LogFAQs > #979899008

SomeLikeItHoth posted...

What's biking like in Japan? Here in America (especially in California) it's fucking dangerous.

Here's a few comments from my towns sub.

https://www.reddit.com/r/SanJose/comments/1c1pvxw/how_can_the_city_get_more_people_to_ride_bikes/

Make it harder for cars to kill me and make it harder to steal my bike when I need to lock it up.

Protected bike lanes and prosecute people that steal them.

Adding more bike lanes don't stop cars crashing into you. I would feel more comfortable if there's like actual metal dividers , or an entire blocked off section by concrete like the one stretch on San tomas

I would ride if I could be somewhat confident that my bike will not get stolen or if there was a good storage solution to prevent theft. got my bike stolen twice. not doing it again

Actually enforce driving laws. Red lights, stop signs, speeding, cell phone use. All of it. There are currently ZERO consequences for dangerous driving, drivers have adjusted their behavior accordingly, and the death toll of our government's complete inaction continues to climb.
And arrest all the reckless driving fuckers swerving around neighborhood streets at 60mph like it's GTA.

I don't bike because I don't feel safe. I don't feel safe because drivers here don't pay attention.

... You get the idea.

No one here follows rules either. People go on pavements, bike lanes, roads ect.

Theres a law where you're supposed to wear helmets, but no one does and the police doesn't enforce it. I've seen so many near misses with people on bikes and pedestrians, its not even funny. When I'm walking in the streets, I always look behind me when I decide to move left or right, since they're usually a bike zooming past. I even saw a high school girl yesterday on her phone with one hand, whilst riding.

So yeah, this being Japan, its pretty surprising how reckless and non-chalant people are with bicycles.