Posted on 02/23/2013 12:07:40 PM PST by topher
Last summer, I was in a DMV location in Louisiana taking a test to get a Motorcycle Addendum for my Driver's License.
I heard a woman ask the person in charge of written tests: "Can I take it again?" She had just flunked the written test.
In this part of Louisiana, we lost a covered bus stop (made of metal) because someone was driving drunk. No surprise for Louisiana -- with drive through margaritas.
On different occasions, I have had drivers attempt to use Honk-Your-Horn Bullying
Today the person tried to run over me -- without stopping.
I was on a bicycle in a bike lane when this car honked its horn (behind me), and then proceeded to turn into me.
Basically, I did not stop, but the car finally stopped about 10 inches from me.
It was a woman driver.
And this is not the first time in Louisiana where a car thought it could run a bicycle off the road (or even run over it).
There was a case near the University of Louisiana at Lafayette that I was walking on the sidewalk, and a car coming out of fast food place honked its horn because "I was in the way" -- being on the sidewalk.
Louisiana -- as well as other states -- need to make it clear that pedestrians have right-of-way over vehicles (including bicycles) and that motor vehicles must yield to non-motorists vehicles (bicycles) as well as pedestrians.
I do understand that in New York City (Manhattan), one may be taking their life in their hands being near the streets on either bicycles or walking.
People need to understand the rules for driving rather than thinking that since a car is bigger than a person or a bicycle, it is allowed to run over them without consequence.
But then look at who Louisiana has had as governors -- including our current governor...
At night, it is even worse to walk or ride a bicycle -- with the drunk drivers. Though I have bicycle lights, there are times (such as Mardi Gras) that not using lights is probably better.
There are folks who might try to get the person on the bicycle.
That is what happened to Mickey Shunick -- she had distinctive lights on her bicycle. [Mickey Shunick is a co-ed who killed after a man in a white pickup crashed into her bicycle and then abducted and killed her.
This is unfortunately sad but true. I would hope in some parts of the country (rural Texas as well as other areas) that people would respect that you might kill someone by being irresponsible behind the wheel.
The more conservative the area, the safer I would feel.
The more severe problems I have had in Louisiana were with women drivers (on cell phones, thinking they are allowed to run over pedestrians and bicycles, etc).
I don't mean to pick on women, but someone needs to educate the ones who have problems driving (not all women drivers are bad -- but I have run into some of the bad ones here).
... yield to non-motorists vehicles (bicycles) as well as pedestrians.
... yield to non-motorized vehicles (bicycles) as well as pedestrians.
Question for you. Do people on bicycles need to obey the traffic signals (red lights, stop signs, etc) or is there another rule for people on bikes versus cars or pedestrians? For example, are bikers allowed to run red lights because they are on bikes, or should they stop, too?
It was so close that it must have set off the proximity alarm in the car, as the woman stopped dead in the street trying to figure out what happened.
She was so confused that I was able to pass her (she stopped so long and I was headed down that street).
I guess coming close to hitting bicycles can confuse the drivers with the technology that alerts them that they are too close to something...
Yes, bicyclists should stop, too.
I do.
Whether you like it or not, bicyclistsare viewed with great derision by auto drivers. Just today I had one going 10 or 11 MPH in the MIDDLE of the MIDDLE lane on a 3 lane, 40 MPH boulevard.
Cars had to veer off into the other lanes to go around him (very dangerous).
Just like that cyclist (California?) who got hurt when the vehicle he (the cyclist) was harassing hit the brakes. By all known driving laws when a vehicle hits the back of another vehicle THEN VEHICLE #2 was following too closely! I can’t believe they successfully prosecuted the auto driver.
Bottom line: unless and until you get the rest of your cyclist buddies to not be self-important douchbags (I assume you are not one of those), you won’t get much sympathy.
Bicycles should stop for lights and follow traffic rules. And pedestrians should also avoid jaywalking
There is even one busy street that I will get off the bicycle and cross with the WALK light (for pedestrians) just because people will make left turns.
Stop signs are another issue -- for if I come to a stop on a bicycle, I will block traffic with the time it takes me to get to a reasonable speed.
I do cheat on stop signs (4 way stops) as I am going so slowly.
In the 1970's (in Orange County, California), I needed to get across 6 lanes of traffic and two sets of double yellow lines.
An Irvine Policeman cited me for that as a moving violation.
In some places, the police will cite bicycles.
