Posted on 08/09/2009 9:21:20 AM PDT by Excuse_My_Bellicosity
I understand your position, and am familiar with that part of Texas. The recreational riders are major offenders in being road hogs, ever since one person tried taking over the Houston Bicycle Club. He ran a Virgin Century Training Series in the mid 90’s. He had his entire group riding 3 and 4 abreast on some of the FM roads in Montgomery and Grimes Counties, while going quite slow as well (~10 mph). Riders would not move over for traffic, even if someone called “car back” (the person who would call “car back” and expect the group to yield to the vehicle - basic courtesy - would be the target of some major personal attacks by the group leader). To top things off, the group would stop at one of the country stores (happened one time at Richards), take drinks and cookies out of the support van, and use the plumbing in the store without buying anything. MAJOR NOT COOL! Thanks to the leadership of this jerk, the racing community and the recreational cycling community were at major odds. The former due to not wanting to be associated with such behavior (a lot of times when we train we are wearing team kits with sponsors logos), the latter due to - call it “class resentment” - “how dare you be able to ride in fast pace lines, how dare you......”
The person who tried the takeover of Houston Bicycle Club dared to call himself a conservative.
That's insanely dangerous. Here in Toronto 3/4 of all collisions between bicycles and cars occur on sidewalks (car pulls out of driveway and gets hit), and just a few days ago a woman was killed when a cyclist ran her down on the sidewalk. The safest thing to do is widen the curb lanes a foot or two (just a matter of moving the lines) so that cars can get around them.
One bike per month.
Awesome pic!
That’ll wreck your whole day.
Those laws are already on the books- most jurisdictions require cyclists to ride single file, so "packs" are illegal. Then there's the catch-all "impeding traffic" offence that applies to cars, bikes and pedestrians.
Spandex is no defense against Detroit iron.
Love your graphic.I wonder how many of these people are gay.
> The safest thing to do is widen the curb lanes a foot or two (just a matter of moving the lines) so that cars can get around them.
The issue you’d encounter there is people parking in these widened lanes.
I hear what you say about the sidewalks.
Here in NZ the NZ Post delivers letters using small motorbikes (you guessed it) by driving on the sidewalk. It is definitely a discipline to watch out for them as they scoot around, when pulling out of the driveway. Bikes aren’t generally permitted on our sidewalks, but skateboards and mobility scooters are.
When it all boils up, the motorist does need to be careful for the hazards, no easy way around it.
I guess that makes sense - then the existing laws should be enforced. My guess is that they *never* are.
Two words:
Pepper spray
That incident was during a sanctioned race in Mexico.
I have been hit once deliberately by one driver, who then escalated the situation by spinning the car 180 degrees and revving the engine. I let him know that I was quite ready to exercise my Second Amendment rights. This was in Texas mind you.
We don’t let people obstruct traffic playing with other toys like skateboards, roller-skates, or pogo sticks. We shouldn’t let them play in traffic with these toys either.
"...Cyclists are, generally and with a few exceptions, a menace on the hiways and byways and ought to be taxed off the road. At the very least they ought to have annual licence plates for their contraptions, compulsory third-party and property damage insurance, five year cyclists licences with photo and signature (for which they should sit a test), and they ought to pay a mileage levy just like diesel trucks do, to pay a contribution to the roads that they otherwise use for free. This latter tax could be used to pay for the dedicated cycle lanes that cyclists seem to constantly demand.Sounds sensible to me..."
These are not suggestions one would anticipate from a fellow FReeper as they're VERY leftist in nature. All that taxing you proposed? Really?
The second thing to keep in mind is cyclists already pay their share. I own three cars and a motorcycle that are registered and insured. Do you also promote "road use taxes" for pedestrians who walk along the shoulder...who also likely own cars, trucks, and motorcycles, too?
I have three cars and three bikes. Do the taxes I pay for my cars cover me, or should I be charged to ride my bikes on the roads as well?
I find it strange that politicians capitulate to bicyclists who use roads paid by others.
Roads are funded from a wide variety of sources. Many taxes on auto registration and fuel are actually diverted to other things. Cars and trucks wear roads out. Bikes don't.
We need to suggest bike registration and use taxes.
Great idea. Let's do it by weight. Pay whatever your vehicle weighs.
Change the laws to make bicyclists fully comply with road laws.
They already are. The laws obviously aren't enforced as strictly as against motorists, but do you really want little Timmy getting slapped with a ticket because he coasted through the four way stop between his house and the park? He looked both ways he stopped peddling and braked, but his wheels never actually came to a complete stop. Do you want him tagged? Bone headed cyclists doing things like blowing through red lights are already fully subject to traffic laws, and do get tickets.
Make them produce an operator's license and registration when stopped by police. That will really irk the commie b@st@rds.
Governmental approval to ride and own a little bike? Who's the commie?
Do you really think that a group of people with an average per-person income of over $90k who are riding a vehicle that does no damage to the road are a horrible succubus on the average counties road budget?
“Cycling is one of the few sports left with real hard men in it. The NFL/MLB/NBA should just start handing out mandatory tiaras.”
Sounds like they get pretty excited about riding their bikes...
Like many Leftist groups, they like the power and anonymity of being in a large aggressive mob.
It took until Post 49. That has to be some kind of record for the longest time ever before someone commenting on thread about cycling made the obvious connection between cycling apparel and homosexuality. Maybe Freepers are getting smarter.
But when you consider the joking about a fatal accident caused by a out of control motorist, I guess not.
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