Tollster
Veteran Member
He was joking, hence the laughing icon at the end of the sentence.
Biker convicted of Vehicular Manslaughter for running over pedestrian in crosswalk
- Thread starter aczlan
- Start date
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joshuabardwell
Elite Member
Which bicyclists? Bicyclists are not a monolithic group. Some bicyclists are reckless jerks. Some drivers are reckless jerks.
Bicyclists don't have to "insist that they have all the rights of vehicles on the road." That's just a fact in most (all?) states. The only reason bicyclists seem to say it so often is that so many drivers don't realize it, or have to be reminded.
Some states allow bicyclists to treat stop signs as yields. Bicyclists are typically moving much slower than a car, and so have more time to assess whether the intersection is safe to cross without a full stop. Bicyclists also have much better visibility. Bicyclists can come to a stop in a much shorter distance than a car. Finally, in an accident, a bicyclist is almost always going to get all of the damage. All of these are reasons why it may be justifiable to allow bicyclists to cruise through stop signs.
... and before you think that allowing bikes to cruise through stop signs is just a claim to privilege: stopping and then coming back up to speed is a significant energy expenditure for a cyclist. It may slow the cyclists's average speed by 30-40%, depending on the length of the ride and the number of stops. It's not like a car where you can just hit the gas.
BrandonR
Bronze Member
just open your door and knock their butts off the road.:laughing:
And get arrested for vehicular assault or manslaughter.. Awesome idea.
just open your door and knock their butts off the road.:laughing:
Looking for a premeditated murder charge?
Sadly, there are enough out there like you to make this situation a reality.
A smiley face doesn't make your ignorance and malice funny.
Egon
Epic Contributor
I used to cycle every day and saw the recklessness of vehicle drivers on every road ride:thumbsup:
Don87
Elite Member
Me too,(especially during the full moon) but that's a topic for another thread.
I'm a truck driver, and with 2800 to 3200 miles a week, I see a lot.
joshuabardwell
Elite Member
I don't know what it's like where y'all live, but I live in a semi-rural area that seems to be very popular with bicyclists. On the weekends, there are often singles or groups, in their colorful spandex, riding up and down the road. They always obey the rules of the road, ride single-file, and so forth. Never a problem. I know there is this stereotype of the urban bike messenger, cutting in and out of traffic and running people off the sidewalk. I'm sure some folks out there are like that. I'm also sure that they're not the majority, even if they stand out especially because of their bad behavior.
I rode a bicycle as a primary means of transportation for a few years. Most of the time, it was uneventful, but there was a two-lane road that I had to take to get to my house, and people had trouble passing me. Drivers got incredibly angry--honking, throwing trash or drinks, shouting, "get off the road!" One time a driver even tried to pick a fight with me. My perspective was that I had every right to be on the road, and if the road wasn't wide enough, they should be talking to the city council about adding bike lanes, not taking it out on me. I would pull over at intersections to let traffic pass--just like I do now when I am towing and going slow, or driving my tractor on the road--but there was no way I could ride on that road and not have traffic back up behind me at least a little. I think the drivers' rage had to do with a sense of entitlement, that they should be entitled to go as fast on that road as they wanted, and that I was out of line for preventing that. Unfortunately, the law didn't agree with them.
I rode a bicycle as a primary means of transportation for a few years. Most of the time, it was uneventful, but there was a two-lane road that I had to take to get to my house, and people had trouble passing me. Drivers got incredibly angry--honking, throwing trash or drinks, shouting, "get off the road!" One time a driver even tried to pick a fight with me. My perspective was that I had every right to be on the road, and if the road wasn't wide enough, they should be talking to the city council about adding bike lanes, not taking it out on me. I would pull over at intersections to let traffic pass--just like I do now when I am towing and going slow, or driving my tractor on the road--but there was no way I could ride on that road and not have traffic back up behind me at least a little. I think the drivers' rage had to do with a sense of entitlement, that they should be entitled to go as fast on that road as they wanted, and that I was out of line for preventing that. Unfortunately, the law didn't agree with them.
Don87
Elite Member
Actually, they are.
And then you get the 'cell phone cyclists'...........totally oblivious to their surroundings(I've only seen that on city streets though).
joshuabardwell
Elite Member
What are you basing that off of?