Bicyclists and the pack mentality.

[speckledhen]

Sour...jerks anywhere, whether the be on bikes or on forums, do not really have a good reason for acting like jerks. As for me, if I had approached them when they stopped I would have run over a couple of their bikes and then told them how sorry I was. At my age, living in a small country town, shotgun in back window, I am sort of like MFB short a few inches but large on firepower.
As for my friend...Speckledhen...I would suspect that some jerks on bikes just ticked her off one too many times and it is too easy to sit here and spout about road courtesy towards bikers until you are on a winding country road trying to get somewhere and in front of you are a couple of jerks in tights dancing in the middle of the road with their bikes.

Actually, I have had very few encounters with bicyclists on any roads. We give them a wide berth, if there is a place to go.

I have always felt this way. IMO, bicycles do not belong on roads with vehicle traffic. It's just as simple as that, so don't make more of it than it is or make assumptions.

 

[twentynine]

Gee whiz!

Let's see on one hand you have a 5000# or larger automobile, on the other hand you have a less than 100# bicycle.

Comparing these two, which do you think should have more interest in defensive driving?

You get run down by a 5000# car in the end does it make a difference if you were right?

I guess what I am trying to say, if I am riding a bike, regardless of what the traffic laws allow me to do legally, it is in my best interest to stay out of the way of an automobile. It breaks down to, a contest between an auto and a bike, the bike will always lose.

In my locality we have had several fatal and near fatal bike/auto accidents. The bike rider is always the one who pays with death or injury. Case a few months back several bikes riding side by side on the river road. (Ms river road for those that don't know, curvy as a dogs hind leg). Car comes around the curve takes out two riders. Busted them up pretty good. Car driving legal speed limit.

And I ain't even going to mention the number of times I have seen bike riders who are suppose to follow all traffic laws, ride through stop signs, pass waiting cars on the shoulder, make a left turn from extreme right hand lane, or ride against traffic.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

#1 the cop, fire men etc all keep and use road flares and other signalling devices to keep them safer in similar situations. They also park so their vehicles would be the first thing hit while tending to the accident.

<----firemen for 13 years.... Firemen an cops do want the first thing hit to be there auto. You are still going to jail. They have lights on there roof that cant be seen any faster in a blind corner than anything else. There is almost always a firemen or cop standing in the road between that auto an traffic. Anyone who has done that job can tell you stories about the car that thought they were a safe driver till a firemen landed on there hood... I know I have jumped on hoods, jumped in to ditches an even jumped off cliffs more times than I can count. I have never seen a flare used in my life. Once cops get there they can usually find a safe spot to block the road. That usually takes a while Firemen need there truck by them an they are running around it trying to do there job. The first thing someone sees in the mountains when they run up on another wreck is just a line of cars already waiting. No excuse for almost hitting any of them ether.
-----------------------------------

If you hit or almost hit anything that is in the road already when you round a corner it is your fault. Size, weight, or even strobe lights and a badge an authority does not change that. Driving slow enough that you almost hit something that was already in the road when you rounded the corner is still proof that you were still driving to fast. Blaming it on the bike for being on on your road in your way is just sad. If you almost hit a bike that has every right being there only cause you did not expect it to be there, that is not safe driving. Having a bigger, faster an harder to stop auto does not give you more rights to the road than someone else with a smaller an slower mode of transport. I have drove all classes of transports from a pedal bike to a Class A truck pulling a 16 by 80 foot mobile home. Class A trucks do not have more right to be there than Class B trucks. Class B trucks do not have more right to be there than Class C trucks. Class C trucks do not have any more right to be there than Class C cars. Class C cars do not have more right to be there than Class M bikes. Class M bikes do not have any more right to be there than pedal bikes. The only thing having the bigger mode of transport gives you is more responsibility.

 

[duckinnut]

Well,well, well. Now here is a topic that I could simply explode on. Let me begin by saying that I drove a truck for 25 years in the waste industry locally on highways,byways,roadways,alleyways,driveways and dirt paths. From major cities to suburbia to country spreads. I could share many stories of less than courteous cyclists. Many of the stories also come from my own personal vehicle. It has been my experience that these cyclists are more.....well let me put it this way I have more bad experiences than good. Let me start by saying that I was at red light one day and a guy on a bike pulled up to the stop light and actually stopped.

I said to the guy that was something you don't often see cyclists do, and he said "hey you know what I want to stay alive". He also said that people that ride and don't follow the rules of the road puts all of them in danger. Very profound and I told him to keep it up and teach others.

So now the bad..... Not far where I saw this guy following the rules, a year or so later I was exiting a local business. Now I was going to take a right into the street and had to cross a sidewalk. There was a big bush at the exit so it was hard to see to far to the right but far enough to see if someone was walking on the sidewalk. So as I started to pull out looking left watching on coming traffic a guy on a bike comes from the right riding against traffic and I clipped his back tire but just got a glimpse of him at the last second.There was no damage to his bike or anything to him. I had just looked right and saw no pedestrians and this guys flying down the road in the wrong direction. He starts screaming at me, I was like look pal you are riding against traffic coming from my blind side. You clowns on bikes think that you don't have to follow the rules of the road. He gives me what if someone was walking? I said there is enough visibility to see a pedestrian and they aren't stupid or obnoxious enough to walk in front of a vehicle. I said we can handle any of three ways, you can just leave,we can call the police or I can exit the vehicle and settle it like men. He left,knew he was wrong and didn't want the police and for me to stay in my truck. This "it's not my fault" attitude in this country is really wearing on my patience.

