A message to all Cyclists.

[mgirl]

*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.

Actually, they have every right to be on the road. Considering how it is illegal for them to ride on pavements, I don't see what other choice they have. Pedestrians have a god damn right to walk on the road too, just because you're in a car doesnt mean you own the road. This kind of arrogance from drivers is something I have experienced first hand many a times, most of our family are cyclists. So no, I am not 'pissed off' about cyclists being on the road, which is something they have every right to do, BY LAW, but I am pissed off by arrogant motorists that think they own the road.

 

[Your Gaffer]

First of all, it is not legal to punch a lion in the face, they are protected animals.
Second of all, I don't even bike but I think you need to get over yourself. In many places the only place you legally bike IS on the road.

 

[Zykon TheLich_v1legacy]

EDIT: what i hate most about bike riders is the bastards rock up to a red light then go cruise over to the pedestrian crossing and suddenly magically transform themselves into pedestrians and use the crossing. it's awesome that that you save yourself 30 seconds at the cost of all other drivers who have to wait for the lights to go through a crossing cycle but 2 minuets later i'm just gonna be riding your ass again

Why does that cost the other drivers anything?

 

[Thistlehart]

I don't think I'd have so many issues with cyclists if they tried a little harder to actually follow the rules of the road. As has been mentioned above, it is frustrating watching some two-wheeled twit blowing through intersections and ignoring traffic lights and signs. If it wouldn't hold up traffic and delay me getting where I'm wanting to go, I'd want to see them smeared across the asphalt.

Yes, I realize there are cyclists who make an effort to ride smart, and it actually makes me happy and fills me with good-will when I see them, but I don't see them often enough.

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.

Making a nice case there for cyclists being just people trying to get somewhere, and not smug, arrogant little roadhogs. Well done.

 

[Aedes]

Everyone said it, and I'll say it again, cyclist can drive on the streets as long as they stay on the far right of it (unless your country is left handed or something like it). They should be treated as any other vehicle. Actually, the priority is always from the smaller vehicle.

Honestly, I hardly have problems with cyclists myself. When I do, I blame the roads which always aren't large enough even for the car themselves.
Cars should really be the less likely vehicle for transport as it causes traffic jams, are not efficiently used since they mostly carry one person at a time and therefore, has a crappy pollution per person ratio.

Mass public transportation is what we should be using. Trains, subways and buses. I can only dream how my life would be awesome if we had just a glimpse of the efficiency, quality and range of the trains of London and Japan but sadly, buses and cars are the rule here so traffic jams are inevitable.

 

[surg3n]

This would be fair enough if every road had a cycle lane, but they don't. Are cyclists expected to ride on the pavement to keep you happy?

How about, drivers, learn that you DO NOT OWN THE FRICKEN ROAD. Pedestrians, cyclists, other human beings are entitled to use the road as well - you are not automatically more important just because your driving. I know that you don't see this, because as soon as you get a car, that's it, you don't walk anywhere for anything - but I live 10 minutes walk from work, so I walk all the time - and motorists are invariably ignorant, selfish, self-important, impatient... I could go on.

Accept the fact that if you hit a ped, or a cyclist, you are the one who will be blamed - there's no recourse, no excuse, so chill the fuck out, give cyclists the room they need, learn that pedestrians are not psychic, use indicators for their intended purpose. Cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians are vulnerable on the road, the more attention you afford them, the less likely you are to hit one.

Ohh, and if you like your paint-job, don't go firing BB guns, throwing shit, firecrackers, whatever at cyclists... the last time this happend I had a little lump on my back where someone shot me, they left needing a £2000 re-spray - nobody wins, but I lost the least .

 

[PersonalRiot]

Dear Enraged Motorist,

First off. I would please like you to remain calm through this discussion. As a matter of speaking, none of us particularly want to be on roads compared to side bike lanes or trails but in most places in the world riding on the sidewalk is illegal and there is no extra bike area on most roads. Therefor, we are left with limited options when using our bikes.

