Here's why I side with the cyclists: Drivers cause 90% of bike-car crashes.

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Every thread about cycling somebody has to bitch about how they jump stop signs. When was the last time a cyclist jumping a stop sign hit your car and broke your neck? Fvck.

But really, a cyclist going at, say, 20 mph can stop very quickly in no time at all and by virtue of his height and lack of windows is far more aware of what's going on, so strictly stopping at all stop signs is simply a poor use of one's time if the traffic doesn't call for it at the time. And damn near every person who drives a car knows this, too, which is why most people don't come to a complete stop at all stop signs if no cars are obviously around.

That's the crux of the anti-cyclist argument though. Either they belong on the road and follow the rules or they don't belong on the road. If any of the rules of the road don't make sense for cyclists, that's just that much more proof for the argument that they don't belong there in the first place.

Do you ever speed? Do you ever speed up at an orange light? Do you ever roll through a stop sign? If you can't say yes to all three of these, congratulations you are in a tiny minority of drivers. Nobody follows all the rules all the time.

And I'm also torn as to whether or not they should be on the right or left side of the road.

I lean more towards "left" and that they obey pedestrian street laws, as they are generally moving considerably slower than the rest of the traffic on the street, and the riders are only marginally less-susceptible to injury than a pedestrian, due to an increased likelihood of wearing a helmet.

I assume you're joking. A car going at 50 mph approaching a cyclist at 20 has a net gain of 30 mph. If that cyclist is going at the car the car has a net speed of 70. I have sometimes honked at cyclists coming at me on my side of the road. It's exhorbitantly fvcking dangerous. Only the newbies and poseurs do it, though, but I see it surprisingly often.

What is that critical mass thing? Hippies without helmets showing that they are part of the road so they block traffic as they go along at 5mph? Obviously people like that deserve to be run over, just as people in the passing lane at the speed limit there deliberately to enforce the laws deserve to be run off the road.

 

[Kelemvor]

If more cyclists would bike properly and do things like, stopping at stop signs and red lights and things like that, I bet the number of accidents would go way down. I also see dumbasses on bike jut blowing through stop signs and red lights and all kinds of crap. I don't know what it is about bicyclists that make them think they are above the law but someday they'll figure it out. Unfortunately probably not until after they get hit by a car because of their stupid moves and then figure out that maybe they should change.

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Do you ever speed? Do you ever speed up at an orange light? Do you ever roll through a stop sign? If you can't say yes to all three of these, congratulations you are in a tiny minority of drivers. Nobody follows all the rules all the time.

Yes, no, and no. Going 75 or 80 in a 70 is not the same as a bike not stopping when there is a car at the other stop sign which has the right of way.

 

[Sentinel]

Just because you want to be as cool as cyclists doesn't mean you have to hate on 'em.

 

[Venix]

Originally posted by: Kelemvor
If more cyclists would bike properly and do things like, stopping at stop signs and red lights and things like that, I bet the number of accidents would go way down. I also see dumbasses on bike jut blowing through stop signs and red lights and all kinds of crap. I don't know what it is about bicyclists that make them think they are above the law but someday they'll figure it out. Unfortunately probably not until after they get hit by a car because of their stupid moves and then figure out that maybe they should change.

Did you even bother to read the article? Hell, did you even read the title of the thread?

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

I've been on both sides of this.

I use to be the guy that would speed by cyclists and my mentality was they better not move too far over or they become roadkill.

Now I'm the cyclist that believes the man doesn't want me on my bike.