Explain me a thing

"Berang" (berang) 07/25/2017 at 02:04 • Filed to: None

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Why is it self appointed tough guys think that beating up people they say are weak, is what makes them tough guys? It’s not so tough to beat up somebody you just pointed out is a weakling.

Yes I was reading all the anti-bike comments probably made by 13 year olds on the FP. The fact that so many “tough guys” in 5,000lbs.+ vehicles feel threatened by 20lbs. bicycles is kind of amazing though.

Also before anybody says “but cyclists break the law” - you’ve never stood at an intersection and watched how many people in cars blatantly run red lights, make right turns from the left turn lane around stopped traffic, etc. etc. etc. Cyclists aren’t half as active as motorists at being shit on the road.

Wheelerguy > Berang 07/25/2017 at 02:13

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because SUPERIORITY. Because the weak are easy, and ease is, to them, a measure of strength.

I AM WASING AWARENESS WITH MY PENIS

DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time > Berang 07/25/2017 at 02:30

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Fear leads to resentment, resentment leads to the dark-side.  

(Actually pretty damn true.)

sony1492 > Berang 07/25/2017 at 02:50

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Honestly I don’t like bicyclists much in non urban settings on backroads. To me its not a matter of manlyness it just seems unsafe to be going half(or less) the speed limit on the inside of a blind corner with no protection against whatever car comes up behind you(and in my experience only half the peaple listen to the limits anyway). Plus it’s always fun trying to pass without sounding like an asshole(I wager they’d take it personally) but still passing in a timely manner. Or the fact that if you do the right thing and wait for a nice straight(because that’s the only safe time) you will have a line of 8 cars behind you trundling along for the past 4 miles.

That being said I don’t think I’d mind cyclist in the city because the problems I have with it are about the road setting.

Flavien Vidal > Berang 07/25/2017 at 03:38

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It’s not a question of superiority... If I hit a bike with my car, chances are that I’ll be considered responsible for it. In Urban areas, bikes often drive like shit, slaloming between cars and so on... It’s really annoying and dangerous, especially since I’ll be the one found guilty if I hit one, even if I’m not responsible.

Taxis drive like shit too but everyone knows that and if I hit one because he was doing crap, he’ll be the one paying for damages almost automatically. Bikes on the other hand, in Japan and pretty much anywhere else too, if I hit one that decided to cross the road on the pedestrian crossing while coming out of nowhere at 35kph, I’ll be responsible for it, automatically. So yeah, based on that, fuck all those who don’t give a crap and ride like shit...

I don’t mind sharing the road with them if they respect the law though. But many don’t and it’s big problem.

His Stigness > Flavien Vidal 07/25/2017 at 04:23

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You mentioned Japan but in the US you are not automatically assumed at fault if you hit a cyclist. I can only speak for CA which states bicycles are considered motor vehicles, hence why they need to follow the same rules, so the same rules apply to them in an accident. If they’re illegally changing lanes and you hit them, they’re at fault. But if they’re riding along in the next lane and you fail to notice them: your fault. It depends on the situation, but I’m sorry, you’re just wrong about the motorist always being at fault. It’s that kind of mentality that has fucked over cyclists, and we never get any sort of justice when motorists are at fault. I’ve been hit twice now because of people’s gross incompetence and failure to pay fucking attention, and I’m lucky. Most people are killed, and most motorists aren’t even charged with vehicular manslaughter. Why? Because fuck cyclists. Everyone hates cyclists and assumes because of a few assholes that we’re all bad.

Also, have you noticed how other people drive like shit? How about turning right on a red light, does anyone actually STOP? NOPE! Yet that’s okay, but a cyclist rolling through a stop sign is somehow FUCKING HORRIBLE AND KILL THEM WITH FIRE? Fuck that, and fuck the ridiculous double standard.

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > sony1492 07/25/2017 at 06:41

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There’s a principle called “driving as fast as you can see”, i.e. make sure your stopping distance is within the bit of road visible in front of your car. If cyclists prove to be an unavoidable obstacle in a blind corner, I don’t wanna be there when you come upon a crossing deer or a broken down car.

As far as overtaking goes: as long as it happens at a considerate speed (let’s say a delta of max. 5-8 mph) and at a reasonable distance (2 ft to the left of the cyclist), I don’t see why you couldn’t put two wheels over a double yellow (visibility permitting). The passing distance becomes an issue when drivers blast by at full speed.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > Berang 07/25/2017 at 06:53

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I spend literally all day driving through Providence RI, and the difference around here is this: a relatively small number of cars run red lights, make illegal turns, or generally do dumb shit but every single cyclist I see does dumb shit all the time. When I see a cyclist stopped at a red light, I’m legitimately impressed.

