General Discussion

meadowlark5

(2,795 posts)

32. I stick to bike trails and only one road do I ride

Sun Nov 10, 2013, 11:51 AM

Nov 2013

Because of the stories I hear of cyclists getting killed around here.

Since I do ride, I notice the way other cyclists ride and think to myself, "that's how you get hit by a car." I forever wonder why people ride on the busy 2 lane highways around here. There is no room for cars to go around and no shoulder for the cyclist - these are not commuters just out riding. Because it's not a usual thing to see on a highway, people aren't in the habit of watching for cyclists. More power to them, but I would NEVER trust a motorist on a highway that narrow to see me. Not in this day and age with cell phones. And now that we have a car with one of those LCD screens that display music, maps, climate controls, I find those to be more distracting than my old van that had none of that.

I ride bike trails and I ride one rural road with a big shoulder and that road still makes me a little nervous when I ride.

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Is It O.K. to Kill Cyclists? [View all] kpete Nov 2013 OP

Stop at stoplights and don't try to whip around cars Recursion Nov 2013 #1

and please, if you're going to cycle at night, particularly on poorly lit roads cali Nov 2013 #2

they should also Duckhunter935 Nov 2013 #4

Do NOT wear black at night, especially if you are dark skinned. RC Nov 2013 #49

Same thing with walking or running! Yo_Mama Nov 2013 #66

HUGE problem where I live Scootaloo Nov 2013 #117

Better yet - Ms. Toad Nov 2013 #140

As a distance runner I have more issues with cyclist than cars FreeState Nov 2013 #142

I ride every day, and the biggest danger is: other bikers who pay no attention to laws Berlum Nov 2013 #12

Hey, I saw a distracted jogger cause a bad bike accident Yo_Mama Nov 2013 #73

...or get killed! Iggo Nov 2013 #18

Thank you. nt RiffRandell Nov 2013 #44

I obey the law scrupulously. It does nothing to protect me from kestrel91316 Nov 2013 #59

what happens to me if, the other lane isn't clear, i am too paranoid to get too close to the cyclist dionysus Nov 2013 #88

You putter along until the coast is clear for you to pass - kestrel91316 Nov 2013 #112

smv? slow moving vehicles? guess so. i wish we could have dedicated bike paths everywhere, dionysus Nov 2013 #113

There is no way to have bike paths everywhere, sadly. And bike lanes are almost as kestrel91316 Nov 2013 #137

tragic. i know it's a pipe dream but it'd create jobs, save lives, and help people get more exercise dionysus Nov 2013 #139

I stop at stops, I don't whip around cars, and still have to deal with dangerous drivers weekly. Gormy Cuss Nov 2013 #64

Do you watch out for pedestrians? Recursion Nov 2013 #67

What's a pedestrian? Gormy Cuss Nov 2013 #78

My pedestrian son got clobbered by bicyclist going wrong way on one way street. redwitch Nov 2013 #109

Hope she learned a lesson. nt KAESNO2 Nov 2013 #129

I hope she did too. Also hope she is ok. redwitch Nov 2013 #150

I've been hit twice. Lizzie Poppet Nov 2013 #130

No Duckhunter935 Nov 2013 #3

"stay to the right of the road" jberryhill Nov 2013 #10

Follow the rules Duckhunter935 Nov 2013 #19

That comes from the mentality they think cyclists are pedestrians. duffyduff Nov 2013 #27

Did you know in several cities the law is that cyclists should dismount and walk at intersections? Recursion Nov 2013 #47

That's only if you are in the crosswalk. If you are in traffic lanes, kestrel91316 Nov 2013 #62

DC has updated their bike lanes jberryhill Nov 2013 #147

Yes on the right with some exceptions Duckhunter935 Nov 2013 #107

You are aware that that is a local law - Ms. Toad Nov 2013 #141

of course Duckhunter935 Nov 2013 #151

Not really. Ms. Toad Nov 2013 #152

When I rode, stayed right on the edge. Yahoos still tried to see how close they could come Hoyt Nov 2013 #14

Sometimes you can't go all the way to the right, and the law recognizes this. duffyduff Nov 2013 #29

^^^THIS^^^ kestrel91316 Nov 2013 #63

I have seen some with a death wish NutmegYankee Nov 2013 #5

No, it is certainly not OK to kill cyclists AndyA Nov 2013 #6

If you hit and kill one, the onus is on YOU. duffyduff Nov 2013 #23

Hell yes. Daemonaquila Nov 2013 #33

+100. At worst, cyclists cost motorists a few seconds. Heck, slow cars held me up plenty of times. Hoyt Nov 2013 #57

