SunFlower

I live in Torrance , CA and in the last year I have seen absolutley reckless and dangerous behavior from cyclists. Most of it is running stop signs and red lights. I have even told local police about it and they generally say "well, when we ticket or warn cyclists they ***** and moan and since they are only endangering themselves we leave it up to them". Well I have seen two cyclists hit in the last month around here and they were both their fault. For those cyclists who dont want to obey traffic laws and common sense.....you deserve it.
The only thing I worry about are stupid new laws being passed that hinder cycling due to stupid illegal cyclists breaking the law and then complaining about the consequences.

Cyclaholic

Don't worry yourself about it too much, it's Darwinism at work for the good of our species.

What laws are being passed that hinder you from riding lawfully?

UmneyDurak

Ah A&S at it's best.

gcl8a

Um...They might not deserve your sympathy, but they don't deserve to get hit.

Helmet Head

No one deserves to get hit.

specq

For your sake, I'm assuming you meant hit in the sense of punched (in the nose) instead of run over (by a truck).

I always think the best of people, though in this case, even the best isn't very good at all.

soze

Sorry guys, but the idiot riding down the wrong way in all black with no reflectors who gives me a bad look for being in his way? Needs to get hit by a garbage truck and used like a human crayon.

maddyfish

All I know is, I've had one close call with a car in the last two years, and I have a close call with a law-breaking biker once or twice a month. Usually stoplight/ stop sign runners, but occasionally a wrong way rider.

I-Like-To-Bike

Aren't you the Jack Donkey who posted the following recommendations for dealing with cars in bike lanes:
"why not just buy a BB gun and shoot out their windows while you drive by ? or better yet, install some of those metal blades that rotate on your wheels like the movie Grease and when you ride by you can puncture the tires of hundreds of parked cars ? OR....make a few pipe bombs and stuff them into your back pack and throw them under the cars ? dude, you have to stop thinking childs play and step into the big leauges...."

You are definitely thinking Big Leagues when it comes to being an obnoxious, self righteous hypocrite, Jack.

Blue Order

Let me guess-- if you say anything after they've just endangered you, their response is "F- off."

That's been my experience, at least.

SunFlower

i guess you didnt pick up on the sarcasm of that post......but thanks for the advice

Carusoswi

And, I guess this thread is supposed to offer sarcasm as well.

Until moderators stop us, each of us is free to post as he/she sees fit. However, IMO, A&S should focus more on what we, as riders, can do to enhance our own personal safety, and not spend so much time ridiculing other cyclists over whom we feel somehow superior because they don't conform to our notion of (or the laws provisions for) safe riding.

I find the Darwin references particularly obnoxious.

If it makes you feel so much better to make those sorts of comments, and if the moderators continue to allow them, so be it - but I fail to see how such comments do anything to promote advocacy or safety.

Just my 2-cents.

Caruso

elgalad

When these dangerous cyclists flaunt the law, they certainly are asking to be run into, and wouldn't get a single moment of sympathy from when when it eventually does happen. Not only do they endanger themselves, but everyone else on the road, by being unpredictable, and such recklessness is exactly the sort of behaviour that endangers other cyclists and motorists alike.

I usually have a few choice words at the ready when I see these d***heads putting themselves and others in danger.

I-Like-To-Bike

No I didn't. Why should I assume you were sarcastic given the ignorance also displayed in your OP of this thread? You even found some soul mates on this thread that agree with your sentiments.

JohnBrooking

Unfortunately, scofflaw riders don't just affect themselves. They affect all of us by giving fodder to the general public for one or more of the following notions:

• All cyclists are scofflaws
• They shouldn't be allowed on the public roads
• They should be licensed like cars
• They need their own lanes to stay in

I for one experience at least a few times a week the difficulty of interacting lawfully with motorists who obviously are not expecting me to do so. Granted, this is mostly just annoying, like being waved through by a motorist who has the right of way. But as has been pointed out, scofflaw cyclists also present the same challenges to legal cyclists, and unlike motorists, legal cyclists are in some danger from the scofflaw cyclist.

