are too special to hop on the sidewalk for 5 seconds or the sweet dirt trail next to him.

This is the bike lane I spoke of earlier when someone asked where I ride. Small narrow bike lane, and a runner coming straight at me in the center of the bike lane is total nonsense when there is a sweet trail just on the other side of the fence that runs along the same course. No dips, no driveways, no concrete, no pavement. Nice smooth trail that is much easier on the knees than concrete or blacktop.

Why in the world would a jogger hog the bike lane when he sees a cyclist using the lane with cars behind him? Totally obnoxious and privileged personality.

Where's the "bike lane?" That narrow strip between the curb and white paint? That isn't a bike lane. That's just the road shoulder. Riding a bike there is an invitation to disaster.
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Old 05-15-21, 08:49 AM
  #52  
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Originally Posted by rsbob
I ran for years before slowly transitioning to becoming a full time cyclist. Unless the streets were crazy busy with cars, I always ran in the street or bike lanes. As others have pointed out, asphalt is a bit softer, it isn’t likely to be broken up like concrete sidewalks and doesn’t have the annoying up and down of cub cut transitions to the roadway. Was passed by many cyclists with never a comment. I figure it was just like passing a very slow moving cyclist. If I knew a bike was behind me, I would jump out of the street.
The way you've worded your experience however, it sounds like you ran with traffic, not against it? Otherwise, a cyclist going 20mph, and runner coming at them at say 7mph, has combined head-on passing speed of 27mph -- not much like a faster cyclist passing a slower cyclist. For a cyclist passing a runner going the same direction, it's a lot easier to do this safely as they can simply slow down and wait for opportune time to go into traffic and around the runner.
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Old 05-15-21, 09:21 AM
  #53  
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Originally Posted by canklecat
Where's the "bike lane?" That narrow strip between the curb and white paint? That isn't a bike lane. That's just the road shoulder. Riding a bike there is an invitation to disaster.
I haven't measured the street pictured, but I believe the minimum width for a compulsory bike lane in CA is 4', including the gutter. Even if it's less than 4', and even if there's debris in it (or a runner!), good luck convincing a cop not to give you a ticket for being outside of it, or a judge not to uphold that ticket.
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Old 05-15-21, 09:34 AM
  #54  
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Originally Posted by urbanknight
I haven't measured the street pictured, but I believe the minimum width for a compulsory bike lane in CA is 4', including the gutter. Even if it's less than 4', and even if there's debris in it (or a runner!), good luck convincing a cop not to give you a ticket for being outside of it, or a judge not to uphold that ticket.
If this is the same Banyan street. The other side of the street has the nicer path/sidewalk.


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Old 05-15-21, 09:40 AM
  #55  
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Originally Posted by Sy Reene
If this is the same Banyan street. The other side of the street has the nicer path/sidewalk.

.
Thanks to many real life experiences, I consider a separated bike path or MUP to be more dangerous than the road. (Not sure if you were suggesting that cyclists use it, or runners/peds, or what)

But thanks for the image. With that official sign there, it is definitely considered compulsory... at least by someone with power.
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Old 05-15-21, 02:56 PM
  #56  
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Originally Posted by urbanknight
Let me get this straight. You feel that the person following the law is entitled and rude for wanting others to also follow the law?
Yes, also who cares about the law. Cyclists yield to pedestrians, end of story, it doesn't matter if they are walking around in the bikelane like a clueless idiot. Unless there is fast traffic and its unsafe to get in the road, which is rare, I would never gesture for a pedestrian to move. Same for some idiot going the wrong way in the bike lane
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Old 05-15-21, 04:59 PM
  #57  
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^^^^^^^^^^^^ That road and bike lane sucks. Where is this?


EDIT:

NEVERMIND, I JUST SAW THE LITTLE MAP INSET.



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Old 05-15-21, 05:05 PM
  #58  
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bike lanes are a joke in the detroit metro area. heavy debris, missing chunks of pavement, sewage back-up in some low areas, bums camping out in it if the lane is besides a curb. If the lane is well kept, smooth, & clearly marked; the runners seem to be self identifying as a BSO & are running in it.
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Old 05-15-21, 05:05 PM
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We once came upon a Highway Runner.
He was Running in-between the lanes The Wrong Direction.
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Old 05-15-21, 05:30 PM
  #60  
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Originally Posted by LarrySellerz
...which is rare...
Speak for yourself, or come visit some day.
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Old 05-15-21, 06:58 PM
  #61  
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Originally Posted by urbanknight
Nobody here is advocating for hitting the pedestrian. Even the meanest roadie knows it's likely to hurt them more than the ped. You seemed to be suggesting that gesturing to the ped that they shouldn't be there (hopefully while taking steps to avoid colliding with them) is somehow showing entitlement and rudeness. In such a case, the ped is still the only one breaking the law. If a cyclist is dumb enough to play chicken with them, that's a whole other story.

