A message to all Cyclists.

[major_chaos]

Snip

Ok first I somehow derped and started calling young adult middle aged, and that was incorrect so -1 point from me.
Second I assume when you shop with your little clip on bag you are only shopping for you, and not much at that, so that just comes down to a difference of how your family does things. (My family buys food once every week or two and buys things like *gasp* large packs of soda which would be pretty damn hard to carry on a bike considering how much they weigh)
Third let me put this as bluntly as possible: most people prefer cars because they are easier. period. you cannot argue this point, you can talk about the pollution and how people are all fat and lazy, but that doesn't change that cars are a hundred times more convient. public transportation means that you have to plan any outing around bus times, and I know from experience that when I want to be there and when the bus can get me there don't always line up, and even if they do most people would prefer to avoid being crammed in a tight space with that many other people. As for cycling, unless you can really enjoy it it's a pain, losing most of the skin on my hands and face just to learn the basics of a form of transportation that gets me where i'm going at half the speed and leave me feeling like shit when I get there is not going to sell me on the idea of alternative transportation. Additionally its going to be a much more difficult trying to hang out with friends if you each need your own bike instead of one car especially when one of you lives an hour away. not to mention that even if you can work up a sweat to overcome the cold that just proves that those above 90+ days are going to be all the more hellish, and I could go on but this post is already too long. So yes you win, some people might not need a car, I just don't care enough about the "horrible pollution" to massively incovenince and injure myself by not using one, because really 30 minutes each way in the dark on the bad side of town to get to and from class is unpleasant enough with headlights and climate control.

 

[Laughing Man]

Therefore, I really don't care what a person pays for. If they are a jerk, I will complain about it. So should you when you are on the receiving end of someone's jerky behavior, and so should everyone else.

Maybe so just so long as you expect to be ignored at best and told to fuck off at worst, also I notice you neatly side stepped all the other very specific points regarding, competence of rider, safety of equipment being ridden and the ability to cover the cost of any accident THEY cause. ALL factors that put cyclists way below the deserving list when it comes to the right to use the road.

Comical really treat cyclists as equal road users but watch as they don't have to ascribe to any of the safety and competence standards that other road users do, nice!

 

[Bvenged]

I hate passing cyclists on busy roads with oncoming traffic when I'm driving - and I hate drivers on the rarer occasions I'm cycling - and I hate cyclists on the pavement when I'm a pedestrian.

I fuckin' hate everyone.

On a more proper note: Cyclists should ride on the roads, but they must have mirrors so they can see cars trying a tight overtake and give them a little more leeway. Sometimes it's the only way to pass as a driver, and I've shat myself more than once when they push on the pedal closes to me, and lean out into the road as well.

I'm a crap cycler mind; I gave up after a few goes because I don't trust sharing a road with traffic. Might try again someday but cycle paths should be cordoned for most locations these days.

 

[Kinitawowi]

Dear cyclists,

Please stop bounding on and off pavements and cycling across pedestrian crossings to dodge red lights at junctions. We can't hear you coming and have no idea what you're doing.

Signed,
A Pedestrian

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Dear pedestrians,

Please stop ambling across the road without a care in the world. Emergency stops caused by you being more engrossed in your iPod and your phone than the road you're trying to use are nobody's friends.

Signed,
A Motorist

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Dear motorists,

Please stop parking in the cycle lanes and cutting us up at junctions. That advanced green bit at the lights is there to help us out and keep us out of your way.

Signed,
A Cyclist

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Dear pedestrians,

Look, we know the roads are dangerous so we try and stay out of the way, and we know there isn't much space on the pavements either so we do what we can. But please stop walking in the cycle lanes; they're not just interestingly coloured paths.

Signedd,
A Cyclist

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Dear cyclists,

Please watch where you're going. It's for your own good, seriously - you're silent and you have a habit of diving in and out of our blind spots, and you're causing no end of problems here.

