Except a cyclist doing that will most likely only end up with him possibly dying vs a car doing that can put numerous people at risk.
What frustrates me about cyclists, and this may be more unique to Birmingham because I personally feel like we don’t have many good roads for cycling due to the lay out of the city, is that they are not only inconveniencing everyone they are also putting themselves in danger I see people cycling all the time solo on roads that people haul ass on blind curves on
I have vitriol for those assholes, too. But I would liken the intransigent cyclists moreso to the fuckhead drivers who drive slow in the left lane or who stay in the middle lane right next to the cars on the lanes next to them and effectively blocking traffic. They’re extremely hateable people who lack self awareness and common decency.
lol come on you're all about "I'm going to ride in the middle of the road! That's my right! I don't give a fuck if it's an inconvenience for others! They can deal with!" and then you are just baffled why people don't like cyclists. That's hilarious.
Yeah, me not ending up in the hospital because a motorists forces me off the road is more important than you getting somewhere to shit post. That will never change.
That's fine, but know that's why people hate cyclists. Don't act baffled by it. You have choices. You can ride on the side or you can find a remote road where there's little traffic. Or you can say fuck everyone I'm riding in the middle and don't give a fuck if it annoys you. That's when people hate you. It's your choice.
And you are being an inconsistent witness with your head buried in your ass when you are not advocating for all cars being off of the road when some inconvenience you. I can guarantee you have spent more of your life behind shitty inconsiderate drivers than shitty inconsiderate cyclists.
Ok man, people in general just decided to irrationally dislike cyclists. You guys did nothing to earn it. Everyone else is wrong and you're right.
And once again troubles with the reading comprehension. I never said they did nothing to merit it. Only that the disdain is being disproportionately applied to cyclists when you deal with shitty motorists “inconveniencing” you a larger portion of the time. I will vehemently disagree with you in regards to what you consider a safe space (in width) to ride a bike. But that will only come from you experiencing many miles on a bike in a city setting so we will agree to disagree about that.
Cyclists get assaulted/killed on low-traffic rural roads all the time. Riding in town is considerably safer (and more considerate) because the speed limits are lower and traffic moves more slowly. If you're angry about someone inconveniencing you by going 20 in a 35, you're a dickhead.
I don't think I've ever come upon a car going 10 mph in the middle of the road when they had the option to get over and out of the way of everyone else. I hate scooters that go 15 mph too fwiw. You know you're going to inconvenience people when you do it and you do it anyway. It's the entitlement and the fuck you attitude of doing it more so than even the inconvenience. But yea, everyone else is wrong and you're completely unbiased and right.
On any regular day commuting for ~30 min, I encounter probably multiple drivers that are going so far under the speed limit that people are having to get out of the lane and merge back in around them, creating a very unsafe driving experience. I probably encounter a cyclist doing this maybe ONCE a month.
I see guys like you all the time on the road. Head about to explode as they are so inconvenienced to go around. And then I am on your bumper at the next stop light/stop sign as you wait for all the cars before you to clear the intersection. You are not as fast and inconvenienced as your mind is telling you.
Again, it's not even the inconvenience. I don't get mad. Hell I rarely get mad about anything. I'm not that guy. But when you know you're going to piss people off by doing something and still do it bc you only care about yourself, I'm going to think you're a dick.
You’re missing a major factor here which is the sequencing of street lights. If I’m missing a light because you’re being a dickhead (whether in a car or on a bike) and slowing down my progress, you’re adding significantly more time to my commute. You’re only catching up to me at the light because I missed the green light due to your being in the way.
You see photos of a couple of traffic fatality scenes (or worse yet go to a scene), and it will put the whole "inconvenience" thing into perspective.
It’s safer to walk than drive. If you walk In the middle of the road, you’re a dickhead. Basically if you’re significantly obstructing the flow of traffic because you’re an outlier for the rest of traffic you’re in the wrong.
Right. If you've ever witnessed what a car does to flesh and bone... it's something you never forget.
Wait until you have kids and you miss the 3- minute window that makes the difference between a 5 minute wait and a 25 minute wait at school drop off because a couple of assholes dressed in spandex decided that biking in the middle of the road during peak rush hour was too important to them.
