Current Events > Do traffic laws not apply to bikers

(+) Yeah! (+)

Cuz they don't seem to stop at stop signs even when pedestrians wanna cross, but they'll stay in their bike lane
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They're supposed to follow pretty much the same rules as a car on the road. They just don't.

They're absolutely insufferable here in SW Florida. They'll run a stop sign, nearly get hit by a car, then come un-fucking-glued with self righteous fury at you for nearly hitting them... because they just ran through a stop sign in front of you when you have the right of way.

We have a pretty extensive network of bike lanes on the side of the road meant to give them breathing room away from traffic. They'll still ride in the street. Then chase you and bitch that you got too close to them.

I don't get it. Most roads around here are 45mph minimum. You're not going to do well on a bike against a car, but for some reason they insist on being ignorant to their surroundings and disregard all traffic laws that apply to them.
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Most cyclists tend to only obey traffic laws insofar as not getting themselves killed. Much like most pedestrians
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It's the same in Chicago, and I just can't wrap my head around why it's so widespread
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Most cyclists ride on the fucking pavement here.
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IIRC they do, but it's not like there's a cop on every corner looking for bikers to ticket
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DK9292 posted...

Most cyclists ride on the fucking pavement here.

As someone that walks and takes trains everywhere in the city, that sounds intolerable
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In my town cyclists usually obey traffic laws
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Zembaphobia posted...

DK9292 posted...

Most cyclists ride on the fucking pavement here.

As someone that walks and takes trains everywhere in the city, that sounds intolerable

It is. Especially when they come up behind someone without even calling out or ringing their bell.

I have to fight the urge to kick them off their fucking bikes.
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Yes. Bikers are obligated to follow most/all traffic laws that cars do. But nope, they just blow stop signs, zig zag through stopped traffic, and all around say fuck it to the traffic laws.

If they want to use the road, they have to follow the rules that cars follow.
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eston posted...

IIRC they do, but it's not like there's a cop on every corner looking for bikers to ticket

They should, it's easy funding
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VectorChaos posted...

They're supposed to follow pretty much the same rules as a car on the road. They just don't.

this. so many here in socal and they are fucking dbags.

DK9292 posted...

Zembaphobia posted...

DK9292 posted...

Most cyclists ride on the fucking pavement here.

As someone that walks and takes trains everywhere in the city, that sounds intolerable

It is. Especially when they come up behind someone without even calling out or ringing their bell.

I have to fight the urge to kick them off their fucking bikes.

I had this fat bitch biker cycling behind me while I was walking my dog on the sidewalk near the beach with my mom, she got all pissy and shit that we were taking up the entire sidewalk because it was a puppy, meanwhile there's a fucking bike lane right to the side.

I just calmly dealt with it, but I should've just bitched her out, probably would've if my Mom wasn't there
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Those assholes who think they can run through traffic only to run into someone opening their card door always makes make laugh, because they always act like it's the driver's fault. If you want to play that game you should be willing to accept the consequence of flipping on your bike when strangers don't notice you.
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Sexypwnstar posted...

eston posted...

IIRC they do, but it's not like there's a cop on every corner looking for bikers to ticket

They should, it's easy funding

I saw a cop stop an entire gaggle of bikers down here for running a stop sign. Gave every one of them a ticket. Warmed my fucking heart watching it.

You would not believe the vile shit that came out of their mouths while he was ticketing them. Such a "how DARE YOU punish us for our flagrant disregard for traffic law and the safety of ourselves and others" attitude.
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I don't need a license to ride my bike

So no, they don't apply to bikers
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refmon posted...

I don't need a license to ride my bike

So no, they don't apply to bikers

Where do you live? Have you actually read the relevant statutes?
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We talking motorcycles or bicycles? They both suck.
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cops dont like to pull over cyclists
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JustMyOpinion posted...

refmon posted...

I don't need a license to ride my bike

So no, they don't apply to bikers

Lol, because that's totally how the law works.

uwnim posted...

refmon posted...

I don't need a license to ride my bike

So no, they don't apply to bikers

Where do you live? Have you actually read the relevant statutes?

I'm hoping you two missed what he did because I'll be stunned if he meant that seriously.
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dave_is_slick posted...

I'm hoping you two missed what he did because I'll be stunned if he meant that seriously.

From how cyclists behave, there are a lot of people who really do believe that.
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They're absolutely insufferable here in SW Florida.

People ride their bikes in the middle of the ocean?
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DevsBro posted...

They're absolutely insufferable here in SW Florida.

People ride their bikes in the middle of the ocean?