In this city, the police will warn bicycles not to ride on the sidewalks downtown, and force them to ride in the streets.
A general rule ANYWHERE is that it is against the law for bicycles to ride on the sidewalk.
However, I do that for the sake of safety on some very busy roads
Thank you for the reply. It may seem strange to ask such a question, but I see bike riders do all sorts of things like that (breaking the traffic laws), and I think it puts them in peril’s way. I wonder why they want to put themselves in jeopardy like that, and lately I wonder if it’s intentional to score a big payday in today’s litigious society.
In the case of what you are describing (someone riding a bicycle in 40 mph road), using the horn might be good to let people know that the person might be doing something dangerous.
In my case I was riding in the bicycle lane (I actually to the outside of it away from traffic).
When there is no bicycle lane on a busy, high speed street, I will ride on the sidewalk.
I ride on the sidewalk in such cases in this area. I have seen people riding 5 to 10 mph on 45 to 50 mph roads around Lafayette, LA.
They will here. I stop at stop signs and follow the rules. Then again, I don't ride on busy streets. There are enough side roads around here that I can get my ride in most days without ever seeing a car on the same road I'm on.
/johnny
I am as adamant an advocate for drivers of motor vehicles recognizing the rights of way of bicyclists as any person. I often use a bicycle for practical trips, including rides of several miles on busy roads, and I have done so for years.
So, I sympathize with your frustration, to be sure. Still, it’s worth saying, for anyone reading the thread, that the proper way for a bicyclist to go straight through an intersection in which right turns are legal for traffic is not on the far right side. It’s safer, and more proper, to move out into the middle or the left of the right lane so that drivers coming up behind you either will wait for you to enter the intersection before they turn right or will occupy the space to your right and make a right turn without crossing your path. You should signal before changing your lane position, of course, and you should do it when safe. So, you sometimes have to plan a bit before an intersection in traffic.
Bike lanes are supposed to be painted to acknowledge this practice. Bike lanes are supposed to start breaking up for an intersection so as not keep a cyclist riding on a path that will set him up for a right hook from car drivers turning right from the rider’s left. In most places the bike lanes are properly painted, but they might not be in your area.
It’s also true, too, that some drivers will just try to move past a cyclist and then turn right in front of him anyway. That kind of driving it outright dangerous, and it makes me angry, too. One has to be alert for that even if one is doing the right thing on a bicycle.
For those who raise the following point, I agree that bicycles should obey the traffic laws, too, on shared streets with ordinary motor traffic. Drivers find it easier to predict a rider’s behavior if one does, and drivers tend to respect the bicyclist more, too.
Yeah ditto I will watch (and do watch) for bicyclists. But there seems, in some quarters, to be an “I'm better than you cause I don't pollute” attitude in the girdle wearing bike community. And these folks think it is ok to take up the middle of a lane in there 10mph machines. Move over and let cars pass. I will make sure I don't cut you off at an intersection but don't drive down the middle of a lane at snail pace speed and expect me not to honk.
HIs case wasn't helped when he told the first responding police officer that he cut in front of them and slammed on his brakes "to teach them a lesson."
I would suggest telling the police about it. It might save someone's life.
As I said, there are some busy streets that I cross WALKING THE BICYCLE ACROSS IN THE CROSSWALK with the 'Walk' signal on
I had trouble even with that as some cars believe they need to floor it to make a left turn.
At one time, I would ride across in the Pedestrian Crosswalk at that intersection with WALK LIGHT on, but there were too many people just flooring it (putting the accelerator to the floor) when the light turned green. This was cars making a left turn.
I just decided to get off the bicycle at that light as too many cars had a habit of doing that at that particular intersection.
There was no left turn arrow -- I guess they were in the habit of accelerating at the light.
Just like that cyclist (California?) who got hurt when the vehicle he (the cyclist) was harassing hit the brakes. By all known driving laws when a vehicle hits the back of another vehicle THEN VEHICLE #2 was following too closely! I can’t believe they successfully prosecuted the auto driver.
That is unfortunate that they prosecuted the car driver.
They should cite bicyclists (cyclists) for tailgating cars (cyclists who draft off cars).
The movie Breaking Away shows a scene with the cyclist tailgating a truck. He is drafting off thea tractor trailer truck as it gets up 60 mph. A very bad example, but then Hollywood sets the standard for bad examples these days.
