I'm fine with protesters -- until they impede traffic or commit vandalism. California protesters have a long history of doing both. When they get in my way, they are no longer exercising their freedom -- they are impeding my freedom. When they impede my freedom, they can only hope that the legal system is their worst worry.
Okay. A question for you. If I am a cyclist, and I want to ride my bike from point a to point b, where do I do it? Most cities say the street, and a lot of pedestrians agree with them. But when I've tried that in the past everyone that knows and loves me expresses concern for my safety, and the various car, truck, SUV, ect, drivers tend to get a bit cheesed off at me as I can't go more than 1 or 2 MPH up some of the steep hills. Side walk bicycling in rural areas brings up the problem of... well... no side walks in many places.
Check the laws in your area. In most areas, you must ride on the street but may only legally ride single-file. This represents a good compromise between the needs of pedestrians, bicycles, and motorists. As long as you are not purposefully blocking traffic, you are good in most areas.
arrgggg.... one of my pet peezes lately.. Cyclists. Not the normal person on a bike, mind you, but the ones who spend the money. You know the ones dressed as if they were in a professional race and usually abour 5 to 10 in a group. The ones who ride ON the white line when they have a 3 foot paved path to ride in!!!!!! Ya, these guys tick me off. Not only are they being stupid, they are teaching kids that it is ok to be stupid. I love riding bikes and rode many miles a day as a kid before I bought my first car. You should respect the size of a car when riding a bike and try not to be in the way unlike these idiots....... arggggg.. my blood gets hot just thinking about having to dodge them and knowing that by telling them they have room to move over so my mirrors won't hit them in the head won't help. I would almost bet the ones that ride on the line are liberals, cause I don't know many consservative people who would be that dumb to always try to compete with cars on fast roads, when they have a path. (off my soapbox)
Bahahaha... bicyclists in Amsterdam are like urban terrorists. Imagine yourself walking down the sidewalk, minding your own business -- suddenly you hear a little tinkling sound. This sound means "You are about to be hit by a bicycle." The trouble is -- you don't know where the bicycle is coming from. You don't know whether you should dodge left or dodge right. You don't know whether you should hurry up or slow down. All you know is that you're about to be having an annoying conversation with a pissed off Dutch person.
Give me a path that's just for cyclists and I use it. Heck, if there is a shoulder to the road, if I'm biking on the road, that's usually where you'll find me. But the thing is, cyclists have just as much right to that mode of transportation as people have to walk or use a car. And often in suburban sprawl there are areas close enough to bike, but to far to reasonably walk. In most areas, though, you have to use one of two choices. #1. Use the roads, as many locations require you to do by law. #2. Use sidewalks, which often have bumps and breaks in them worse than the worst pot holes, and where you risk running over a pedestrian if it's an urban area, or dealing with washed out or mud covered sections of side walk (if they exist). So again. In any given city, where do you ride? The road or the side walk? In any given rural area? Where? Me, I just generally try to use whatever area is going to keep me, and the people around me safest.
Sorry. Missed this one Will. And yes, I do check, and follow the laws in my area, including the required use of hand signals while turning (something most bicyclists forget). I'm more directing my repeated questions to those who keep screaming about stupid bicyclists. I try to be a not-stupid one, but it isn't always easy. About the only time I actually take up a lane is when the road is multi-lane, and I have to use a turning lane to get safely to the other side of a large multi-lane road I will be crossing, which has no pedestrian crossing for me to walk my bike across. Then, as is legal for me to do, I treat myself as a car for the rules of the road.
Josh the things you are saying I agree with. I don't know if the attitude of the "professional looking" cyclists elsewhere are as lame as here and I hope not. They are trying to pass a law to give them a 3 or 4 foot buffer, when most of the time they have 3 feet on their right they should already move over. I have rode on some of these areas and there is nothing wrong with the pavement so they should give themselves room to begin with.
Some people who choose to bicycle do it because they hate everything that automobiles represent: money, power, success, prestige, etc... Those are the bicyclists who are real pricks on the road -- and those are the people who are trying to get laws passed to give them special rights at the cost of everyone else's rights. Eventually, they will be pricks one too many times and some old lady will turn them into roadkill. Evolution is slow, but it does work.
They also represent fat asses Fat people ride in cars, sometimes I see lard asses driving to get the mail, sometimes you see people circling around in parking lots just so they don't have to walk far, its pathetic try biking its good, its wicked fun to zip thru traffic in the cities, and if roads get too full, you can just jump on to the sidewalk Plus cars emit exhust, burn gas, you have to park them, pay for parking, parking tickets etc, I know some people have to drive to do things, but people who use cars to get around tiny distances in the city are fools in my opinion
Cars should have the same option..if roads are too blocked up why shouldn't I be able to roll down the sidewalk and have pedestrians move out of the way of my SUV? It's only fair.
Exactly what all my socialist democrat friends say when they think they are entitled to the riches of hardworking corporate types.