Sometimes I fear that if we cannot police ourselves, especially as our numbers increase due to gas prices and other issues, the temptation to codify in law one of the last 3 notions I listed above will ultimately prevail.

chipcom 

No worries, I figure Darwin will take care of them.

Nicodemus

Good on y'all for hatin' on people who question the ridiculous laws that are created with only the automobile in mind. Sheep.

They're not scofflaws so much as scoffstupidlaws.

Eatadonut

Sometimes I think you should need a license. Basic knowledge of road rules would go a long way for cyclists.

Also, remember that laws only exist if the cops say they do. I run reds and stop signs in front of cops every day, they don't care a bit, as long as I make sure nobody's coming.

Mr. Underbridge

1) Your instincts are right, these idiots are making us all look bad, and will probably result in eventual annoying legislation.

2) The cops are wrong - it doesn't endanger only themselves. What happens when these idiots guess wrong and a motorist is forced to swerve? The motorists could lose control, getting into an accident themselves or hitting another vehicle. Heck, how many stories have we seen about a car getting into a wreck because it swerved to avoid a squirrel? These things happen.

3) Since when do the cops let lawbreakers get away with something because the perp whines? What happened to the huge seatbelt campaigns the cops do?

JohnBrooking

I was thinking about this on the way in. It think it's kind of pointless to register the bicycles themselves, but licensing the driver is a slightly different question. I might support a "bicycle rider" (no pun intended) on a regular drivers' license, similar to what is done for motorcycles, in order to use any road major enough to have a stripe on it. I don't think it's necessary or desirable, and would be counterproductive, to require licensing for merely using back streets, paths, or trails. But in a way, it only makes sense to standardize the requirement that anyone using the major public mixed-traffic roads demonstrate some knowledge of how to do so, regardless of the vehicle they are using. It's not just a question of the cyclists themselves - it would be better for all road users!

Okay now everyone, jump all over us and tell us why this is a bad idea.

ghettocruiser

I gotta say it.

Motorists have all kinds of insurance and licensing requirements. As far as I can tell, it hasn't helped them.

JohnBrooking

On the contrary, it seems obvious to me that requiring motorists to demonstrate knowledge of safe driving practices before allowing them on the public roads does help them, and everyone else too. Sure, they don't always do it, but imagine the chaos if they hadn't ever even learned!

TRaffic Jammer

May a plague of mechanical difficulties and flats follow you for the rest of your days for your bad karma. Nobody deserves to get creamed.

Hey if licensing bikes gives me ALL the rights of a car, I'm all for it sign me up....
Will I finally be allowed to take a lane unhindered and nonthreatened by the motorist behind me. Rights on the road is a two way street. You give me a license, and I'm in the centre of my lane in an instant. Think about it, it'll never work. If drivers' gave cyclists half a spec of respect on the road, many of us "scofflaws" wouldn't feel the need to jump lights and stops. I do this to avoid being in the space the cars want to be in. Being in the front is the safest place to be.

genec

Hate to say +1 to this whole response, as I am not a believer of filtering forward and jumping lights... but to the rest... I am right there with you.

If motorists gave us even the indifference they gave other motorists I would be happy.

As much as some here insist that motorists "cooperate" with them on regular basis... it is the stupid aggressive "lesson teaching" motorists that remain on my mind... as well as the absorbed distracted motorists.

littlewaywelt

Come on.

Having made a mistake following too close to a vehicle once when I was a kid and sliding under it and getting dragged under it as a result, I can tell you that NO ONE deserves to get hit, despite the stupidity of their actions. You have to accept the result/consequences of your actions, but deserving a hit which usually results in either bodilly injury or death because of a mistake? That's absolutely rediculous.

Grow up.