Hope a truck driver doesn't make decisions to put you and your kids' lives at risk based on his three minute window to deliver a load.
I mean, most of the time cyclists have to bike in the middle of the road because the "bike lane" is covered in Ubers and delivery drivers and shitheads who are too fucking lazy to pull into a goddamn parking spot "I'ma just be here for 15 minutes while I wait for my food to be ready"
Sounds like something that may be part of your daily routine. I would suggest leaving a little earlier unless you want to inconvenience every one else around you by making them live a lifestyle suited to you. Because that would be a jerk move, to make someone else do something based upon the outcome for you.
This is a straw man if I’ve ever seen one. If you drive like an asshole — whether it be weaving, texting and driving, speeding or going ridiculously below the speed limit — you’re being an inconsiderate fucking asshole. The same if you’re a cyclist who is impeding traffic for no other reason than a preference to ride on the road when other options are available. The question at issue is why do cyclists earn the ire of drivers. I’ve explained why (with the MAGA comparison). It doesn’t mean that other assholes on the road don’t earn equal ire.
Actually I have more beef with slow drivers than I do cyclists. In fact there is a cyclist I see every morning who is on my exact schedule. We’ve never spoken to each other, but we have a relationship of sorts. I slow down when he’s ahead of me in the roundabout to give him room, and he moves way to the right when he exits the roundabout and gives me a thumbs up each time. He’s awesome and responsible. The dickheads in the cars who merge I to the highway at 15 mph ahead of me and almost get me killed are the assholes I get mad at. Or the ones driving 5 miles under the speed limit while keeping neck and neck with the cars to either side of them. And they do create huge issues because when they’ve pissed off otner drivers those drivers then speed and drive more recklessly when they clear the logjams because they try to make up for lost time.
My masculinity is 100% tied to how fruity a drink is, you don’t order Nancy Drew’s all night if you’re not a real man
Jesus f'ing Christ yes they are. Maybe tomorrow there will be a new revelation in the case. We need something else to argue about, stat.
not once did I say cyclists shouldn’t follow the rules of the road. I simply said cyclists not following the rules put themselves at risk whereas car drivers that don’t can literally kill when they don’t. It’s not equal.
If some of the anti cycling people actually got out on a road bike and tried what they're advocating I think they would change their tune a bit. The argument is as simple as that.
Car drivers who believe the roads belong to cars are the worst. They feel that way about everything that isn’t a car they run cyclists off the roads, they run into motorcycles, they make right turns without paying attention to someone running. Fuck them.
This is the biggest problem here in Southwest Ohio. Pretty much all the rural roads here are state highways so the speed limits are 55+ except when you get close to a town and they're hilly. So you're going along at 55-60 mph and get over the crest of a hill just to find a cyclist on the other side going 20 mph. Both people are in the right but it's still stupidly dangerous for the cyclist to be out there. And it doesn't even make sense. We have 350+ miles of bike trails in the area, you can bike from Cincinnati to right outside Columbus without every having to bike on a road, yet they still choose to ride these highways.
I'm about to say the most un-internet thing possible but since it bleeds over into real life and has very real repercussions I'll say it Instead of doubling down (or dbling) and trying to win an argument, try to take this thread as a way to gain perspective and understanding. Most cyclists out there are not dickheads trying to fuck up your day. There is a reason for why they're in the road. Next time you come up on one of them or a group, just think for a second that sidewalks can be slippery as fuck, untextured bike lanes (or golf cart Lanes) are dangerous, the area next to the gutter is a place littered with debris and other shit. For just a second, think about what cyclists in this thread have said and take that into consideration.
There’s a reason I prefer mountain biking vs road biking. Also I about ran over 4 cyclists last week going to work when they ran a stop sign and turned into traffic. Speed limit on the road is 30, but still the lead guy went front wheelie trying to stop, I swerved into other lane to dodge them.
its been funny to see the only drivers generalizing all cyclists by the actions of some and completely unable to comprehend the counter argument
I kind of gave up on reading the thread and just responded so idk if your comment is tongue in cheek or not. Not to "both sides" this whole argument but there's common courtesy on both ends. If I'm on the road and have a car behind me I'll move over. But one side of this argument leads to massive injury or worse and the other leads to people having to slow down for a few minutes.