Plus, I’ve always found the stupidity of cars to be predictable where bikes are harder to read. Now I just assume they’re going to do whatever the wrong thing is all the time.

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > Berang 07/25/2017 at 06:58

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Part of it is probably what also causes rage against lane-splitting bikers: the requirement to be on the lookout for not-cars, and the lack of ability to allow other road users to get where they’re going quicker or differently.

B/Xmrrmvr > His Stigness 07/25/2017 at 07:27

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You mentioned Japan but in the US you are not automatically assumed at fault if you hit a cyclist.

In New York State, it’s considered “no fault” but the driver’s insurance is obligated to pay for the cyclist’s medical expenses no matter whose fault it was.

Funktheduck > Berang 07/25/2017 at 08:07

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I didn’t read the FP post but I’ll reply to you because I literally saw it yesterday afternoon. A pack of riders were coming up on a stop sign. 3 way intersection with only a stop for the intersecting road. Front guys yelled “car” and took a right without even slowing down for the stop sign. The rest of the pack came through the stop sign doing the same causing cars to swerve. Then they held up traffic as they kept going in between the curb and a car that had stopped for a right turn just ahead of the sign they just ran.

I see people in cars do way worse and more often (more cars than bikes and all). But there are several pro teams and wanna bes that ride like they’re the only ones out on the road that give the average person on a bike a bad name. I won’t even go into the times I’ve personally had issues with them including them refusing to move, trapping me in a parking spot so they can have a chat.

All people are jerks in large enough numbers.

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > Berang 07/25/2017 at 08:39

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A couple of things that most motorists are unaware of when it comes to bikes is that many riders are physically attached to their bikes via their pedals. This makes coming to a complete stop somewhat awkward unless you have skills and the patience to use them (most don’t). Plus most stop signed intersections are designed for motorists who approach at speed and leave the same way...all in seconds. Cyclists are far slower and typically have far longer periods to sight and react to sensory inputs. And yet they too are typically motorists more often than they are cyclists...so they see an opportunity and a potential inconvenience that doesn’t apply so much to them and suddenly the stop sign is largely ignored. It’s human nature and it would eventually happen to any of you motorists who suddenly found yourself enjoying a bicycle ride.

The road you know as a motorist is not the same road you might experience as a cyclist. No wonder the interaction between the two leads to friction...

e36Jeff now drives a ZHP > Berang 07/25/2017 at 08:43

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I don’t blindly hate cyclists, I hate people that needlessly endanger themselves or others(in the case of cyclists they are more endangering my wallet if my insurance has to pay out for their carelessness). I don’t care if you are in a car, bike, moped, trike, 18-wheeler, cessna, unicycle, or tank. If you run a redlight, fail to yield, or generally drive like a jerk odds are I’m going to hate you.

haveacarortwoorthree2 > sony1492 07/25/2017 at 08:55

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But see, people bitch and moan about cyclists in the city because there are too many cars and too many pedestrians. So cyclists go out to places that aren’t so populated and people complain about that as well. The bottom line is that motorists and cyclists all need to be aware and drive/ride safely. For example, on a blind corner, cyclists need to look back before entering to see what traffic is coming. They also need to stay as far to the side of the road that is safe. And motorists need to not enter a blind corner going 65 mph — after all, it is a blind corner and you don’t know what could be around the bend. I will say that riding alone in the country/non-urban areas is not recommended — I always feel more comfortable being in a group as that helps with visibility (although it does make it harder for motorists to pass).

As far your comment that “it’s always fun trying to pass without sounding like an asshole (I wager they’d take it personally),” I have no idea what you mean. Are you suggesting the cyclists using their two legs for power are going to take it personally when someone driving a car powered by some type of engine passes them? That sounds, and is, wrong — at least for all the cyclists that I know, including me. And the only way passing a cyclist would make you sound like an asshole is if you yell something derogatory out your window — personally, I appreciate when people motor past me as quickly and safely as possible. That said, is it really going to change a motorist’s life to be stuck behind a group of cyclists for 30 seconds or even — gasp — a minute? I’ve never been on any road where cars could not safely pass in a zone that lasted longer than 30-60 seconds.

haveacarortwoorthree2 > Funktheduck 07/25/2017 at 08:59

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That’s a group of asshole riders. In every group I’ve ever been a part of, “car” means stop because the car has the right of way.

However, if you remove running the stop sign from the story, I don’t have an issue with them going by the car trying to turn if they were in a bike lane. If not in a bike lane, I would have allowed the car to go — that said, I have vigorously waived people to go or turn or whatever only to have them stare at me with their mouths open while sitting there without moving. Now that may be my fault because seeing in my spandex is quite a sight, but still ....