Signed,
A Motorist

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Dear motorists,

Please be careful. You're in control of a ton of metal moving at about 28mph and red lights exist for a reason.

Signed,
A Pedestrian

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Dear tractor drivers,

Just... NO.

Signed,
Everybody

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

I've been slowed down by cyclists before. It's not my favourite thing to happen, but it also doesn't stress me out. If you're exploding with rage because you're slightly inconvenienced, I would venture to guess that there are more reasons in your life why you're a stress-ball and I'd thank you not to take them out on the people around you. I'd rather believe that than believe that you're simply ridiculous human beings.

Nothing excuses you fuckers carving me up when I'm on my bike. If I'm about to make a right hand turning, don't overtake me on my right hand side just as I'm turning the handlebars, you sociopathic motherfuckers(I live in the UK, for full clarity on why that's extra stupid).

 

[BeerTent]

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.

Is that considered an offence? Not that I plan to do it, but I would be interested to know, since I heard that driving fast enough through a puddle to splash pedestrians (and presumably cyclists as well) is now an offence that carries a fine of up to several thousand pounds.

In Canada it is. It's reckless endangerment, because, you're putting that person in danger of injury for no reason other than to get kicks. It carries a hefty fine, and could get points on your driving record. Go back a few pages and feel free to take a more in-depth look at what I think of this topic. You shouldn't be interested to know this. You shouldn't even be thinking about it. Who does that shit?

 

[aba1]

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.

Depends where you live. I know here in Canada since it is a relatively new country and the second biggest in the world so things are very very spread out. It would take me around a hour of biking up hill assuming I am going fast just to get to school and that is maybe a 8-15 min drive depending on traffic. Most people here commute over a hour away just to get to work and that is by car not including traffic. Basically unless you live in Toronto or one of the other major cities chances are you will have to drive yourself.

Also thinking bout it now I never mentioned the busing situation. I tried busing to work one summer and what would be a 25 min drive took me around 3 hours so I had to get up at 5 to get to work for 9 then when I finished I had to do the same thing back so I would end up spending 6 hours and spending 10 bucks a day to get to and from work.

 

[Mr.PlanetEater]

Dear Motorists: I don't care where you live, chances are Pedestrians (Cyclists included) have the right of way. It may be a shitty law but it's still the law.

 

[Daverson]

Pah. Cyclists are one thing, I mean, yeah, they're an annoyance... but they aren't the worst.

The worst? Horses.

So, here's the deal, I've got a dog, no matter where I go, there's these huge signs, that say "clean up after your dog unlimited fines", but horses can apparently shit all over public roads and that's just fine? I mean, standing in dog-shit, that's an inconvenience, worst case scenario, you slip on it and need to put your trousers through the wash. Now, horse shit, on a road, you hit that, that's potentially as bad as black ice, so, that's thousands of pounds of property damage, and lots of serious injuries.

SECONDLY, they don't pay road tax, and it's not like they have nice friendly rubber wheels that wear road surfaces to be nice and smooth, no, the damn things have, what basically amounts to freakin' pickaxes nailed onto their feet. Ever wondered why there's about a million times more potholes on country lanes than anyway else? Horses. That's way.

Finally, it's not like people are actually using horses to just get around. It's a "recreational activity". People who take horse rides end up in the same place they started. IHMO, people who ride horses on roads are worse than bankers.

I'm... I'm sorry, that was an ungentlemanly thing to say, but, you know, it gets to me.

 

[Rose and Thorn]

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.

Um...Update: I gave it a bit of thought and realised that in all probability, throwing crap at cyclists and using the horn to distract them probably does amount to an offence. Please ignore my previous question. Thanks.

This does not bode well for the driving test.

Haha, well like you said I am sure it is an offense, but it usually happens at night by teenagers and never have I been able to get a look at their license plate. So offense or not it doesn't really matter, it won't stop them from doing it and it would be rare that I would be able to catch them. Especially since all I can think about when it happens is smashing their windows and biting their faces off.