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I fucking hate people that ride bikes. I fantasize about running them over with my car.
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glitteringfairy posted...

I fantasize about running them over with my car.

inb4 FBI traces this post and arrests for intent to run over neo-nazis
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They're allowed to run pressure plate red lights because they don't weigh enough to activate it, but they are required to come to a complete stop first.
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I don't think bikers are supposed to be driving in the bicycle lane.
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I hate cyclists so much. They act like they own the world. "Watch for bikes"? Yea right, you're on your own buddy. :u
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VectorChaos posted...

They're supposed to follow pretty much the same rules as a car on the road. They just don't.

They're absolutely insufferable here in SW Florida. They'll run a stop sign, nearly get hit by a car, then come un-fucking-glued with self righteous fury at you for nearly hitting them... because they just ran through a stop sign in front of you when you have the right of way.

We have a pretty extensive network of bike lanes on the side of the road meant to give them breathing room away from traffic. They'll still ride in the street. Then chase you and bitch that you got too close to them.

I don't get it. Most roads around here are 45mph minimum. You're not going to do well on a bike against a car, but for some reason they insist on being ignorant to their surroundings and disregard all traffic laws that apply to them.

I honestly think people like that have nothing better to do with their day/lives
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California motorcyclist here. We're ok to run red lights, split lanes and speed to "filter" bad drivers.
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kirbymuncher posted...

Most cyclists tend to only obey traffic laws insofar as not getting themselves killed. Much like most pedestrians

Pedestrians usually aren't that bad to be honest. In the city the biggest issue is all the assholes in cars who can never seem to be bothered to stop for anyone in a crosswalk. Can't count how many times I have seen someone slam on their brakes and almost run over a mother and child in the crosswalk because they can't be bothered to stop their car for someone crossing.

One day I actually saw someone run over and kill an old man crossing a crosswalk because she couldn't be bothered to stop her car for 5 seconds. The cops got right on it and it was a whole cleanup... I remember watching them get the firetruck to hose all his blood off the street.
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VectorChaos posted...

They're supposed to follow pretty much the same rules as a car on the road. They just don't.

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That said for all the complaining about cyclists in this topic, cars aren't perfect either

I bike a fair bit and probably 2-3 times per week I have to deal with / dodge cars doing things they really shouldn't be doing. Many people just aren't paying enough attention to cyclists
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You'd think cyclists would be a helluva lot more cautious than a motorist. I mean, one fuck up and the cyclist is the one who's gonna be dead.

kirbymuncher posted...

That said for all the complaining about cyclists in this topic, cars aren't perfect either

I bike a fair bit and probably 2-3 times per week I have to deal with / dodge cars doing things they really shouldn't be doing. Many people just aren't paying enough attention to cyclists

Willing to bet that a majority of those situations were created by you not following the rules
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kirbymuncher posted...

That said for all the complaining about cyclists in this topic, cars aren't perfect either

I bike a fair bit and probably 2-3 times per week I have to deal with / dodge cars doing things they really shouldn't be doing. Many people just aren't paying enough attention to cyclists

Trust me, they aren't paying much attention to pedestrians either.

People are just far too isolated and absorbed by technology in their cars these days, it makes them far too detached from the outside world for people who are moving around it.
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Drivers are much worse than cyclists and pedestrians
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I love it when cyclists think a road without a bike lane during rush hour is their personal gym.
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Muffinz0rz posted...

kirbymuncher posted...

That said for all the complaining about cyclists in this topic, cars aren't perfect either

I bike a fair bit and probably 2-3 times per week I have to deal with / dodge cars doing things they really shouldn't be doing. Many people just aren't paying enough attention to cyclists

Willing to bet that a majority of those situations were created by you not following the rules

Dude, most people in cars are fucking clueless when it comes to being aware of their surroundings. It's the problems with cars, they are good at things like stoplights but terrible at things like being aware of bikes/pedestrians around them.
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tennisdude818 posted...

I love it when cyclists think a road without a bike lane during rush hour is their personal gym.

If traffic is at a standstill and there's a little sliver of open road between me and the curb, and I see a biker driving on that little sliver to pass everyone (even though there's a SIDEWALK on the other side of the curb in the area that I have in mind), I will inch close enough to the curb to the point where they'll have to stop when they get to me.
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Muffinz0rz posted...

kirbymuncher posted...

