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It's just completely surreal driving a bicycle in car traffic. The vast majority of car drivers simply lack the moral character and should not ever be allowed t

It's just completely surreal driving a bicycle in car traffic. The vast majority of car drivers simply lack the moral character and should not ever be allowed to drive such dangerous machinery. Cycle paths are optional here, and I very regularly opt out of driving on them because they are in a constant state of disarray, had snow and glass shoved on them, are too close to parking cars or end abruptly, forcing me to merge into traffic. So, being a vehicle, I drive on the street. I drive on the middle of the street, because (1) bicycles come with two (bi) wheels and naturally oscillate (2) street conditions very frequently make it necessary to use space to my left or right and (3) to make it clear that you can not overtake me in the same lane. Car drivers regularly think this is an invitation to overtake me extremely closely, basically touching. They value my life, really any life, so little compared to the nonexistent time or speed benefit they would get from overtaking me. They think they are supremely in control of a large four ton object driving at 30 mph when they couldn't park it to an inch to save their life. They think I have done them wrong, and are now trying to get back at me; it's a game to them! I don't know what it is that makes people lose all compassion or basic rational understanding of risks and dangers once they get into a car.

FreakyT 13y ago
You've answered your own question. Why would people be upset when you've ignored the lane provided for you and instead decided to slow traffic to a grinding halt by taking up an entire lane? Certainly, it's unfortunate that the bike lane is poorly maintained, but to wholly place the blame on the drivers strikes me as questionable.
- hetman 13y ago
  Because the bike paths are unsafe. Frankly cyclists usually annoy me, but he's following the law, and probably better than most of the self entitled idiots in cars who get by with the VERY minimum of safety awareness on the road.
- kyledrake 13y ago
  FreakyT, if I ever see you in the street, I'm going to run you over for getting in my way. And it will be called an accident. I do not understand why it is so hard for people to understand this problem, but I've given up hope ever describing it in Internet comments. In the interim, if you ever want to get away with murder, use a car.
  - FreakyT 13y ago
    That'll teach me a lesson! Seriously though, he said that he was getting run over, he said he was being passed by in a dangerously close way. Have you ever tried to pass a cyclist on a two-lane road without a shoulder? You'll find it's extremely difficult.
    - kyledrake 13y ago
      Then slow down and wait until it's safe to pass. What could you possibly be doing that is more important than endangering someone's life? Do you understand that the cyclist has a legal right to be there, and that the reason for that legal right is safety?
      - TruthElixirX 13y ago
        What could the cyclist be doing that is more important than getting off of the road and letting traffic go around them instead of holding it up?
      - Brakenshire 13y ago
        > Then slow down and wait until it's safe to pass. I agree with your point, but to be fair, you could make a similar point about cyclists pulling over to let traffic pass. There are cases where overtaking is difficult for long distances, and in practice it's not realistic for a car to go at 10-15 mph behind a bike for miles at a time. For one thing, you risk drivers behind trying to overtake multiple vehicles at once. There has to be some sort of accommodation, at least in that limited case where passing is difficult, and cyclists moving slower than the flow of traffic. Although clearly that doesn't legitimize risking someone's life. Edit: Added second paragraph.
- Joeboy 13y ago
  > Why would people be upset when you've ignored the lane provided for you and instead decided to slow traffic to a grinding halt by taking up an entire lane? Perhaps people could recognize that the existence of a cycle lane does not necessarily mean that it's safe or even physically possible to cycle within its boundaries.
  - busterarm 13y ago
    Given how many cops and taxis park in bike lanes and how many cars use bike lanes as turning lanes, yes, emphatically this.
- jackmaney 13y ago
  +1. +1,000,000 if I could.
- SethMurphy 13y ago
  In NYC, where the legal speed limit is 30mph and traffic is usually slower a bike taking up the whole lane does nothing to slow the overall traffic flow. If a bike can keep up the minimum speed for traffic they deserve the same piece of the road a car has, just like a motorcycle or scooter. I agree it is almost always safer to be in the normal flow of traffic than on the fringe of the bike lane (in NYC at least).
nostromo 13y ago
You're playing with fire here. You might be right, but being right and dead is cold comfort.
busterarm 13y ago
> It's just completely surreal driving a bicycle in car traffic. As true as that is, I almost wouldn't have it any other way. Biking in city traffic is exciting and almost like meditation to me. It's way less dangerous than biking in the country where I live now and biking here is pretty damned boring anyway. I'm getting fat!
arcosdev 13y ago
The ownership and operation of motor vehicles is a form of psychosis. We are collectively delusional as a culture with regard to automobiles in North America.
morkfromork 13y ago
I'll think about this the next time a biker almost hits me because they are riding on the sidewalk. Maybe bikers should be required to pass tests and be licensed to ride. People can't stop trains from crashing. What makes you think cars can avoid bikers 100% of the time?
rdsubhas 13y ago
I've been cycling for commute for the last 4 years in India, Chennai to be precise. And this is a problem with most car drivers, especially the posh ones. And the pain... Cornering me into the extreme sides of the road, Honking as if I suddenly have to disappear from the road, Huge lines of cars causing traffic and most of them driving single, Splashing water, etc. I sometimes know some of them, but its as if they're a different person when they get into a car, somewhat inhuman.