I'm glad you have never needed them to get out of the way. Here in Los Angeles, it happens plenty. The biggest reason is, when the ped is going AGAINST traffic, I can't just slow down and tuck in behind them until there's a safe opening to pass (which is what I do with cyclists/runners/peds going the same direction) and there are streets busy enough to have 15+ cars following each other a little too closely in a row. The best I can do in those situations is come to a stop as much to one side as possible. Now I will say that at least 9 out of 10 times, the ped moves over to make enough room for a safe pass. The outliers will keep running directly toward me and even brush against me when I have nowhere else to go.

Fair enough, I probably violated my own rule by not taking into account that people act differently in different parts of the country.

Just based on my experience with this on MUPs, I find that words are a heck of a lot more effective than whatever the gesture is for "hey!"
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Old 05-15-21, 07:42 PM
  #62  
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Originally Posted by livedarklions
Fair enough, I probably violated my own rule by not taking into account that people act differently in different parts of the country.

Just based on my experience with this on MUPs, I find that words are a heck of a lot more effective than whatever the gesture is for "hey!"
You’re probably right that words would be more effective than gestures, especially since half the time they’re staring at their phone. I generally just slow down until I find the safest way through. Not making any record attempts anyway.
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Old 05-15-21, 07:56 PM
  #63  
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If farts & poop didn't share the same exit, I'd blow hot alerts every time a ped is not paying attention.
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Old 05-15-21, 08:18 PM
  #64  
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Originally Posted by Troul
If farts & poop didn't share the same exit, I'd blow hot alerts every time a ped is not paying attention.

A Cleveland steamer from Detroit?
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Old 05-15-21, 08:28 PM
  #65  
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Originally Posted by UCantTouchThis
Unless, unless! Maybe you should read all my posts. I mentioned fast traffic. In the images above, narrow bike lane with traffic doing about 55 in those sections with a runner blocking the lane with a nice sidewalk 10 inches away, is that not fast enough for you?

I will also toss in, there is a rock company (?) down the way so there are also semis traveling that road. Doesn't matter how fast they go, if the runner is going to force me out in front of a semi because they feel entitled, I'm waving my arm.

Of course someone with copper tubing ziptied to their handlebars doing group rides probably has an insufficient understanding of safety!
On a road like that, I would look behind me, signal what I am doing, and then take the lane. I get honked at farily often in this situation which actually kind of pisses me off, like dude im passing something slow chill the **** out. I have thought about if someone is texting it could be bad for me, but yeah getting hit from behind is kind of a random freak thing that you cant do anything about so I dont think about it.

also I took the aerobars off for the group ride and couldn't get them installed correctly again so im without copper for now.
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Old 05-15-21, 08:29 PM
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Originally Posted by livedarklions
A Cleveland steamer from Detroit?
Could be worse... Moroccan Dinner Party worse.
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Old 05-16-21, 08:01 AM
  #67  
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Old 05-16-21, 03:55 PM
  #68  
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Originally Posted by Ironfish653
But, but, the bike lane is for BIKES! There shouldn’t be anyone or anything besides bicycles in the bike lane.
It’s too dangerous to ride in the street without the fear of pedestrian incursions.
That way, they don’t have to use their bell, or even wave.
And that SIMPLE FACT is lost on way, way too many people. It's a BIKE lane.
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Old 05-17-21, 06:33 AM
  #69  
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Originally Posted by Ironfish653
Wow, I would hate to live where you do; that there’s so much traffic that bikes and cars and runners are constantly having to make thre-way passes all the time.
Some of us live in cities where this is common on our daily commute. Throw in trucks making deliveries to the stores and you got yourself a stew going on.
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Old 05-17-21, 12:04 PM
  #70  
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I don’t know if you’ve noticed but there’s a lot of people in the world these days who are it’s all about me and my right to do whatever I want and I don’t care if it endangers or inconveniences anyone else as long as I get my way. Those pedestrians and runners are just acting like the typical selfish derps you’ll find shopping at Walmart or cutting you off in traffic on the freeway.
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Old 05-17-21, 01:52 PM
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This is probably my #1 head scratcher as I walk/run/bike/drive around here, always has been, lived here 34 years. With covid, I understand why some walkers and runners will move off the sidewalk and into the bike lanes or roadway as they pass by other pedestrians. I'm good with that, people who do that seem to jump back on the sidewalk as soon as they get by. It's the walkers and runners who eschew the sidewalk that I never understood.