That said for all the complaining about cyclists in this topic, cars aren't perfect either

I bike a fair bit and probably 2-3 times per week I have to deal with / dodge cars doing things they really shouldn't be doing. Many people just aren't paying enough attention to cyclists

Willing to bet that a majority of those situations were created by you not following the rules

The most common one is when I'm trying to go straight through a light in a bike lane and cars try to turn left in front of me, cutting me off. Not sure you can really blame that one on me :/
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jayj420 posted...

Muffinz0rz posted...

kirbymuncher posted...

That said for all the complaining about cyclists in this topic, cars aren't perfect either

I bike a fair bit and probably 2-3 times per week I have to deal with / dodge cars doing things they really shouldn't be doing. Many people just aren't paying enough attention to cyclists

Willing to bet that a majority of those situations were created by you not following the rules

Dude, most people in cars are fucking clueless when it comes to being aware of their surroundings. It's the problems with cars, they are good at things like stoplights but terrible at things like being aware of bikes/pedestrians around them.

Sure, but even the best-of-sight-and-reflex drivers can't do much when a biker blasts across a blind-view crosswalk without slowing down because "MUH MUH MUH RIGHT OF WAY"
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I also get squished up into the curb every so often so now I've started just taking up the whole lane if there's too many cars around so they don't have a choice but to give me space
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kirbymuncher posted...

Muffinz0rz posted...

kirbymuncher posted...

That said for all the complaining about cyclists in this topic, cars aren't perfect either

I bike a fair bit and probably 2-3 times per week I have to deal with / dodge cars doing things they really shouldn't be doing. Many people just aren't paying enough attention to cyclists

Willing to bet that a majority of those situations were created by you not following the rules

The most common one is when I'm trying to go straight through a light in a bike lane and cars try to turn left in front of me, cutting me off. Not sure you can really blame that one on me :/

Keep doing that then. It's your right of way (if I have the situation right in my mind). If they hit you, sue them. Easy profit.
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Muffinz0rz posted...

tennisdude818 posted...

I love it when cyclists think a road without a bike lane during rush hour is their personal gym.

If traffic is at a standstill and there's a little sliver of open road between me and the curb, and I see a biker driving on that little sliver to pass everyone (even though there's a SIDEWALK on the other side of the curb in the area that I have in mind), I will inch close enough to the curb to the point where they'll have to stop when they get to me.

That would be an especially good move at a red light so you don't have to pass the same biker 6 times.
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I'd rather be unhit and not suing (especially since suing culture isn't such a thing in Canada) than hit and suing

I just wish everyone paid more attention to traffic, and I mean everyone, even pedestrians
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tennisdude818 posted...

Muffinz0rz posted...

tennisdude818 posted...

I love it when cyclists think a road without a bike lane during rush hour is their personal gym.

If traffic is at a standstill and there's a little sliver of open road between me and the curb, and I see a biker driving on that little sliver to pass everyone (even though there's a SIDEWALK on the other side of the curb in the area that I have in mind), I will inch close enough to the curb to the point where they'll have to stop when they get to me.

That would be an especially good move at a red light so you don't have to pass the same biker 6 times.

Yeah that's the most obnoxious fucking thing

My drive home has a short span of 3-4 lights through a small and dense area. Occasionally I'll hit all 3-4 of them when they're red. Being a good driver, I of course obey the colors and come to a stop, whereas the biker I passed a few blocks back says fuck you and runs the red light. Then the light turns green, I pass the biker, hit the next red light, and lather rinse repeat.

It's like they intentionally want to create dangerous situations using their holier-than-thou attitude as justification.
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VectorChaos posted...

They're supposed to follow pretty much the same rules as a car on the road. They just don't.

They're absolutely insufferable here in SW Florida. They'll run a stop sign, nearly get hit by a car, then come un-fucking-glued with self righteous fury at you for nearly hitting them... because they just ran through a stop sign in front of you when you have the right of way.

We have a pretty extensive network of bike lanes on the side of the road meant to give them breathing room away from traffic. They'll still ride in the street. Then chase you and bitch that you got too close to them.

I don't get it. Most roads around here are 45mph minimum. You're not going to do well on a bike against a car, but for some reason they insist on being ignorant to their surroundings and disregard all traffic laws that apply to them.

Glad to know it isn't just my city, then. Exactly the same in northwest Ohio. They've been adding some bike lanes over the last few years and I'd say it's helped a bit in those areas, but there will still be those on the road, ignoring stop signs, wrong side of the road, weaving in and out of stopped traffic, just pedaling along down the center of the lane when the other side of the street is full of traffic so you can't pass them, when if not a bike lane they have a sidewalk or could at the very least move over to the far right instead of staying center.

Sigh.
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Are we talking about cyclists or motorcycle riders?
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