A message to all Cyclists.

Gentleman_Reptile

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Jan 25, 2010
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*ahem*

Get. Off. The. Road.

You do not have the right to be in the same lane as a driver. You do not have an engine. You are not a car.

You are a person on a pushbike, and I am quite frankly sick and goddamn tired of being cut off, pushed over, made to slow down, and forced into oncoming traffic just because some asshole (or group of collective assholes) in Lycra thinks he can pedal his way into car lanes.

Surely I can't be the only one feeling the rage on this one?

Nothing makes me more furious on the road than this. What is going through a cyclists head when he thinks it is OK to exit the pushbike lane and just include himself among car traffic? It is fucking DANGEROUS and I dont care whether your an Olympic gold medal winner or not...you are on a bike and you do NOT belong on the road with cars.

Just yesterday, I was crossing over a BRIDGE and was forced to swerve to avoid a cyclist because he thought he was too good to ride in the BARRED OFF BICYCLE LANE.

Hell, I even hate it when cyclists position themselves in their bike lane, but so frigging close to the line they might as well not be in there at all. I know the law says that this is OK to do, but do you know what else the law says is OK to do? Take a plane to Africa, go out on the Savannah and punch a Lion in the face. Yeah, it's technically legal, but does that make it smart or safe? NO!

Am I the only one who is this pissed off about this?
 

DudeistBelieve

TellEmSteveDave.com
Sep 9, 2010
4,771
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Dear drivers,

Please don't throw firecrackers at me.

EDIT: Has happened to me more than once of car drivers harrassing me as I ride my bike home from work at night. It's the downside of wearing one of those orange Re-Re vest so the cars don't run you over accidentally.
 

Rose and Thorn

New member
May 4, 2012
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In my city we don't really have any Bicycle lanes, so the cyclists have to find their own space on the side of the road. They also aren't allowed on the side walk. I find it really stupid and highly dangerous. People have been going on and on about proper bike lanes and bike highways. The city I live in is very bicycle heavy, so the mayor knows that this needs to be done and has mentioned many times he plans on updating our bike space.

I never ride my bicycle on the road, because as you said it is fucking stupid and very dangerous. Even if I am super careful and never do reckless things, there is so many stupid drivers I just don't feel safe being around cars on a bicycle.

You have to look at it from both sides. Reckless bicycle riders are just as annoying as reckless vehicle drivers. Large cities need proper bike lanes.
 

Rose and Thorn

New member
May 4, 2012
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SaneAmongInsane said:
Dear drivers,

Please don't throw firecrackers at me.
I have had so much shit thrown at me, like eggs and donuts. No fire crackers yet, but sometimes they'll honk the horn as they pass to make me jump. Har fucking har.

I feel your pain. I don't trust drivers in my town ages 17-34.
 

CrimsonBlaze

New member
Aug 29, 2011
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I don't mind sharing the road with cyclist, but there has to a be common ground for everyone that is going to use the road.

If you're riding a bike on the street, WEAR A DAMN HELMET. And that's not to make us feel safer, but to keep you cyclists safe. If motorists need to wear seat belts and motorcyclists need to wear helmets, then cyclists need to wear helmets.

Also, officers; if you see a cyclist on the road without wearing a helmet, FREAKIN' STOP THEM. Not sure if you care or find it necessary to enforce the law to everyone on the road for safety, but it clearly needs to be enforced.

Do all this and everything will be fine.
 

manic_depressive13

New member
Dec 28, 2008
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Dear Motorists,

Stop contributing so much to pollution and learn to ride a bike or catch a train. You probably don't need a private vehicle.

Thank you.
 

Fatboy_41

New member
Jan 16, 2012
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I don't mind sharing with cyclists, however I would change a few things.

1, Any bike used on the road must be registered, same as a car. I don't really care if attaching a little licence plate to the back of your seat is going to cause an extra 0.00649 N of drag on your 6000 dollar bike. You're not competing, you're not in a time trial and you're not special just because your bike is so light it can be lifted up by an erect cock.

2, Road rules apply to all road uses. Yes, that includes you cyclists. Just because an intersection is clear, doesn't mean that red light doesn't apply to you. Same goes for indicating intention. If you're going to pull out of the bike lane into regular traffic, a little warning might be nice. So, along with that licence plate, throw some little led indicators on there too. Zip tie a toggle switch and battery pack to your handlebars and Bobs your uncle.
 

Casual Shinji

Should've gone before we left.
Legacy
Jul 18, 2009
19,570
4,374
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I'm from the Netherlands. Here motorists and cyclists live together in peace and harmony. Well... as much peace and harmony that can exist in traffic.

The only problem here is high schoolers riding side by side sometimes four at a time taking up the whole fucking road. Also, professional sports cyclists, but they're generally assholes anyway.
 

