primitive whines about bicyclists

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021426455

Oh my.

It's pretty boring on Skins's island today, the lumpenunterprimitiven very busy reassuring each other the election's in the bag for them.

Ho hum.

We'll see.

I wanted to find something of substance to bring over, and ran into this:

AtomicKitten (38,997 posts)   Thu Sep 27, 2012, 04:06 PM

Bicycle vs. Pedestrian

Hello DU. I am writing this to share something that happened to me recently.

A couple weeks back I arrived early to pick up my son from school. My dog, Seven, was getting kind of squirrely in the car, so I took her out on a leash. I was crossing the street in a crosswalk at a stop sign and was nearly to the other side crossing before the last lane of cars, with the last one obscuring my vision with dark tinted windows. As I came around the car I saw a bicyclist in the bike lane riding like his hair was on fire, clearly not intending to stop at the stop sign ... and he didn't. I yanked the leash to pull Seven back but she wouldn't budge, so I threw myself between her and the bicyclist. Seven weighs only 65 lbs and I honestly think the impact would have seriously injured her ... or worse. He hit me instead leaning over Seven, breaking three of my posterior ribs. I was hospitalized for 2 days on IV narcotics and then released. It still hurts with every breath I take, and coughing almost makes me pass out.

I don't understand why bicyclists for the most part don't obey traffic signs and signals as they are supposed to do. I did some research and found articles of bicyclists actually killing pedestrians, so I feel somewhat relieved and I suppose lucky in that regard. I wish there was some way to impart these statistics to bicyclists so they'd understand why laws governing traffic are so important.

So, what'd I miss?

loli phabay (1,384 posts)   Thu Sep 27, 2012, 04:12 PM

1. making the cyclist pay for your medical costs for one

If he didnt stop at the sign or give way to a pedestrian then hes at fault and should pay. Hope you feel better.

orpupilofnature57 (9,740 posts)   Thu Sep 27, 2012, 04:12 PM

2. I'm 55 I ride my bike everyday and " for the ALL part " I obey the law , just like it sounds like you obey leash laws, something some dog owners ignore,I believe between Dog, Bike or pedestrian , pedestrian wins.

loli phabay (1,384 posts)  Thu Sep 27, 2012, 04:14 PM

3. yup even the dog wins if there is a stop sign

My personal peave is the cyclist gangs on rural roads going uphill worse than caravans.

orpupilofnature57 (9,740 posts)  Thu Sep 27, 2012, 04:22 PM

6. They usurp the road by not riding inside the white line, something any cyclist should observe, along with Traffic signs . Part & Parcel with that " Gang " or Franchised arrogance when people have that buffer of Numbers, Kind of like a Beagle by himself as opposed to being in a pack.

CrispyQ (14,441 posts)   Thu Sep 27, 2012, 04:15 PM

4. The cyclists I deal with as a ped, are as rude to peds as car drivers are to them.

I walk on a ped/bike path that goes under a highway AND it's on a curve. I've had several near misses with bikers racing through the underpass without any concern that peds might be there. I don't go that way anymore.

I'm sorry either of you were hurt, but you are right, poor Seven would have been seriously injured. Wishing you a speedy recovery! 

taught_me_patience (3,710 posts)   Thu Sep 27, 2012, 04:19 PM

5. Time for the bicycle shit parade to show up. It's weirdly popular here on DU.

frazzled (8,002 posts)   Thu Sep 27, 2012, 04:23 PM

7. You didn't miss a thing (except your ribs)

I hope you heal quickly. Posterior ribs are ouchier, I think, than anterior (unless you like to sleep fully on your stomach, I guess). Keep breathing, though, even if it hurts: it will help place the ribs.

I, too, am concerned about bicyclists not obeying traffic markers, even though I am a very big advocate of cycling (my husband rides 100 miles a week). Especially in urban environments, it just doesn't work unless everybody—cars, bicycles, pedestrians—obey the laws equally and all at once.

We live a block from a new, experimental protected bike lane route, and let me tell you, it's scary. Visibility of bicycles traveling in your direction is obscured by the cars parked in the outer lanes, so when you make a right turn, there is always the fear of hitting a speeding bicyclist who doesn't stop at the sign (and virtually NONE do). A driver died there a few weeks ago when his car, making a right turn, hit a train track post near the intersection. No one seems to have witnessed it, and there has been no formal explanation. I've wondered whether he swerved to avoid a bicycle coming through and hit the post.