I understand that you may be in a hurry to get somewhere, and that like anything else on the road there is asshole bike riders. This isn't any different than the asshole drivers that surround you every day, and I can assure you most of us on bikes are far more cautious than drivers because the chance of our fleshy body beating steel in a collision is rather low. It takes 2-10 seconds usually to simply past us compared to a normal car, you don't even have to do a full lane change.

Trust me, all we ask is that you drive carefully for 10 seconds while passing us. And we will do the best job possible to stay out of your way the rest of the time.

 

[MasterOfHisOwnDomain]

What I hate about cyclists, speaking as someone who is mostly a pedestrian, is when they sometimes act as cars and sometimes don't. If you want to occupy the same space as cars, you need to consistently obey their rules. I swear if I step across a pelican crossing again, only to be almost hit by a cyclist, I will just push them over ... it's outrageous that they presume they don't have to stop. Similarly, if you're going into the imaginary middle lane you've created by being smaller than cars, then don't automatically assume people don't want to cross the road between those cars if they're stationary.

 

[lechat]

EDIT: what i hate most about bike riders is the bastards rock up to a red light then go cruise over to the pedestrian crossing and suddenly magically transform themselves into pedestrians and use the crossing. it's awesome that that you save yourself 30 seconds at the cost of all other drivers who have to wait for the lights to go through a crossing cycle but 2 minuets later i'm just gonna be riding your ass again

Why does that cost the other drivers anything?

depending on the set of lights and what point it is in the cycle, hitting a pedestrian crossing can slow the lights from changing

 

[Zykon TheLich_v1legacy]

depending on the set of lights and what point it is in the cycle, hitting a pedestrian crossing can slow the lights from changing

You mean they have sensors in them to detect if people are crossing?

 

[Talaris]

What I hate about cyclists, speaking as someone who is mostly a pedestrian, is when they sometimes act as cars and sometimes don't. If you want to occupy the same space as cars, you need to consistently obey their rules. I swear if I step across a pelican crossing again, only to be almost hit by a cyclist, I will just push them over ... it's outrageous that they presume they don't have to stop. Similarly, if you're going into the imaginary middle lane you've created by being smaller than cars, then don't automatically assume people don't want to cross the road between those cars if they're stationary.

It's not 100% clear when you're OK with with people crossing when cars are stationary, but if you are, then I'm sorry but you can't have it both ways. Pedestrians, cyclists and motorists should be considered equal, therefore if you're strongly against cyclists going through a crossing then it's hypocritical not to be against pedestrians who cross when they shouldn't. As a cyclist I could just as well say "...it's outrageous that they presume they don't have to stop" when people cross the road during a traffic jam.

It's accepted that cyclists/bikers can move between cars whilst they are stationary, after all there's a safety reason why a massive bike symbol is painted before a traffic light, a section of the road that too often I see motorists ignore.

I also feel who for the cyclist who will get injured if you make good on your threat; falling off a bike is no joke.

 

[Loonyyy]

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.

I'm in the same boat. In Australia, you're not meant to ride on the footpath (Which is almost always empty in the suburbs), but the roads aren't wide enough for cars to overtake.

Some cyclists are legends and pull over so that cars can get past (Which is pretty good of them, because the main reason people hesitate about overtaking cyclists is fear of clipping them. Some are not, and ride 2 abreast in 80 kph zones.

Some drivers are just as bad. Oh, it's 60 kph here? We'll do 40 to be safe. Some pedestrians like to see how close to a car they can get.

Everyone on the road is capable of being a nuisance and a danger. To all of those people: Get off the road. Not the cyclists, the reckless morons, whatever their vehicle.

 

[In Search of Username]

Dear everyone, just take the fucking bus and stop arguing.

 

[Loonyyy]

depending on the set of lights and what point it is in the cycle, hitting a pedestrian crossing can slow the lights from changing

You mean they have sensors in them to detect if people are crossing?

Yep. Depending on where you are, there are 3 systems activating the lights: A timer, a metal detector, and the pedestrian crossing. Some lights only change when there is a car or a pedestrian wishing to cross the main lane.