Giftfromme

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Nov 3, 2011
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Once we realise that cars shouldn't be the primary form of transport for cities, then all shall be good. Think Brussels here, that has a lot of people using bikes, but it could be better. Also there won't be road congestion either

we just need to design cities to use bikes, not cars
 
Aug 31, 2012
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Apart from motorways, in the UK they do have the same rights to be on the road. Bike lanes are just something to help keep cyclists safe, you should use them if they are there but otherwise there's nothing wrong with using the road.

Some people drive/cycle like assholes. These people should either drive/cycle better or get off the road. Some people drive/cycle well and are considerate to other road users. These people are fine, being a cyclist or a driver is not the issue.
 

Talaris

New member
Sep 6, 2010
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Gentleman_Reptile said:
*ahem*
-Snip
I'm not sure where you're from but in the UK by law you MUST cycle on the road with cars. You can get fined/arrested if you cycle on the pavement (sidewalk for you yanks) due to potential dangers of hitting pedestrians.

I commute to and from work by bicycle 18 miles a day in London, and of course if bike lanes are provided I use them, but you should really see London rush hour traffic *shudders*. Compared to the U.S the roads here are so small and tightly packed so don't get much choice other than learning to cycle very close to other vehicles. There are just as many bad drivers as bad cyclists, and in a city this populated I always feel cars shouldn't be used at all unless they are really needed; most drivers I see have no passengers and just use cars out of laziness.

My worst case of an arsehole driver thought it would be funny to open his door during traffic whilst I was cycling up the outside lane. Somehow I was able to skid half my body on the pavement (cursing him as I went by) else I could have been seriously injured.

Helmets and proper lights are a must though, I can't count the number of times I see hipsters on their fixies, no brakes, not helmets, no lights. Bunch of twats.
 

Jezzascmezza

New member
Aug 18, 2009
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I only get angry at cyclists when they're indecisive about whether they're pedestrians or vehicle drivers.
The ones that alternate between the footpath and the road can get very annoying because their actions become unpredictable.
As long as they stick consistently to either the footpath or the road, I'm accepting of them.
 

Queen Michael

has read 4,010 manga books
Jun 9, 2009
10,400
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Dear cyclists, thank you for choosing a method of getting around that doesn't involve filling our air with poison.
 

NinjaDeathSlap

Leaf on the wind
Feb 20, 2011
4,474
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Um... you do realise that they're legally required to ride on the road right, unless there's a designated cycle lane available, and there often isn't? It's actually illegal for them to ride on the pavement.

I have my own issues with cyclists. A lot of them seem to think that because they don't have an engine they abide by a different set of rules on the road. They don't. They must make themselves visible on the roads at all times, they must pay as much attention to red lights and crossings as cars do, and they must signal before any maneuver they make. I could probably count on my fingers the number of cyclists I've seen in my life abide by all three of these examples at once, and that's ridiculous, especially when it's always the fault of the big nasty car when something happens to them.

But critisising them for following the law is just stupid.
 

Lost In The Void

When in doubt, curl up and cry
Aug 27, 2008
10,128
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manic_depressive13 said:
Dear Motorists,

Stop contributing so much to pollution and learn to ride a bike or catch a train. You probably don't need a private vehicle.

Thank you.
Queen Michael said:
Dear cyclists, thank you for choosing a method of getting around that doesn't involve filling our air with poison.
I love comments like this. Of course I'll give up my car to bike to work. I'd love to bike nearly 100 km a day in -25 to -30 C weather. I agree city congestion could be rectified with more people using public transport, but please, do not paint us all with the same brush because some of us can't actually do anything but drive to work.
 

Blunderboy

New member
Apr 26, 2011
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Seeing as my main point (It being illegal for cyclists to ride anywhere else) has been made I guess all I can add is this.

Dear OP,
You sir are no gentleman. Return your top hat at once.
Regards,
 

Krantos

New member
Jun 30, 2009
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At the very least, follow the damn laws.

In my state, the laws are simple. If you ride your bicycle on the road, you follow the same regulations cars do.

The problem is NO cyclist I've seen can do that.

There's a particular cyclist I regularly see on my way to work every morning who simply flaunts the laws. If he comes to a stop light, he blows past all the stopped cars and either: A. continues right through the red light if no cars are coming, or B. takes a right, crosses the road at his first opportunity, and then swings back and continues the way he was going.

I don't care if you ride your bicycle on the road. In fact, more power to you. But for fuck's sake follow the damn laws.

Incidentally, I feel the same way about motorists who can't follow basic traffic laws either.
 

Phoenix09215

New member
Dec 24, 2008
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I don't know what country you live in OP but as far as I'm aware it's common in most places that bikes are supposed to ride on the side of the road (left side in the UK and right side pretty much everywhere else). I actually think that makes more sense as the pavement isn't for cyclists, it's for pedestrians. Plus, there's nothing worse than being a cyclist stuck behind a pedestrian or almost getting knocked over by a cyclist as a pedestrian. Honestly, I think your rant isn't aimed at cyclists but instead at idiots who happen to ride bikes. Also, about 80% of drivers are just as irritating on the road anyway.