Posted on 03/08/2013 5:22:06 PM PST by Kaslin
1st. I used to ride a bike year-round, but I don’t anymore.
2nd As a bicyclist, the only road rule I did break was not coming to a full stop, at a stop sign. I would slow down to a near stop until I ascertained that it was completely safe to continue. I did stop for all red lights, and any other traffic situation.
3rd.I cannot tell you, as a bicyclist, how often people drove without due care and attention. Even though I routinely rode near the curb, people would still drive past me with only a few inches to spare. They would also stop without reason or make right-hand turns without notice.
There are some bad bicyclists, sure. But experience has taught me that there are a lot more bad drivers out there, then bicyclists.
I remember quite a few years ago in my heyday (90’s) how we joked in the office about the ridiculousness of government. We used to joke that one day, “They’ll tax the air you breathe!” Well, we’re here now.
I have no problem with paying to help maintain the roads, as long as I get to have an entire full-sized lane to myself, just like any other vehicle. :)
These are the kinds of bicyclists I see all the time. I see a greater percentage of bicyclists behaving badly than motorists - and since I have a camera, it’s not just my perception.
Yet another obliviot bicycle operator - obstructing traffic, ignoring road signs and traffic controls and generally making an obstruction of themselves...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuQByrRpbh8
Typical pedalbikist - no lights, no helmet, no visible front or rear reflectors, no turn signal or gesture - probably will be wondering why nobody sees him when he gets run over by a municipal bus at night.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ws6wS0tDlIA
At first I thought I’d found the first totally law-abiding pedalbikist in Dallas. But then... well, watch the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oVaWQ09nRg
This is an excellent idea. My motorcycle causes the same road wear as these clowns do, but I have to pay road taxes and fees every year. They should have to pay for the upkeep of the signals, the bridges, and everything else like motorcyclists. In fact, if they want to ride in the street, they should be required to be licensed and plated like a motorcycle.
No free rides for anyone.
Let me put it to you this way. I think that people tend to notice the mistakes of drivers in whatever vehicles they don’t like and will tend to minimize the mistakes of drivers they do like.
I can speak from experience on this matter. I was generally a good bicyclist, when I rode. As I said, I obeyed most rules of the road, and would only take chances when it was completely safe to do, including in regards to other drivers. I can also tell you, that at least once per ride, there would somebody who would drive carelessly enough to cause me to have concern for my safety, about two times a day as I rode my bike about 14 miles each way from home to work.
I don’t deny that there are unsafe and stupid riders out there, but there are just as many, proportionally speaking, stupid and careless drivers out there as well. I’ve seen them and I’ve been just about hit by many,of them, if it weren’t for me taking evasive actions.
I’m sorry, but no. I have reviewed my camera footage carefully from time to time and of the bicyclists riding in the street, 93 out of 100 will behave badly. Cars is less than 50 out of 100, motorcyclists are a little higher than that. It’s not just ‘noticing,’ it’s counting vehicles on the footage and tallying stats.
Then bicyclists should have the same 12’ lanes as any other vehicle.
Then you must be one of the 50/100 drivers, if you’re busy counting stats as you’re driving.
Nope. I’m counting AFTER. I have a helmet camera that catches it all for me so I can count later at my leisure.
Nice try, though.
Our respective differences could be due to the differences between our countries, like wider roads in Canada for instance. If your roads are narrower than us, that would cause some stress while passing a bicyclist.
Then they’d actually be legitimate road vehicles and share with all the other ones instead of having part of the road taxes siphoned off for a special lane that’s empty most of the time.
I ride a motorcycle, a very quiet motorcycle. What stress?
Further, they’re the ones ignoring traffic laws and whining when they get caught or blame car drivers when ignoring the rules results in splattered pedalbikist.
If you’re expecting them to contribute equally, than they need an equal share of the road, or else cars would bully them onto,the side of the road. It would, effectively, cause them to pay a disproportionate share of taxes, as they would pay an equal amount of road tax, but not get an equal share of the road.
Who pays for the bike paths? I'm not allowed to drive a motorized vehicle on them.
There should be a $5,000 tax per year on all bicycles with an exemption for anyone under 16.
Elite bicyclists have leveraged "Smart Growth" initiatives to claim a car lane for themselves. We are routinely seeing roads with two car lanes each way being reduce to one each way with a bicycle lanes replacing the lost car lanes. These lanes are paid for with revenues from gas taxes. Bicyclists contribute squat. They add to longer trains of cars in the reduced lanes increasing gridlock making travel longer using more gas thereby adding to the supposed CO2 pollution. Bicyclists are anti-green all the while praising themselves. They are fakes.
And I think all cars should have a billion dollar liability insurance, because taking a life, even if by accident, is priceless.
Hey, the EPA opened this door when it declared CO2 a “pollutant.”
Absolutely. :)
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