 

[Private Custard]

Pah. Cyclists are one thing, I mean, yeah, they're an annoyance... but they aren't the worst.

The worst? Horses.

So, here's the deal, I've got a dog, no matter where I go, there's these huge signs, that say "clean up after your dog unlimited fines", but horses can apparently shit all over public roads and that's just fine? I mean, standing in dog-shit, that's an inconvenience, worst case scenario, you slip on it and need to put your trousers through the wash. Now, horse shit, on a road, you hit that, that's potentially as bad as black ice, so, that's thousands of pounds of property damage, and lots of serious injuries.

SECONDLY, they don't pay road tax, and it's not like they have nice friendly rubber wheels that wear road surfaces to be nice and smooth, no, the damn things have, what basically amounts to freakin' pickaxes nailed onto their feet. Ever wondered why there's about a million times more potholes on country lanes than anyway else? Horses. That's way.

Finally, it's not like people are actually using horses to just get around. It's a "recreational activity". People who take horse rides end up in the same place they started. IHMO, people who ride horses on roads are worse than bankers.

I'm... I'm sorry, that was an ungentlemanly thing to say, but, you know, it gets to me.

I'll quote this for truth. And I'll also quote myself from the top of page 3, just so we have a healthy block of horse-hatred!

Cyclists who don't follow the rules piss me off about as much as other drivers who don't follow the rules.....which is a lot! But to be honest, I'm no saint when I'm on the motorcycle. Give me a clear stretch of road and I'm quick. But I always respect the rules in towns/cities, and I always respect the space of other road users.

But I'll tell you what pisses me off more than idiots, fucking horses. Seriously, if a horse were a car, it'd fail its MOT in a heartbeat. They're absolutely. fucking. mental.

Why is a creature that is about as stable as a ward full of psychiatric patients stood on a waltzer, even allowed on the public highway? Their riders often ignore laws and ride side-by-side, the animals themselves would sooner kick your face off than stay calm, and they always, without fail, shit in the worst place possible.

As a biker (in the summer anyways), it's a serious worry when you come around a corner, only to be greeted by King Kongs first dump of the day, right on your line. Motorcycles are attached to the road by two credit-card sized contact patches of rubber, horse shit reduces that small amount of grip quite significantly.

If my bike dropped oil randomly, the powers that be would force me to take it off the road until it was fixed.

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, GIVE HORSES NAPPIES.

 

[Ryotknife]

Pah. Cyclists are one thing, I mean, yeah, they're an annoyance... but they aren't the worst.

The worst? Horses.

So, here's the deal, I've got a dog, no matter where I go, there's these huge signs, that say "clean up after your dog unlimited fines", but horses can apparently shit all over public roads and that's just fine? I mean, standing in dog-shit, that's an inconvenience, worst case scenario, you slip on it and need to put your trousers through the wash. Now, horse shit, on a road, you hit that, that's potentially as bad as black ice, so, that's thousands of pounds of property damage, and lots of serious injuries.

SECONDLY, they don't pay road tax, and it's not like they have nice friendly rubber wheels that wear road surfaces to be nice and smooth, no, the damn things have, what basically amounts to freakin' pickaxes nailed onto their feet. Ever wondered why there's about a million times more potholes on country lanes than anyway else? Horses. That's way.

Finally, it's not like people are actually using horses to just get around. It's a "recreational activity". People who take horse rides end up in the same place they started. IHMO, people who ride horses on roads are worse than bankers.

I'm... I'm sorry, that was an ungentlemanly thing to say, but, you know, it gets to me.

while i agree about the horses...funny thing is in the USA it actually is used as a mode of transportation for the Amish mostly. Sometimes there are places in the more fancy parts of the country where you can get carriage rides, but im sure the government gets their due from them somehow.