FreakyT 13y ago

You've answered your own question. Why would people be upset when you've ignored the lane provided for you and instead decided to slow traffic to a grinding halt by taking up an entire lane? Certainly, it's unfortunate that the bike lane is poorly maintained, but to wholly place the blame on the drivers strikes me as questionable.

hetman 13y ago
Because the bike paths are unsafe. Frankly cyclists usually annoy me, but he's following the law, and probably better than most of the self entitled idiots in cars who get by with the VERY minimum of safety awareness on the road.
kyledrake 13y ago
FreakyT, if I ever see you in the street, I'm going to run you over for getting in my way. And it will be called an accident. I do not understand why it is so hard for people to understand this problem, but I've given up hope ever describing it in Internet comments. In the interim, if you ever want to get away with murder, use a car.
- FreakyT 13y ago
  That'll teach me a lesson! Seriously though, he said that he was getting run over, he said he was being passed by in a dangerously close way. Have you ever tried to pass a cyclist on a two-lane road without a shoulder? You'll find it's extremely difficult.
  - kyledrake 13y ago
    Then slow down and wait until it's safe to pass. What could you possibly be doing that is more important than endangering someone's life? Do you understand that the cyclist has a legal right to be there, and that the reason for that legal right is safety?
    - TruthElixirX 13y ago
      What could the cyclist be doing that is more important than getting off of the road and letting traffic go around them instead of holding it up?
    - Brakenshire 13y ago
      > Then slow down and wait until it's safe to pass. I agree with your point, but to be fair, you could make a similar point about cyclists pulling over to let traffic pass. There are cases where overtaking is difficult for long distances, and in practice it's not realistic for a car to go at 10-15 mph behind a bike for miles at a time. For one thing, you risk drivers behind trying to overtake multiple vehicles at once. There has to be some sort of accommodation, at least in that limited case where passing is difficult, and cyclists moving slower than the flow of traffic. Although clearly that doesn't legitimize risking someone's life. Edit: Added second paragraph.
Joeboy 13y ago
> Why would people be upset when you've ignored the lane provided for you and instead decided to slow traffic to a grinding halt by taking up an entire lane? Perhaps people could recognize that the existence of a cycle lane does not necessarily mean that it's safe or even physically possible to cycle within its boundaries.
- busterarm 13y ago
  Given how many cops and taxis park in bike lanes and how many cars use bike lanes as turning lanes, yes, emphatically this.
jackmaney 13y ago
+1. +1,000,000 if I could.
SethMurphy 13y ago
In NYC, where the legal speed limit is 30mph and traffic is usually slower a bike taking up the whole lane does nothing to slow the overall traffic flow. If a bike can keep up the minimum speed for traffic they deserve the same piece of the road a car has, just like a motorcycle or scooter. I agree it is almost always safer to be in the normal flow of traffic than on the fringe of the bike lane (in NYC at least).

nostromo 13y ago

You're playing with fire here. You might be right, but being right and dead is cold comfort.

busterarm 13y ago

> It's just completely surreal driving a bicycle in car traffic. As true as that is, I almost wouldn't have it any other way. Biking in city traffic is exciting and almost like meditation to me. It's way less dangerous than biking in the country where I live now and biking here is pretty damned boring anyway. I'm getting fat!

arcosdev 13y ago

The ownership and operation of motor vehicles is a form of psychosis. We are collectively delusional as a culture with regard to automobiles in North America.

morkfromork 13y ago

I'll think about this the next time a biker almost hits me because they are riding on the sidewalk. Maybe bikers should be required to pass tests and be licensed to ride. People can't stop trains from crashing. What makes you think cars can avoid bikers 100% of the time?

rdsubhas 13y ago

I've been cycling for commute for the last 4 years in India, Chennai to be precise. And this is a problem with most car drivers, especially the posh ones. And the pain... Cornering me into the extreme sides of the road, Honking as if I suddenly have to disappear from the road, Huge lines of cars causing traffic and most of them driving single, Splashing water, etc. I sometimes know some of them, but its as if they're a different person when they get into a car, somewhat inhuman.