Inordinate lengths? wercal Nov 2013 #85

Cyclists have the same responsibilities on the road as automobile drivers AndyA Nov 2013 #34

Hardly. kcr Nov 2013 #96

I can agree with you on the narrow curved roads Niceguy1 Nov 2013 #38

Where I live, there's a bag limit of two per season Orrex Nov 2013 #7

News flash: it cuts both ways, folks IDemo Nov 2013 #8

thanks IDemo kpete Nov 2013 #9

Be Ware MoronPhone Berlum Nov 2013 #15

Yep. Ikonoklast Nov 2013 #103

And frankly, the driver is at fault if he or she kills one. duffyduff Nov 2013 #24

Fault depends on who is breaking the traffic laws not vehicle size. n/t Gore1FL Nov 2013 #36

Agreed, when I biked I followed all traffic laws but had many drivers nearly run me down Bjorn Against Nov 2013 #45

For anybody who BOTHERED to read the article, it does cite a study that kestrel91316 Nov 2013 #68

Very precisely stated. Yo_Mama Nov 2013 #76

I can't help but feel that part of the problem with our society ... surrealAmerican Nov 2013 #11

you're right... Chan790 Nov 2013 #13

And short skirts. They're just asking for trouble n/t IDemo Nov 2013 #16

... or, just maybe, we could make driving ... surrealAmerican Nov 2013 #20

No way in hell PasadenaTrudy Nov 2013 #17

I stick to bike trails and only one road do I ride meadowlark5 Nov 2013 #32

I hear ya! PasadenaTrudy Nov 2013 #35

In 100k+ miles of cycling, I've never been hit or threatened bhikkhu Nov 2013 #21

True. I have done it close to 40 years. duffyduff Nov 2013 #25

ride predictably is the most important thing in this thread loli phabay Nov 2013 #26

Wrong. Daemonaquila Nov 2013 #37

no not wrong, almost hit one last night on a country road, no lights reflectors etc, luckily for thi loli phabay Nov 2013 #43

Basic safety FAIL. I'm living proof that hypervigilant kestrel91316 Nov 2013 #69

There is a rise in distracted drivers, cyclists and runners Yo_Mama Nov 2013 #79

Same here. Ridden 40 yrs. all over Chicago, just not at night; bright clothes, rear view mirror, ancianita Nov 2013 #90

Having been seriously hit by a bike, and having seriously hit a cyclist, I msanthrope Nov 2013 #22

NO KentuckyWoman Nov 2013 #28

It's the LAW. Bicycles are considered vehicles. They are not pedestrians. n/t duffyduff Nov 2013 #30

Actually that depends. In some jurisdictions they are considered vehicles *and* pedestrians Recursion Nov 2013 #61

I almost hit a guy on a bike.. pangaia Nov 2013 #31

Is it OK for cyclists to ride down the middle of the road in groups of 40-50... renie408 Nov 2013 #39

Same thing here PasadenaTrudy Nov 2013 #42

Under my state's laws: bobclark86 Nov 2013 #46

What part of 'in the country' did you not understand, bro? renie408 Nov 2013 #50

ERMEGERD! I'm being inconvenienced!!! bobclark86 Nov 2013 #52

LOL renie408 Nov 2013 #53

Better than threatening people... bobclark86 Nov 2013 #56

I would like to spend my time getting where I need to go renie408 Nov 2013 #94

It is not a cyclist's job to "get out of your way" any more than it is kestrel91316 Nov 2013 #72

You can read, right? renie408 Nov 2013 #84

As are those who drive 65 in a zoned-60 thoroughfare. LanternWaste Nov 2013 #156

If you kill someone on two wheels... awoke_in_2003 Nov 2013 #40

I wish this nation would seriously consider contructing Bike Lanes in any future urban planning... tenderfoot Nov 2013 #41

Then the joggers will whine about the cyclists! B Calm Nov 2013 #70

Why? How many people jog on the street? tenderfoot Nov 2013 #80

Most of them around here gollygee Nov 2013 #153

I run smack dab in the middle of Madison Avenue. sir pball Nov 2013 #155

I wish this nation would seriously consider appropriate punishments kestrel91316 Nov 2013 #74

Like guns? This thread is about bicycles. tenderfoot Nov 2013 #82

Cars are deadly weapons. And they are used irresponsibly in a way kestrel91316 Nov 2013 #87

I saw that was addressed in the article and I agree, it is really effed up... tenderfoot Nov 2013 #93

+1 Shankapotomus Nov 2013 #77

They have them in Philadelphia Tree-Hugger Nov 2013 #116

Bike lanes are great, except when cyclists insist on riding 3 & 4 abreast. Fla Dem Nov 2013 #127

