I have nothing against bicyclists. Some of them are my nearest and dearest. It's just that I'm terrified that I'll kill someone someday because I don't get the rules. Am I supposed to treat them like pedestrians or like cars?
If I pass a bike who is in the right "share the road" lane, and I'm turning right, am I supposed to wait for him to keep going straight, or is he supposed to wait while I turn? If it's close, I would always let him go, but it's hard to gauge (when he's speeding along and I'm slowing down, and I can't see him because he's weaving) what he's going to do.
When I'm waiting in the left turn lane (through several lights), why can he speed up between the lanes and cut in front of me just because he's smaller?
When I'm driving up the canyon, and a biker is taking much of my lane, we're going around a bend and a car is coming down the canyon in the other lane, who am I supposed to hit? And when a bike comes sailing past me on the left (coming down the canyon), am I supposed to careen into the mountain side out of courtesy?
I think bikers pick which set of rules they're following as they're cruising along, and I never know what they'll do. Yet obviously they are more vulnerable and I shouldn't hit them just out of spite. Maybe I'll get a helmet just in case.
Bikers around here want all of the vehicular rights of the road. But they never stop at stop lights. The way I see it is they can't have it both ways.
ReplyDeletePlease be careful...one of your sons or sons-in-law is probably on a bike somewhere!
ReplyDeleteI hate bikers...they drive me crazy. They should pick one - be a car or a pedestrian and follow those rules. It's unfair that they can be both. Plus it's just annoying to be waiting to pass someone in the bike lane that is going like 20 miles an hour (or slower). I can't stand 'em (sorry Brad and Dan) but it's true!
ReplyDeletehey, watch out for bikers! your daughter in-law is out sharing the roads as well!
ReplyDeleteand I was just thinking about this today as I was out on my bike, riding to work. I choose whichever set of rules works for me at the time. case in point: I didn't stop at a stop sign today because there were no cars coming. if I was a car, I could have gotten a ticket for that! though I guess technically since bikers are supposed to follow the rules of the road like a car would, I could have gotten a ticket for that anyway. but who gives tickets to bikers? (though my friend jason latour has recieved a few tickets on his bike... they were mostly because he was riding drunk, though, I think)
anyway, I encourage everyone to stop driving their car and ride their bike (or walk, or take public trans)to wherever they need to be. make a true stand against these rising gas prices (and waistlines) and show 'em you're not as dependent on your car as they'd like to think! plus it's just more fun.