Suicidal Cyclist

"Takuro Spirit" (takurospirit)
09/21/2017 at 12:28 • Filed to: ram cam, ram dashcam, caught on dashcam, two wheels bad, cyclist, stupid cyclists, cyclists

Riding at night, on 45mph road, in all black, with a barely working rear light, and only the whites of your calves to reflect my HIGH BEAMS ? Not very bright of you, sir.

DISCUSSION (21)

cmill189 - sans Volvo > Takuro Spirit
09/21/2017 at 12:41

Assuming this person is not an idiot with a deathwish...

What likely happened is they road too far and didn’t think about how long it would take to get back, had mechanical issues, or got sick.

Source: Personal experience that taught me to always make sure my taillight was working.

PotbellyJoe and 42 others > Takuro Spirit
09/21/2017 at 12:42

Why are you using high beams when the car in front of you is so close?

And yes, the cyclist should have a brighter light and brighter socks (bright socks are better than bright jerseys because motion catches a driver’s eye.)

Takuro Spirit > PotbellyJoe and 42 others
09/21/2017 at 12:46

So I could SEE the cyclist

(aka so it would show up on camera)

PotbellyJoe and 42 others > Takuro Spirit
09/21/2017 at 12:50

Meh, no turns in that section and he’s riding in the shoulder, shouldn’t be your concern.

It happens, you get caught out late, or the battery in the light starts to die. If it happened regularly I could see making an issue of it. Once and on a road like this, minor offense and only putting himself at risk.

Takuro Spirit > cmill189 - sans Volvo
09/21/2017 at 12:53

99.9% of the cyclists I see on this road daily ALWAYS have on bright gear, no matter the time of day.

Hell, even I wouldn’t go out in all black when the sun was shining, nevermind the heat quotient.

haveacarortwoorthree2 > Takuro Spirit
09/21/2017 at 12:54

Given that most drivers and pedestrians are idiots, I simply just never ride in the dark unless it is on a bikes only trail. I even had a woman a couple weeks ago (on a bike/pedestrian trail around a lake) decide she was tired of walking the direction she was going and just turned to her left into the bike lane without a care in the world. Luckily, I had already slowed down but I still had to decide whether to go down or slam into her (I went down). Many people are fucking idiots.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Takuro Spirit
09/21/2017 at 12:55

When I lived in the city I would frequently see guys ridding in all black clothing, at night on a black bicycle with not even a reflector, on the wrong side of the street. It is a miracle that more of them didn’t get hit.

Kinja'd!!!

Chariotoflove > Takuro Spirit
09/21/2017 at 12:56

Recreational cyclists always seem to be the ones to use reflective gear. It’s the people I see using their bikes for actual transportation around here that usually fail to dress appropriately, even at night. I can’t tell which that is here.

Takuro Spirit > PotbellyJoe and 42 others
09/21/2017 at 12:56

We had just exited a right hand curve, the car in front of me was caught off guard and braked, and no matter the time of day he should have had lighter colored clothes on.

It is a concern to me because I had little time to distinguish him from a cyclist riding proper, a cyclist wobbling all over the shoulder, a pedestrian, an animal, etc.

Takuro Spirit > Chariotoflove
09/21/2017 at 12:58

I want to say the former. There is literally nothing on this road for 4 miles, it is between two towns but at 7:20 at night if its a commuter they should know better. If its for recreation they have half gear, but are using it inappropriately and there is a dedicated bike trail just a bit to the East.

PotbellyJoe and 42 others > Takuro Spirit
09/21/2017 at 13:00

Unless you go over the white line with regularity, a right hand bend should mean nothing for this. Sorry, I get your need to play police officer on this, but it’s easy to cast stones whilst in 2-tons of steel. You don’t know the facts and are projecting your suppositions onto a guy.

My conjecture is nothing but an isolated incident that you observed, because that what this is. There could be many reasons for it, including that he’s a fool, but none are conclusive so to say anything like that is doing so in absence of fact.

I agree he should be wearing brighter clothing, or reflective gear, but he’s not. Meanwhile the only mortal risk is to himself, so maybe don’t worry about it.

Takuro Spirit > PotbellyJoe and 42 others
09/21/2017 at 13:05

I get that you feel the need to defend him. I get it.

I am just stating the obvious. He was not wearing bright clothes. His rear light was barely visible. It was dark.

Stick to the facts, okay? Lets not turn this into a pissing match. There are enough of those on the FP.

PotbellyJoe and 42 others > Takuro Spirit
09/21/2017 at 13:14

Perfectly fine by me, I agreed on the clothing first thing off. I’m a cyclist myself, and because of three kids in the house, I ride mostly after they go to bed to maintain my fitness levels.

Some of the piety that gets bandied about by drivers annoys the ever-loving-piss out of me, though, and maybe I just misread that in your post title. I hate when cycling is projected as dangerous. It’s really only dangerous due to poor driving/operating of bike or car. If a cyclist maintains their line and is reasonably visible (shit in this case he was barely even that) the dangers are not as big as stated. If a driver drives while keeping a modicum of sense to their actions and maintain their lane of travel, cyclists can then adjust to allow for safety to themselves.

Not trying to have a pissing contest, just saying calling this guy suicidal is too far for the facts at hand.

Takuro Spirit > PotbellyJoe and 42 others
09/21/2017 at 13:24

I did it more for the alliteration than anything. I ride myself as well. Often after dark, since I have the same home life as you, minus one kiddo.

I tend to stick to side streets and the bike path, and I know the highway is sometimes needed but there was just too many things wrong with the way this guy was riding. True, he was maintaining his line when I passed him, as was I, but other drivers I cannot say. I’d hate for something to happen due to a bad combination of his lack of visibility and a driver being distracted/wandering onto the shoulder unaware.

cbell04 > Takuro Spirit
09/21/2017 at 13:24

I nearly hit someone on a major interstate (NC I40 going 55 mph) in a work Zone riding a bike in dressed in all black at night last year. I shared the dashcam video two Oppo but I’m too lazy to search for it again. Death wish indeed.

Shamoononon drives like a farmer > Takuro Spirit
09/21/2017 at 13:55

I find the guys that run on the street instead of the side walk to be equally prone to self harm. Especially when they stare you down because how dare you drive by them on the street.

Takuro Spirit > Shamoononon drives like a farmer
09/21/2017 at 13:57

Those people confuse me. I bet they cycle on the sidewalks though.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Takuro Spirit
09/21/2017 at 16:31

At least there’s a shoulder!

Takuro Spirit > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
09/21/2017 at 16:36

Its one of our nicer roads

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Takuro Spirit
09/21/2017 at 16:43

On the road that leads to my old house (there are nearby dedicated bike trails), there’s one mile that’s two lanes with no shoulders. Recently, a bicyclist moved in front of a few other cars at the stop light and then proceeded to advance as soon as the light changed, getting in front of a long line of cars that would then need to pass him on a double yellow. Why in the hell wouldn’t you wait for 5 seconds to let the cars backed up at the light go first, and then follow them onto this narrow road? Are you planning on going 55 to stay ahead of them? Do you have a death wish? I just don’t understand people sometimes...

duurtlang > Takuro Spirit
09/22/2017 at 01:58

“only the whites of your calves to reflect my HIGH BEAMS ?”

Sound like white privilege to me