terrible quality video, but <iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/d2pmrfDi_1Q" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
hey...no one else has said this but...riding a bike on the sidewalk is illegal. Bikers in the road can get annoying, but you should be a little more defensive in that situation and slow down...you admitted it yourself. You gotta expect the worst.
We have minimum speed limit laws, right? To insure a steady flow of traffic, amongst other things. I just don't get letting bikes ride in the middle of lanes everywhere. I'm annoyed with the person who drives 20 mph in the 35 mph zone...I'm no less annoyed when it's a biker. I'm sure that makes me an awful person, but I'm just being honest.
a) Cyclists don't want to be out there with you, either. Cyclists are very aware that it takes one car asleep at the wheel or with a "off my road" stick up their rear and they'll "get taught a lesson" with a broken collarbone. It's the rare cyclist that's arrogant enough to have a "screw off" attitude. b) Bikes, especially when you're talking about street bikes going 20 mph+ are supposed to be on the road. If you're strolling along on a huffy going 11 mph, than yeah, get off and stick to side streets. c) You're in a mobile living room. Calm down, relax, and enjoy the sound system and AC. If the 30 seconds you're forced to slow down makes you late, than you were cutting it too close to start with. d) 99% of bikers are also drivers and are painfully aware that they aren't loved on the road. Most bikers know of at least a couple fellow cyclists that have been sideswiped or otherwise hurt by a car. 99% of drivers are NOT cyclists and have a "get off my road" rage mentality towards them. I bike commute 9 miles to work and back on the Bayou to the Med Center. I have to take Bertner for almost a mile to finish the route and I hate it. I don't want to be on that road with pissy motorists anymore than they like seeing me ahead of them. I keep my speed as up as I can, and give as much passing room as I can. On the flipside, you've got people walking 3 mph and bikes going 15+ mph. It's rare to get one in Houston - you'd probably need to nail a pedestrian or mouth off to a cop to get one. Doesn't make it correct or legal though.
i ****ing hate people with your attitude. i prefer to ride on the sidewalk because i am afraid of being killed by people like you and the threadstarter. if there are no pedestrians around i always ride on the sidewalk. but if i am downtown or near campus you cant really do it. the threadstarter admits he was driving unsafe/aggressively and still wants to blame the biker? and did he not see the bike rider before the truck pulled out or was the biker coming out of the shopping center at the same time? i try to ride pretty safe and be considerate of cars - i dont roll through red lights and im not one of those people who at a light will ride up to the front only to make all those cars have to pass me again. if im in the road i act like a car, as the law says to do. i try to stay out of the way of automobiles - i dont feel safe in bike lanes so i always try to ride on the sidewalk (unless its a pedestrian area) - i will go out of my way to ride down a less trafficked street. there are too many drivers like you and the threadstarter who dont pay attention and are just inconsiderate of others - talking/texting on cell phones or driving aggressively. despite all this ive had several instances of people messing with me when i ride - been called an ******* while riding and ive had a driver intentionally try to run me off the road (came less than 6'' from hitting me). i caught up with him at the next light and went right up to his window and cussed him out, but after that i started keeping my ulock in my backpack instead of attached to my bike (i also carry a knife when i ride) - that way i can get to it quicker if i need to smash out a window or take it to someones head.
Depends on the city. Here are ordinances from the city of Houston (scroll to the bottom): http://www.houstonbicycleclub.org/Pages/SafetyBikeLaws.aspx
Thank you for posting this, emjohn. I too bike commute to work 3 or 4 days a week. Luckily, here in DC, I have a route that I can take that has a designated bike lane most of the way. Quite often, when there isn't a bike lane, I'll get a "get off the road, you damn biker" honk. It's amazing to me that so many people think that bikers should stick to the sidewalk. That is way more dangerous for bikers, pedestrians, and, yes, even cars! It's so nice just flying past the gridlocked cars in my free and clear bike lane every morning. Suckers!! :grin:
I'm pretty sure this is the only reaction to said incident. When life puts you in a bind, just ask yourself, "What would Hank Moody do?" and have sex with the closest female around.