 

[Karhukonna]

Whenever I'm riding my bike to work, I make it a point to stay off the goddamn roads. If there's a sidewalk, I'll ride there. Yeah yeah, not allowed, but I prefer my traffic accidents with light traffic, rather than trucks and other metallic monsters. And not once has a pedestrian complained. Hell, I even take a different route just to avoid heavy traffic.

I just can't understand cyclists on the same lane as a car. I mean, sure, if it's the only road that'll take you where you need to go, but it's still best to hug the very side of the road, just in the interest of safety.

 

[ThisGuyLikesNoTacos]

The law is just stupid. Blame the law not the cyclists.

When I became too old to cycle on the sidewalk, I broke the law instead. I ain't trusting those car drivers when they can go ten times as fast as me. Thankfully I don't cycle anymore.

 

[Thedutchjelle]

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.

Registering.. every.. bike? That will bring so much paperwork that it's going to be unfunny. I just can't see this working without driving the price of bicycles way up.

As for the indicating the direction you're going, use your arms. Here in the Netherlands , bicyclists use their arms to indicate if they're going to make a turn. It's far more visible than a small light.

Maybe it helps if the bicycle usage goes up in other nations. I don't really have problems with cars here in The Netherlands as a cyclists by just following the roadrules. But we got bicycle lanes everywhere and a large amount of cyclists that make use of them.

 

[Gentleman_Reptile]

[/quote] Barred off? So he had no other place to go, and your lack of driving skill was such that you didn't even see it coming that he'd move to the road, and lacked the sense to brake, so you made a highly dangerous unanticipated overtaking maneouvre? [/quote]

Actually, what I mean when I say "Barred Off" is that there was a perfectly good bicycle lane to the side of the bridge that was separated from the road by giant steel bars. Meaning his two choices when crossing this bridge on his bike were either "I can ride in the empty bike lane, that has been put there specially for me, and have no risk of getting flattened by a car...." Or the one he chose.... "I'm going to ride ON the fucking road, because i think it's somehow the smart thing to do....fast metal objects that can kill me are my most favorite thing EVAR!"

I had to swerve, because the car in front of me has to slam on the brakes as to not run his stupid fucking ass over like he deserved. I really am not concerned with the legalities of lanes, wheel sizes, and giving way. As far as I am concerned, if you are on a pushbike, you keep your ass IN your bike lane and AWAY from cars as much as humanly possible, or you deserve to get killed for your own pig headed arrogance.

 

[TheOtter]

I'd love to bike to work, school and everywhere but it just isn't really possible. I live in an incredibly hilly and wet part of Washington, where places I need to be are very far apart. To get to my job is a 1.5 hour drive every morning with tons of very steep hills. It also rains more often than not. Now I'm young (23) and spry but I simply will not bike to that extent. If I lived in Seattle, then sure. That being said, I really don't see many cyclists here due to the above mentioned issues. When I'm in Seattle I see plenty though and I haven't had many problems with them.

 

[prophecy2514]

To all the taxi drivers out in melbourne.

Fuck you

Yours Sincerely,

Victorian Truck drivers.

OT: There are jerk cyclists, but there are also jerk motorists, jerk pedestrians, jerk bus and truck drivers, jerk everything basically, but there are also good ones as well

Except taxi drivers. They're all major pricks who need a good kicking up the ass for their lack of respect for the road rules.

 

[Fatboy_41]

Registering.. every.. bike? That will bring so much paperwork that it's going to be unfunny. I just can't see this working without driving the price of bicycles way up.

As for the indicating the direction you're going, use your arms. Here in the Netherlands , bicyclists use their arms to indicate if they're going to make a turn. It's far more visible than a small light.

Maybe it helps if the bicycle usage goes up in other nations. I don't really have problems with cars here in The Netherlands as a cyclists by just following the roadrules. But we got bicycle lanes everywhere and a large amount of cyclists that make use of them.

I think that's probably one of the major differences. A lot of the cyclists I see around my area DON'T follow the road rules. For some reason they think that once they pull on their lycra bodysuit, they can do anything they want and it's everyone else's fault if they get in the way.