From the NY Times:When I got to Atlantic Avenue, a street I would be nervous about crossing if I were in an armored vehicle, I stopped to wait for the light as a helmetless man, riding with his child on a seat, weaved wobbly between me, the taxi and the pedestrians trying to cross, uttering not even an “on your right.” He pulled silently out into traffic, stopping halfway across the intersection to let a tractor-trailer wail by before he finished crossing against the light, the toddler in back thinking heaven knows what.
Meanwhile, another biker was about to pass him, and pedestrians in the intersection now scattered like deer. And I was thinking, “No wonder they hate us.”
Because they do hate us, they being nonbikers and us being bikers.
Despite the presence of bike lanes, we see many bikes on the sidewalk, and the bikers riding the wrong way down streets, alarming cabdrivers at the light. For biking to make it to the next level, for bikes to be completely accepted as the viable form of city transportation that they are, bikers must switch sides. They must act like people and stop acting like cars.
10 comments:
I have taken down many a biker. It is quite a sport. I only do it when I have the right of way. of course. I am just sick of them wizzing thru lighs at the expense of and endangering, those legally crossing the street.
So, when I am crossin, legally, mind you, and I know they wont stop, I brace myself (football experience) and spill them on the pavement. Sometimes they crumble up in their bicycle, which is funny.
The only one that makes me sad is the dude without a helmet I know he went to the hospital, but I dont know what happened beyond that. The funny thing is that, these lil turds sent a bunch of letters to city officials to look out for people like me!!! Nice TRY DUNCES!!
I have only gone down on my ass 2x, and in both cases the biketard suffered way more (1 was the above described incident).
I will play this game to the very day that these 120lb wusses keep scarin the crap of people crossin the street.
I have nearly been killed by bikers riding at me at high speeds and I have nearly killed bicylists who spread across both sides of a narrow road with no shoulder in Oyster Bay. If I did not ignore posted speed limits and slow to a crawl whenever there was no one behind me they would be up on my hood.
I have nearly killed bicyclists riding the wrong way against traffic close to my passenger-side door when I had to pay close attention to quick-turning traffic coming up behind me as I pulled out of a parking spot. Thank God I swing my head compulsively back and forth the way I was trained in Driver's Ed.
I have given up driving in the city because of these nutballs among others. If drivers are reckless, they will lose licenses and insurance. Bikers go on their merry way knocking down pedestrians and arguing with motorists when they are nearly killed by their own lack of regard for traffic law.
I don't agree that they need to act less like cars then like people. They need to act more like cars and obey traffic laws. Perhaps we should require adult cyclists to purchase liability insurance as well so they can pay hospital bills for people they hurt.
As a pedestrian I have almost been struck by idiot cyclists going through the red on the wrong side of the street.
As a cyclist I have nearly been doored on several occasions.
You can't leisurely walk on the Brooklyn Bridge or bike at a leisurely pace on 12th Avenue. The racers will not permit it.
If everyone would stop being an idiot and follow the laws and common sense it would be a lot easier.
www.forgotten-ny.com
Fuck all you assholes that are too fat to ride a bike.
And one of those bikers you guys have been talking about has just weighed in with some intelligent banter. And they wonder why people don't like them.
"Fuck all you assholes that are too fat to ride a bike."
Dope - I ride my bike, drive my car and even walk according to the rules of the road. 1. Stay to the right. 2 - full stop means full stop. 3 - green means go.
Oh and I run marathons as well - you wheel dependent moron!
Wow. The first anon up there, "taking down bikers" for sport??? That's one sick dude. I can only hope he gets "taken down" in some way, to know how it feels.
Responsible biking--yes. I respect the guy who wrote that piece. Bikes should be one option in this city, and responsible bikers need support. The irresponsible bikers need public censure and enforcement by authorities.
I do nottake down bikers, but if I see one on the sidewalk coming toward me I bob and weave, wave my arms, act confused and old man-ey, and they get confused and have to stop. Job done. No one hurt. Message sent. Stay off the sidewalk bikers and delivery people--two separate problems.
>>I don't agree that they need to act less like cars than like people. They need to act more like cars and obey traffic laws.<<
Exactly!
I think it's GREAT when people use bicycles to get around--it's healthy exercise for people and doesn't create air pollution like cars do.
But it's BAD when they forget that they are VEHICLES and must obey the rules of the road!
That said, I also think it's important to remember that they are not cars, and we need to make more roads bicycle-friendly to encourage proper use: bike lanes, education to drivers and pedestrians about bike lanes, etc.
I live and work in Glendale and there are so many trucks on small roads like Cooper Ave--I am too nervous to ride my bicycle to and from work, though it would be a better option than driving or walking (driving because of parking issues, walking because I don't get enough time to go home for lunch if I walk). Plus there are plenty of cars that drive insanely, too.
I totally agree with this guy.
As a driver the last thing you want to do (in all seriousness) is kill someone. But some of these guys don't obey simple traffic rules and then wonder why no one will respect them.
For the cultural shift to happen as TA and others would like, they seriously need to start promoting safety and obeying traffic rules. The NYPD needs to come down on people running red lights on bikes just as much as they would should I pull that stunt in a car. It's the only way to keep order and minimize injuries and worse.
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