How about when cars veer into bike lanes? tenderfoot Nov 2013 #145

The fact of the matter is Prism Nov 2013 #48

Thank you. renie408 Nov 2013 #51

I live in Los Angeles and can say that in 30+ years here I have NEVER seen kestrel91316 Nov 2013 #83

Not what I'm talking about Prism Nov 2013 #86

I do it myself in a car hfojvt Nov 2013 #102

sigh, another day, another mountain out of a molehill hfojvt Nov 2013 #54

good to know Duckhunter935 Nov 2013 #60

petulance does not become you hfojvt Nov 2013 #71

so you do not follow the law? Duckhunter935 Nov 2013 #91

it's not luck hfojvt Nov 2013 #99

I guess I will start doing this as you say it is OK Duckhunter935 Nov 2013 #108

You say your location is Kansas Duckhunter935 Nov 2013 #101

fortunately you can still rock in America hfojvt Nov 2013 #106

just do not cry when you get hit Duckhunter935 Nov 2013 #111

Fun fact... Roads are for cars... Decaffeinated Nov 2013 #55

Read your state laws. You will find that in all 50 states, roads are for kestrel91316 Nov 2013 #89

I should have spoken more specifically.. Decaffeinated Nov 2013 #98

You should recaffinate... XRubicon Nov 2013 #104

It's the car drivers who are "playing" in traffic with their NASCAR antics. kestrel91316 Nov 2013 #132

Wrong Springslips Nov 2013 #97

Fun fact, the law says roads are for bikes as well Bjorn Against Nov 2013 #100

As stated above... Decaffeinated Nov 2013 #118

No one said it did, but that truck needs to share the road. Bjorn Against Nov 2013 #119

Ahh.. the magical realm of Shouldland... Decaffeinated Nov 2013 #120

And cars should respect the bikers who do stay to the side of the road Bjorn Against Nov 2013 #121

Have you ever hit a cyclist? morningfog Nov 2013 #124

He's probably the type that never misses an opportunity to sideswipe one kestrel91316 Nov 2013 #135

No, you hypergonadal tweaker types need to get out of your fucking hurry. kestrel91316 Nov 2013 #134

I'll hurry where I please... Decaffeinated Nov 2013 #143

It's built for ALL PEOPLE to use by VARIOUS MODES OF TRANSPORTATION. kestrel91316 Nov 2013 #146

Projecting much? Decaffeinated Nov 2013 #148

I'm not the uneducated conservative in this picture, sweetcakes. kestrel91316 Nov 2013 #158

That makes two... Decaffeinated Nov 2013 #159

Hahahaha, I'm not computer savvy enough to know how to circumvent the TOS. kestrel91316 Nov 2013 #160

Your entitled attitude marks you as a person who is so much of a danger to others on the road, kestrel91316 Nov 2013 #133

Correction: Roads are for wheels, bikes included. morningfog Nov 2013 #123

and also follow the rules Duckhunter935 Nov 2013 #125

I want to get into cycling, and this has been a bit of an eye-opener for me TlalocW Nov 2013 #58

Generally, no. lumberjack_jeff Nov 2013 #65

One must first learn the #1 rule of the road, the one with the biggest wheels wins B Calm Nov 2013 #75

Dumb article title LittleBlue Nov 2013 #81

My bicycle is perfectly safe until some driver of a deadly weapon decides kestrel91316 Nov 2013 #92

How many drivers decide to murder you? LittleBlue Nov 2013 #95

Nope, I've had people try to intimidate me, throw things at me, try to scare me, and worse. Hoyt Nov 2013 #105

Exactly. There's the clueless ones, and there's the vicious ones. kestrel91316 Nov 2013 #115

They have all decided to not pay attention. They have all decided kestrel91316 Nov 2013 #114

It is the kpete Nov 2013 #136

These driveway dashers are terrifying for pedestrians, too. kestrel91316 Nov 2013 #138

Of course it isn't "ok" to kill cyclists. Captain Stern Nov 2013 #110

Short answer: NOOOOOOOO!!!!! Initech Nov 2013 #122

Is it "OK" to T-bone safe drivers in cars? Is it "OK" to hit someone walking on a dark road with no MADem Nov 2013 #126

I've ridden 6 or 7 years now. ileus Nov 2013 #128

Seems to me there are four problems here: KAESNO2 Nov 2013 #131

Absolutely not. AngryOldDem Nov 2013 #144

I always just slow down when I am approaching people on bikes... slor Nov 2013 #149

I am super careful when driving around someone on a bike gollygee Nov 2013 #154

Only in cyclist season Pretzel_Warrior Nov 2013 #157