 

[Smeatza]

Dear Cyclists

If there is a queue of cars behind you then you are not being environmentally friendly. The cars are running inefficiently and pumping out many more fumes than they would be traveling at a reasonable speed for a car.

 

[AnarchistFish]

Lol, bicycles have to stay on the road. And they get cut off by cars all the time, just as often as they are the ones doing the dumb stuff. Cyclists get killed by the idiot actions of drivers constantly.

What an arrogant post. Who exactly are you addressing? All cyclists?

 

[Killclaw Kilrathi]

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.

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.

Obviously in your case it seems that you do need a car, thus making you one of the few exceptions. Though I would point out that unless you live and work really far from a train station, taking a train would faster and cheaper.

I wouldn't call it "few" exceptions. Plenty of people work night shift where there isn't 24/7 public transport. Here the trains and buses stop at around midnight, if you get off work after that you NEED a car, period.

I don't mind cyclists, so long as they stick to the side of the road as they're supposed to. Don't go coasting at a leisurely pace in the middle of the lane when a conga line of cars are trying to pass you. Also, cyclists need to give way to pedestrians just like cars do, just because you have a bike lane doesn't mean people never have to cross it. I've heard some very uppity cyclists whining about that, even though the paths are piratically designed to force people to cross them.

 

[Zykon TheLich_v1legacy]

Yep. Depending on where you are, there are 3 systems activating the lights: A timer, a metal detector, and the pedestrian crossing. Some lights only change when there is a car or a pedestrian wishing to cross the main lane.

Ah, I see, where I come from either you cross when the lights are red or there's a little button that will eventually get round to it but doesn't extend the time you can cross in, so as a cyclist you would either be able to cross with the cars or use the crossing as a pedestrian without making a difference to the light cycle.

 

[Talaris]

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.

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.

Obviously in your case it seems that you do need a car, thus making you one of the few exceptions. Though I would point out that unless you live and work really far from a train station, taking a train would faster and cheaper.

I wouldn't call it "few" exceptions. Plenty of people work night shift where there isn't 24/7 public transport. Here the trains and buses stop at around midnight, if you get off work after that you NEED a car, period.

I don't mind cyclists, so long as they stick to the side of the road as they're supposed to. Don't go coasting at a leisurely pace in the middle of the lane when a conga line of cars are trying to pass you. Also, cyclists need to give way to pedestrians just like cars do, just because you have a bike lane doesn't mean people never have to cross it. I've heard some very uppity cyclists whining about that, even though the paths are piratically designed to force people to cross them.

When I said "few" exceptions it was in reference to a world population, not just the odd 3 or 4 people. That can still take into account the minority of people who work night shifts, unless there is a very large nocturnal culture I don't know about. And no the drinking culture doesn't count.

 

[KiloFox]

OP, you seem to forget that, BY LAW, cyclists have right-of-way on the streets and have to ride ON the street if there's no designated bike-lane (riding on the sidewalk is both dangerous, and illegal). you're argument could not be more legitimately invalid.

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.

also this. SO MUCH this.
people look at me and ask how i stay literally underweight. i literally walk, or bike, EVERYWHERE (although i'm underweight because of my metabolism, i literally CANNOT gain weight, but walking everywhere helps). maybe if you decided to do that once in a while rather than use a car to go down the damn street then maybe you wouldn't be trying to loose weight so much. instead of driving to burger king, why not walk to subway?

EDIT: i have to respond to this one

Yep. Depending on where you are, there are 3 systems activating the lights: A timer, a metal detector, and the pedestrian crossing. Some lights only change when there is a car or a pedestrian wishing to cross the main lane.

Ah, I see, where I come from either you cross when the lights are red or there's a little button that will eventually get round to it but doesn't extend the time you can cross in, so as a cyclist you would either be able to cross with the cars or use the crossing as a pedestrian without making a difference to the light cycle.

actually, i have a handy little magnet on my bike near the rear-wheel that activates lights for me. now i used it in CA so maybe it was something that they have that not a lot of other places did, but it worked. unfortunately i can't remember where i got it. i think i got it from a Motorcycle shop because they have a hard time activating lights too.