Quadradeuce > Berang 07/25/2017 at 09:54

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Let me preface this by saying I’ve been urban biking since I learned how to ride. For those familiar with Milwaukee, I grew up in a 3 block wide neighborhood wedged between Wisconsin Ave and Bluemound Road, both very busy streets. In order to get anywhere, you had to cross them.

I also biked my way through college on an urban Big10 campus, and I still ride my bike to work on occasion (less so since the kids came along), which takes me through the downtown area.

Now in my time biking I have been hit by cars. I have also learned that even if I’m in the right, the laws of physics will determine the winner. So I’ve learned that in order to make it home at the end of the day I need to be a defensive biker. I need to look out for drivers who don’t see me or don’t understand the ROTR when it comes to bikers. And I sure as hell need to follow the Rules of the Road. Here’s why:

The only thing that keeps us from running into each other on the road is having a general sense of what the other person is going to do. We get that sense by following the rules. I assume a car will stop for a red light, and 99% of the time they do. That other 1% of the time? That’s when an accident happens. When bikers completely ignore those rules, how can we expect cars to guess what we are going to do?

Just yesterday I almost ran over a cyclist (OK, it wasn’t that close. I was watching him like a hawk because I KNEW he was going to do something stupid). He was riding on the sidewalk approaching a crosswalk that I was about the turn through. He slowed down as he approached and turned his wheels as if he was going to turn down the block instead of cross the street. Most drivers would have seen this and stopped watching the biker. After he almost came to a complete stop, he straightened his wheel and took off through the crosswalk, never even looking at me. I was already into the intersection, clearly about to turn through that crosswalk. I hit the brakes (while pulling my work trailer, FWIW), and he scoots through right in front of my truck. Since I was watching him the whole time, he was never in any danger and I was still 20' away as he passed by. Another driver, perhaps one of the drivers you reference in your post, would have plastered him.

Who’s at fault in this situation? According to you, I am since bikers are allowed to break the rules “because car drivers break the rules too”. But he shouldn’t have even been riding on the sidewalk or crosswalk, and a smart biker would have at least looked 90 degrees to the right to see if a truck and trailer was about to end his life.

So I guess what I’m getting at is bikers need to follow the rules at least as much as cars. If signals get crossed and a collision occurs, the biker is going to lose. I’d rather keep my intentions as clear as possible by following the ROTR.

Funktheduck > haveacarortwoorthree2 07/25/2017 at 10:04

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No bike lane. Residential road. It wasn’t the end of the world and didn’t take that long. Just an example of how the spandex clad groups flagrantly break the law. Minor laws that could have major consequences

Tapas > Berang 07/25/2017 at 10:07

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This discussion aside, I genuinely think the person in the picture has “I BELIEEEEVE i CANT FLYYYYYY” going through his head.

And now that song is stuck in my head. So, thank you.

sony1492 > Out, but with a W - has found the answer 07/25/2017 at 10:36

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That’s how peaple should drive not how they do drive. In a perfect world the cyclists not in danger, but the world’s not perfect. I rarely see peaple follow speed limits let alone drive as fast as they can see

sony1492 > haveacarortwoorthree2 07/25/2017 at 10:53

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Although entering blind corners at speed is not a good idea I still see alot of it where I am. Also To some degree I’m playing devil’s advocate here

The passing part refers to passing in a loud car in a quick manner. Imagine the car behind you downshifts and makes loud v8 noises as it passes swiftly(giving ample room) I imagine a cyclist might think the driver is trying to be rude.

Yes I’ve been on roads with cyclist where passing wasn’t safe for a good while. I’m not saying it’s the end of the world to have to wait.

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > sony1492 07/25/2017 at 11:18

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It’s a big no-win situation though. You have one of three common opinions I hear about bikes.

In the city you are out of place cause there are so many cars that it’s dangerous for bikes.

On multi use paths you are out of place because you go too fast.

On country roads you are out of place because you go to slow.

His Stigness > B/Xmrrmvr 07/25/2017 at 12:54

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So it’s the cyclist’s fault you live a no fault state? How about the drivers that drive like complete idiots, I guess they’re okay since they somehow escaped your tirade.

Frank Grimes > Berang 07/25/2017 at 15:34

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I never understood the bully mentality either. How does making fun of someone and insulting someone you claim to be better than prove anything other than you are actually worse than them?

Berang > Frank Grimes 07/26/2017 at 00:05

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It really is the most bizarre reasoning.

B/Xmrrmvr > His Stigness 07/26/2017 at 04:24

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Tirade? I was just adding to your comment since you said you only spoke for CA.

NJAnon > Berang 07/27/2017 at 17:40

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“You read the frontpage” Im so sorry Berang.