The next story is what Sourland opened with. The pack mentality. I was in the next town over from mine(we call it Deluxbury) I was stopped at a 4 way stop intersection. As I left the stop line a pack of about 25 tour de france idiots come bombing through the intersection and I abruptly stopped and blew the horn. One even gave me the international #1 sign to me. Two guys actually stopped at the sign,I stopped in the middle of the street and said to the gentlemen, follow the rules of the road because next time I won't be stopping. Why do people have to be so self serving or worry only about themselves?

I could go on forever with stories but trying to keep my blood pressure in check.

 

[mom'sfolly]

I think both cars and bikes share the blame. I've seen plenty of bikers blow stop signs and lights and not move over for cars, and I've seen plenty of cars actively threaten bikes.

Some drivers are completely oblivious to the road, talking on the phone, texting etc. They are all over the shoulders and lanes. They are a hazard to everyone on the road, but to bikers especially. There are also the evil drivers who think scaring a bicyclist is funny, or they think they don't have to share the road and act accordingly.

In many places, shoulders are overgrown or non-existent, or bike lanes are just nice areas to park or sweep road debris. It makes it hazardous for bikes to use anything but the lane. Also, a fair number of stop lights on smaller streets will not trigger with the weight of the bike. The rider either has to run a red or wait for a car to show up.

I think in the OP case, it was a bunch of rowdy idiots. They come in all sorts, in cars, in bikes, in motorcycles etc. I can't tell you the number of idiot motorcyclists who think that they can ride between the lanes or pass on the shoulder. Jackasses come in all shapes, sizes and modes of transportation. Some are just more obvious than others.

We have several fatal bike accidents here each year. Almost all are the car driver's fault. Simply put, a bad driver in a car is far more dangerous than a bad driver on a bike. An *** who thinks they own the road in a car is dangerous to everyone, an idiot on a bike is a danger to himself.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

I think both cars and bikes share the blame. I've seen plenty of bikers blow stop signs and lights and not move over for cars, and I've seen plenty of cars actively threaten bikes.

Some drivers are completely oblivious to the road, talking on the phone, texting etc. They are all over the shoulders and lanes. They are a hazard to everyone on the road, but to bikers especially. There are also the evil drivers who think scaring a bicyclist is funny, or they think they don't have to share the road and act accordingly.

In many places, shoulders are overgrown or non-existent, or bike lanes are just nice areas to park or sweep road debris. It makes it hazardous for bikes to use anything but the lane. Also, a fair number of stop lights on smaller streets will not trigger with the weight of the bike. The rider either has to run a red or wait for a car to show up.

I think in the OP case, it was a bunch of rowdy idiots. They come in all sorts, in cars, in bikes, in motorcycles etc. I can't tell you the number of idiot motorcyclists who think that they can ride between the lanes or pass on the shoulder. Jackasses come in all shapes, sizes and modes of transportation. Some are just more obvious than others.

We have several fatal bike accidents here each year. Almost all are the car driver's fault. Simply put, a bad driver in a car is far more dangerous than a bad driver on a bike. An *** who thinks they own the road in a car is dangerous to everyone, an idiot on a bike is a danger to himself.

I agree with what you are saying here, but have to add the the very last part is not always true. In San Francisco this year, a bicyclist going downhill, hit and killed an elderly person legally crossing the street in a marked crosswalk. The guy is trying to say that it was not his fault because he had no opportunity to stop. Like to see a driver try to get away with that nonsense.

My husband has been a roadie for decades, before it became so popular. He is disgusted by the irresponsible behavior of so many cyclists who make it more difficult for all bike riders by causing unnecessary conflict. Of the poor drivers, he is simply scared. He has to ride much more cautiously these days. There are a lot more drivers squeezed onto the same amount of road.

 

[Stacykins]

One of the most horrifying things I ever witnessed was a biker who ran a red light in Milwaukee (downtown). An older woman was crossing (and she had the walk sign). The direction the biker was heading was downhill, and he clearly wasn't paying any attention. Going at least 30mph, he SLAMMED into her. I saw the entire thing, she was thrown many feet, the bike went into the air, and the biker ate pavement. The woman was seriously injured, and couldn't move. We didn't even try to move her, just stabilize her as best we could until the ambulance came. A driver who saw it popped a road flare and blocked the lane with his car (four lane road, two in each direction) so she was safe. The biker was fine, but I seriously wanted to deck him. I've seen bicycle riders who some stupid and dangerous moves in the city, but causing severe harm to a woman who had the right of way beat out all others. Even if she saw him coming, she couldn't have moved out of the way in time, she just didn't have the ability to dodge.

 

[chickened]

ODOT recently added "green lanes" in Portland and there is talk of lawsuits for creating an unsafe environment for cyclist, pededstrians and autos.

I am not sure of the actual terms of the laws that were broken when they created another lane but a driver can be fined for crossing it but a cyclist cannot be fined for riding outside the lane like a car can.

 

[chickened]

I will say when I drive my wife's diesel truck I hold the brake, hit the gas pedal and give them a good hit of diesel exhaust.

 

[bakerjw]

That's a common harassment tactic. I've seen it before and it shows a high level of maturity.