In order to participate in the GunBroker Member forums, you must be logged in with your GunBroker.com account. Click the sign-in button at the top right of the forums page to get connected.
Again, government bows to “the special people”( bicyclists)
jimdeere
Member, Moderator Posts: 26,286 ******
Comments
Around here the bicyclists think that their hobby is "pure" and the rest of us are the problem. I know one bicyclist well and his arrogance is overpowering. Occasionally when they are doing a weekend group ride they will ride three or for abreast with up to a hundred riders totally blocking one lane of traffic and they believe that is their "right".
A long line of cars stacking up behind them and they think it is funny that they are screwing up your day while they are out relaxing on their bikes. As a group they tend to be arrogant * openings. I must not forget the more than occasional upraised middle finger coming from God's appointed people!!
Read the comments. Just more stupid democraps making more stupid laws. When bicyclists take on cars and trucks the results for the bikes are usually catastrophic, and it won't matter what the laws are. They will still be dead.
A neighbor at a house I lived in in Council Tucky Iowa, was one of those arrogant, um, fellas.
He was whining one day that he was riding a county hardtop, hugging the center line. A semi came flying by him, and the air wash off the semi blew him into the ditch.
I live on Bicycle scenic highway 1 in NC.
Don't even start me on them.
There's a radio talk show in the PNW and the host refers to them as 'The Spandex Mafia'. Pretty accurate description.
I don't think many of the die hard bike riders have even a basic understanding of physics.
What does “God’s appointed people” have to do with bicyclists? You had me up to that point.
There is not much I hate, but these folks that live in the city and then have their "events" out here in the country taking over the roads with no regard to the folks that live and need to travel to feed store etc. and get stopped for these "events" really pushes some buttons for me.... 90%+ don't live where the "events" are held, why don't they just ride their bikes on a track at their own local HS or something instead of messing with other peoples areas? Oh and I think their little outfits make them look like idiots...
My concern is on Mountain roads with sharp curves, coming around a curve on some of these roads and meeting a cyclist around the corner with no where to veer off to is scary. While I get that riding their may be fun the road was made for vehicle traffic and without something like smoke bombs left behind you could VERY easily round a turn and run smack into one.
90% are total idiots with road rules. Some pay the price.
Look up the Tour De France "bike crash" and what happened a day or two ago. Person holding up a cardboard sign and wipes out a BUNCH.
Around here just about all of the old railroad track beds have been made into paved trails for bikes and walkers. Those trails go on for miles and miles and plenty of scenic views and wilderness offerings as well. Even with all the safe choices for bikers to pick, there are a plethora of them that choose to ride the highways which makes for several sad stories each year.
I drive a school bus on crooked country roads. I’m not allowed to cross the yellow line to pass them. Most of the time they will pull over at a safe spot and let us by, but on one occasion an old man was creeping along and would not pull over. I could not follow him and I could not stop. I tooted the horn and crept forward. He did not acknowledge us. I finally just laid on the horn and he pulled over. I wanted to tell him “ Hey, A-hole, these are your neighbors children who are trying to get home!”
I had a house in Woodlawn VA between Galax and Hillsville. A beautiful setting in the Blue Ridge! Only thing I didn't like was that the mountain roads were narrow and there was NO shoulder just about everywhere!
Spent most of my youth on bikes and am also a fan of motorcycles.
Sadly I, do not partake in either not by choice but fear of someone "Not seeing me"
Use to be one could ride on the road and get the respect of any vehicles. My Vintage Chicago made 12 speed Schwinn Traveler is in the building. Tires are flat but with a little care road worthy.
I've had the same experience as you Lock, Stock, & Darryl. I lived in Austin for many years, before becoming a political refugee and fleeing, and the bike lanes now have more space than that reserved for cars. I liked riding but it's become too crazy as bikes take over and car drivers have nowhere to be but on your handlebar. It's like the city council is trying to force the population to ride bikes everywhere. Tough biking to work in July and August in a suit I can tell you. The "cyclists" in Austin are an arrogant bunch mostly and when faced with their hogging the road I never failed to inquire how much road-use tax each bicycle pays. Zero.
I bought mine from the local Magistrate many many yrs ago. His son rode the bike all over SC in some kind of competition. His son was suppose to be the new Magistrate and had a job for SLED. South Carolina Law Enforcement Division . He is now a Commander in the District for the Sheriffs Dept. I was thinking of taking my bike to a local shop having it tuned up with new tires and cleaned up and giving it to him. If his sons wouldn't want it I reckon he could keep it as memories or donate it away to a good home.
That is what has happen around here plus the trails have been expanded to go between several counties. I would like to see bikes restricted to these trails.
My problem with the bike riders is that we have mostly narrow winding and hilly country roads. So every time we come to a bike we have to go completely around them in the other lane of traffic and somestimes with a curve or hill coming it can be very harzardous. Plus if I was to have an accident while in the opposite lane while going around the bike I am the one who will be liable.
We already pay for the trails in our taxes. If the recreational bikes want to use the road, then provide drivers with some liability protection when going around them, do more enforcement of bike laws with fines and make bikes pay taxes and have insurance like we have to have on for our vehicles that us the road.
:-) Tough riding to work in July and August in a suit? I relish those months, I can ride to work in shorts and a tshirt and change when I get there.
It's December to February that's tough. Pitch black and ice, with a whole 'nother kind of traffic.
They blacktopped some of the trails/ old railroad beds, around here.
The POS bike riders say they don't like riding on them, because there's too many people walking, and they have to slow down, and it's hard to get around them.
Oh buoy!
Bikes deserve to be on the road. I used to ride competitively. Riding on the roads, you take your chances though. Car drivers, motorcycle riders, and bicyclists......................all need to respect each other and just BE AWARE and BE KIND.
Yep I pay biennial registration for both my Land Rovers and they each get maybe 3,000 miles per year. I figure I'm ahead of the curve by quite a ways now.
My 2 cents. No bike lane, keep you bike off the road.
I live in an area with roads that are very crooked, narrow, limited view, almost no ditch lines and no shoulders. I am not only talking about side roads but the main roads with heavy traffic. College near here even has suicide = bicycle teams that ride these roads. Seems like most bike riders never yeild to traffic and I have seen many of them run stop sighs. Death wish for sure.
We have had a few deaths due to folks coming up on cyclists and no time to react.
I got caught in what must have been Idiots on Bicycles day in Saluda NC a few months ago.3 or 4 abreast on a curvy, hilly rd at about 10 or 15 mph.
Back in my wee years when I was learning the rules of the road I was taught that with a few exceptions bicycles have as much right to the road as an automobile. I was also taught they are required to follow the same laws. If LE would enforce the laws there would be much fewer issues. Stopping when they're supposed to, giving proper signals, pulling over on state and county roads when they have 5 or more vehicles obstructed by slow speeds. These are rules in place for automobiles as well as bicycles and should be enforced.
A very close friend of mine was killed while riding his bike with a group of people. He was hit by semi tractor with no trailer. His remains, bicycle, helmet, and shoes were all located on the shoulder of the road. The truck driver stated that my friend swerved into his lane of traffic. Several of his riding companions stated that the truck drifted onto the shoulder. The driver was never charged.
My friend had logged tens of thousands of miles of riding.