I don't know what to do about any of this except to try to get your local law enforcement agency to agree to post itself near intersections such as the one you crossed to ticket bicyclists who don't stop. Done for a week or so, it could send the message that laws will be enforced. (Check the Rules of the Road for your state: at least in mine, bicycles are required to obey all traffic signals and signs; it just is rarely enforced.)

[jukin]

Got a hundred that says the bike rider is a democrat party member in good standing and will vote for 0bama.

I ride my bike an average of 60 miles a week. Let me tell you most riders think they are the king of the road. Do not obey any traffic laws and yell at people when their own actions almost cause their own death. For me it is a question what I like to call "The Big Truck" rule. The guy with the biggest ruck gets the right of way. A bike is not even a small car and I am always making sure that I don't end up on the wrong side of the rule.

[catsmtrods]

Its hard to avoid a pedestrian when they jump in front of your bike! 

[marv]

But didn't a DUmmy recently complain about not getting enough attention from autos?

Oh! That's right. Today is Thursday. That explains it...........

[Randy]

So how come there's no comment or show of concern over the injuries the bicyclist most assuredly incurred? Personally I'm more worried for him. After all a DUmbass threw itself into the street in front of him. I hope he plans on sueing, if he lived,

[JohnnyReb]

Got a hundred that says the bike rider is a democrat party member in good standing and will vote for 0bama.

I ride my bike an average of 60 miles a week. Let me tell you most riders think they are the king of the road. Do not obey any traffic laws and yell at people when their own actions almost cause their own death. For me it is a question what I like to call "The Big Truck" rule. The guy with the biggest ruck gets the right of way. A bike is not even a small car and I am always making sure that I don't end up on the wrong side of the rule.

Got passed today by a big red diesel FORD F-350, 4X4, 4 door dually....in the back window was a decal..."PRIUS REPELLENT".

[marv]

Got passed today by a big red diesel FORD F-350, 4X4, 4 door dually....in the back window was a decal..."PRIUS REPELLENT".

I'd like to get one for my Bronco. Got a lot of terr...er tourists in their itty, bitty cars on these narrow curving and hilly roads down here in the Ozarks. They tend to take their lane out of the middle of the road.

[Ballygrl]

The Bicycle people can be so arrogant, for some reason they think they own the road.

[MrsSmith]

I don't see where anyone from the DUmp thought about the bicyclist being injured...  You'd think he would be hurt worse than the person that jumped in front of him.

[longview]

Some group arranges bicycling tours out here in Wyoming.  I think they must be trying to wipe out cyclists, because the people they take are so ignorant.

I had just loaded three semi's with cattle and was headed to the sale barn ahead of them.  Rounded the corner in a little canyon near my house and both lanes were full of these goobers!  I honked, got dirty looks from the ones who turned to look, and warned them that there were three BIG trucks full of cows coming who wouldn't be able to stop very well.  One guy says, "Wow!  We didn't know anyone used this road." 

Frick.  Here's your sign.

[MrsSmith]

Some group arranges bicycling tours out here in Wyoming.  I think they must be trying to wipe out cyclists, because the people they take are so ignorant.

I had just loaded three semi's with cattle and was headed to the sale barn ahead of them.  Rounded the corner in a little canyon near my house and both lanes were full of these goobers!  I honked, got dirty looks from the ones who turned to look, and warned them that there were three BIG trucks full of cows coming who wouldn't be able to stop very well.  One guy says, "Wow!  We didn't know anyone used this road." 

Frick.  Here's your sign.

 

[Cruise]

Figures, only a primitive could cause me to have sympathy for a bicyclist.

[JohnnyReb]

But I thought the DUmmies wanted all of us riding bicycles? You know, like China used to be....12 lane highway right thru the heart of the city with one bus and 10 million people on bicycles.

[ColonelCarrots]

Secretly all of us bicyclists are playing a game against each other. Pedestrians are 10 points, animals 15, babies 25. And now I'm off to go ride to school. Bye!

[IassaFTots]

Secretly all of us bicyclists are playing a game against each other. Pedestrians are 10 points, animals 15, babies 25. And now I'm off to go ride to school. Bye!

Bad man.