Posted on 09/27/2009 6:57:40 AM PDT by RayChuang88
ONE of the great battlefields in the war between bicyclists and pedestrians in New York City is the Brooklyn Bridge. Pedestrians think all bicyclists are out-of-control maniacs; bicyclists — the majority, anyway — are just trying to avoid cars and not break a sweat. The stripe painted down the center of the elevated Brooklyn Bridge walkway, to separate bicyclists from pedestrians, has become a line in the sand. We need to erase that line once and for all.
There are various reasons for the battle of the Brooklyn Bridge. Brooklyn seems to sprout bike commuters, as do its vaguely do-it-yourself cultural attitudes that the real estate race has not yet destroyed. The walkway, meanwhile, is narrow. Thus, on any given day, we see on one side a herd of pedestrians, part tourists photographing the Statue of Liberty, part people walking to work — a volatile mix to begin with. On the other side of the line are two kinds of bicyclists, most pedaling peacefully, a few confusing bike commuting with driving rocket cars on the Bonneville Salt Flats. It’s a recipe for confusion and arguments, not to mention accidents.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Why don't bicyclists bother to actually learn the rules of the road? Indeed, here in California you can be cited for most of the same violations of the law that can happen when you drive a motor vehicle (cutting off traffic, riding in the wrong direction, not following road signs and traffic signals, an so on).
You are about to find out about the massive hatred on FR for anyone who dares to ride a bicycle on the public roads.
Nah....just about their total disregard for the rules of the road.
I love being hated.
As an active cyclist, I will cheerfully agree some cyclists are ***holes.
But then so are some (many) motorists.
A lot of conflict could be avoided if both sides would obey the traffic laws and if these laws were actually enforced against cyclists, which they seldom are in most places.
My understanding is that the aggressive mass action bicycle fanatics are concentrated in just a few areas, all dark blue.
That would have worked back in the 60’s when tires were an inch and a half wide and would not go flat on a sidewalk.
Don't you just love the big city!
Cyclists are saving the planet, so they have special rights that pedestrians and motorists don’t have.
Next time one flies through a red light or stop sign and forces you to swerve and hit another car or a telephone pole, or one clobbers you as you’re trying to cross a street, instead of cursing him, thank him and compliment him on his magnificent physique.
Fresh wind: The wind you’re blowing isn’t too fresh.
San Francisco especially. Strangely enough, I've rarely heard of these types of problems in Berkeley, near Stanford University, or even in Silicon Valley. (Probably because in these places, bicycle riders are more common but don't have the "holier than thou" attitude of the Critical Mass riders in San Francisco.)
Been on the receiving end of that! Had a recent pissing match with some folks rooting for riders to be hit by cars for having the nerve to be on the road. Everyone on a bike is leftie don’t ya know?
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