I used to run 1500+/- miles/year, these days it's more like two-three 3-5 mile runs a week and for the last 20 years I've coached a college XC team. I've had runners tell me (and read on this thread) that an asphalt road is softer than a concrete sidewalk. While I believe that's technically correct, no matter what the surface is - asphalt, concrete, gravel, mondo, dirt, grass - the softest part of the equation is the shoes the runner or walker is wearing. And IMO the part of the activity that leads to the most shock absorption is how one runs/walks (stiff vs fluid). Choosing to run on asphalt vs concrete, or for that matter grass or a rubberized track as opposed to harder surfaces... In 40+ years of being in running I've not yet found any study that definitively shows that runners can expect to have a lower incidence of injury when they run on softer surfaces regularly. "The data are mixed" is a phrase that comes up time after time.

But, people are going to believe what people are going to believe and other than the runners I coach I don't think what I think is going to move them. So I'll just continue to be entertained when runners are in the street if they think it's because running on asphalt is going to be a lot softer than running on concrete.
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Old 05-17-21, 02:43 PM
  #72  
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Originally Posted by Ironfish653
But, but, the bike lane is for BIKES! There shouldn’t be anyone or anything besides bicycles in the bike lane.
Originally Posted by dmanthree
And that SIMPLE FACT is lost on way, way too many people. It's a BIKE lane.
There are motorists that think there shouldn't be anyone or anything besides cars and trucks on the road.
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Old 05-17-21, 04:19 PM
  #73  
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I only read a few responses, but here's mine anyway.

I was riding in a clearly painted bike lane next to a sidewalk. A pedestrian who I was approaching stepped in front of me without first looking left at the road. I suppose she thought she had a few feet of margin before any (motorized) vehicles were a danger. I had about a half second to react and plowed straight into her, going down hard in the process, and came up swearing. She was ambulatory so she got up and got the hell out of there immediately so as not to hear a lecture/rant. Did not give a fig whether I was injured or not.
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Old 05-17-21, 04:39 PM
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Originally Posted by Ironfish653
Maybe you could ask a runner, instead of projecting what you do or don’t know on them?

Running on the asphalt is far preferable to concrete sidewalks; it’s smoother, fewer cracks, bumps, transitions, etc. It’s also, as has been mentioned, easier on the joints.

You face traffic, because on foot, you’re typically maxed out at 6-8mph, for normal humans (8-10 minute/mile). Overtaking speeds of vehicles are much higher, so you get far more warning if you can see them coming (by the time you hear a car coming, they’re already on you) and doing ‘head-checks’ is a lot more disruptive when running, than riding.

Things work better when everyone gives each other room to make everything work smoothly.
Trying to play Chicken or force perceived right-of-way doesn’t make you the ‘Big Man’ it makes you a jerk.
Glad I don’t run where some of you guys ride; I’d have a lot more broken knuckles.
​​​​​​​The difference here at least is cyclists belong on the road by ordinance, and pedestrians belong on the sidewalk by ordinance. As close as possible to the roadside facing traffic if not provided. Doesn't really matter what one prefers unless they can legally propagate change. The high school track near me is even easier on the knees. I really don't mind that much as long as they give me room for the legal purpose.
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Old 05-17-21, 04:43 PM
  #75  
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Quote (Originally by Ironfish653)---
But, but, the bike lane is for BIKES! There shouldn’t be anyone or anything besides bicycles in the bike lane.
---End Quote---

---Quote (Originally by dmanthree)---
And that SIMPLE FACT is lost on way, way too many people. It's a BIKE lane.
---End Quote---

Originally Posted by tomato coupe
There are motorists that think there shouldn't be anyone or anything besides cars and trucks on the road.
Funny how that works, huh?
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