When I was in HS, I used to ride my bike to work and used to draft (but I was behind to the right — you know hoe if you get that “sweet spot” the suction pulls you along like a madman but if you need to you can fall back.
But that was a LONG time ago.
What happened was that the guy pulled up alongside some riders who were going at the speed limit (easy on that downhill on a decent road bike) and started screaming at them. Then he pulled in front of them, cut over abruptly and slammed on his brakes. One guy went through his back window. The driver then continued to scream at the cyclists and tried to drive away until another cyclist called 911 and sat on his hood to keep him from leaving. When the police arrived, he told them that he did it to teach the cyclists a lesson. He got five years.
I ride a mountain bike, and my days riding a racing bicycle are over.
One reason I ride the mountain bike is that with the drivers around here, I may have to go into the grass to avoid getting run over. Louisiana drivers.
We had a recent scandal here in Lafayette, Louisiana that DWI and OWI convictions were purged from driving record by bribing someone in the District Attorney's office (City of Lafayette).
Louisiana still has a lot of trouble with corruption -- noting the recent trouble that Mary Landrieu had with not paying her DC taxes as well as the indictments of former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin...
>>I ride a mountain bike, and my days riding a racing bicycle are over.<<
Ah, when we look at back when did and ask “and I survived???”
Just riding a bike on a path these days is enough for me...
And motorcyclists as well. Here we have shyster lawyers running ads that make it sound that whenever a motorcyclist is involved in an accident it is always the other drivers’ fault. Not so with the crotch rocket nutjobs I’ve seen weaving in between cars and lanes driving unsafe for everyone else.
I don’t ride outdoors anymore. Too many people are distracted or inattentive, and I really don’t want to drive because some knob is texting or checking the makeup in the sun visor mirror.
Earlier today I was leaving the grocery store and encountered a woman riding an olde-timey looking bicycle (flat handlebars, full wheel fenders) right in the middle of traffic. Two lanes each way and she was out in the left lane, I think preparing to turn left using the left-turn lane that was ahead of her. Cars were lining up behind her because she was going so slowly.
Now, this is Dekalb, IL at 20 degF and there is snow and ice all over from the recent snowstorm. I took a wide berth around her but it can’t have been safe to be on a bicycle where she was in any weather. Seemed kind of crazy to me.
I used to ride my mountain bike everywhere when I lived in Austin, TX in my 20’s. I respect and understand if that’s someones only mode of transportation.
NFP
This brings up an interesting issue, and that is CCW while cycling. If you search the biking forums there are very contentious discussions going on, and the threads tend to get locked (or deleted) pretty quickly. I guess bike forums tend to be moderated by libs.
There was a recent blog post by a local guy who owns a bike shop that caters to bike commuters and tourers that talks about this very issue: http://biketouringnews.com/advocacy-awareness/bike-touring-and-riding-defensively/
On a lighter note, here's a humorous take on cycling: The Cycling Tour
You’re not going to get any sympathy on FR re: bicycles. To many of the kind described in the story. Most FReepers hate cyclists for one reason or another. They believe those of us who occasionally ride a bike or run on the road should be at their whim and mercy.
There was your first mistake.
BUMP!
“and I survived???”
I rode motocross for 5 years and have ridden horses for 40.I mostly survived,except for my knees,wrists,hips,ankles and shoulders.
Had I known that I was going to live this long,I would have taken better care of myself.
As someone who rode bicycles before the left took over everything, we used to have to keep out of the way of cars, our lives were in our own hands when we got into their territory.
I too am a bicyclist and am all too aware that a minor blemish on a 2 ton vehicle is a broken body to me. Newton’s laws are even more stringent than Obama’s whims and “F=m*a” means I am toast if I get hit at any kind of speed. That being said, I share the road with motor vehicles like a coward and duck off of it where it is logical and safe.
Still there are motorists who do feel that it is their right to force me and harass me and they know that they can do it with impunity. I have had shaken beer splooshed in my face, cars weave deliberately into my path and other things. Like all things, these are the minority barbarians and they are the mirror kin of the barbarian cyclists who behave equally bad.
No simple answers except to remind everyone that there is a final justice if it is not rendered here on earth and that behaving as if your mother were watching you right then is a good rule.
Not here - it's encouraged. It still won't do you much good for folks exiting alleys and driveways. But it does keep you from getting run over from behind.
I was in New Orleans for over a month. In all that time I never saw a car that wasn’t dented somewhere. The people there have a culture of careless driving.
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