Below is a list of reasons I am more afraid of bicyclists than I am of drivers. They are my reasons for not particularly supporting the monthly Critical Mass bike rides (where dozens of bikers take up entire lanes on the streets of Manhattan to protest the city’s alleged hostility to bike-riders, and its failure to make the roads safe for their chosen method of transit). I definitely believe in bike-riding. I definitely support it as a form of clean and functional transportation. I definitely prefer it to driving, myself. But, as a pedestrian, as the lowest in the food chain on the streets of the city, I am much more afraid of people on bikes. And I am annoyed at what I see as extreme arrogance and strong superiority complexes in a large number of bicyclists I've “run into” on the street.
These are all from personal experience. Dispute them at your own risk.
- Bicyclists don’t pay attention to which streets are one-way.
- Bicyclists don’t obey stop signs or traffic lights.
- Cars make noise so you know they’re coming.
- Cars have headlights at night so you can see them.
- Bicyclists can’t ride in a straight line and often deliberately swerve around.
- Drivers are afraid of killing you. Bicyclists think you’ll move out of the way.
- Bicyclists don’t keep consistent speed.
- Bicyclists randomly decide which side of the street they feel like riding on.
- Bicyclists don’t use freakin’ turn signals!
- Serious injury and embarrassment is much worse than death.
10 comments:
It bothers me to no end that cyclists will complain about "sharing the road", but then completely ignore the rules that cars follow.
If they really want to complain about "cycling rights" and all that malarchy, maybe they should be required to take a cycling test to get a cycler's license.
I totally agree with what you said, cyclists on the streets of Manhattan are out of control. I remember a couple of years ago a cyclist hit a pedestrian by 66th and Broadway, the pedestrian pushed the guy off the bike and began to beat him with it. I guess that pedestrian had grown tried of cyclists thinking they own the streets.
Good thoughts with the license, Matt. Not that licenses necessarily make drivers better, but in theory they should, right?
Zulu Queen - that is awesome. I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to do the same. And I am very much NOT a violent person.
No respect for the simple walking man (or woman).
I think drivers have many of the same complaints about cyclists.
Umm... and how many cars use turn signals these days?? My guess is about 5%. That's a stupid argument, so you're down to 9.
I love your statistic, anonymous, thanks.
I agree that bicyclists take their right to the road above and beyond reason. If they want to be considered a vehichle then they need to obey the laws. That includes maintainig a minimum speed limit if they want to ride in the center of the lane or ride 2 or 3 cyclists wide. Here in Oregon if you are a slow moving vehichle, you are required to display an orange triangle warning upcoming vehichles of your presence. Cyclists Here in Bend want to plod along at 15-20 mph in the lane of traffic, on a road with a 45 or 55 mph speed limit- its a hazard to everyone involved....
This is so funny! All these losers taking the time to chime in on this ridiculous topic. We all hate bikes! Yay! We're better than the bikers! They suck and should have no rights..or any other malarchy.
These comments must be from frightened, old people who just got a computer.
All of you should be forced to ride a bicycle for one day in Midtown Manhattan.
Oh...and your graphic design skills suck. Look at this page, it's hideous.
Motor vehicle operators are the only road users that have ever been required to be licensed. The license gives them no greater right to the street; it is required simply because they are more dangerous.
As for pedestrians, I bike and walk everywhere, driving only a day or two per week if that. On my bike I literally have pedestrians jump out in front of me every single day and they even step off the curb without breaking stride let alone looking.
"Pedestrians have the right of way" doesn't give them the rigth to cause accidents or be inattentive, and it doesn't mean that if you jump in fornt of me when I'm doing 20mph that I can magically stop.
Anyone also think it's funny how quickly the commentary devolved from supposedly genuine concerns about cyclists endangering pedestrians, to drivers going into the standard bash the bikers thing because we don't have engines?
Oh, look, the idiot in the Lexus SUV who thinks it handles liek a sports car, talking on her cell phone, not using turn signals, takign up both sides of the street, runnign stopsigns, running cyclists off the road, intimidating anyone in a normal size car... she just really takes her right to the road beyond reason, right? Maybe she should have to get a license?
Oh wait, they GAVE that crazy woman a bloody license.
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