I f**king HATE cars

[bascule]

So, was riding along a sidestreet today... one that's particularly narrow without any bike lanes, and a car came up behind me, hoking its horn as it came up right behind me. I was riding particularly fast and swerved to the right side of the road... clipped the edge of the pavement and lost control. I now have some pretty nasty scars on my right leg and arm, some on the side of my face, and I broke my glasses.

 

And they didn't even have the courtesy to stop and ask if I was alright. Guess they were in a hurry.

 

Hope you're happy! Asshole

[Pre4edgc]

Well, you can't expect EVERYONE to be nice... I guess the only people you can count on that drives a car to help you would be police officers and religious people, and a few choice good samaritans. People find now that they don't do it because they don't get a prize or award for it. Not to mention that people are in a hurry all the time, like you said. My father and I a while ago were driving, and we ran out of gas. We did know that we were gonna do that, so we brought one of those portable gas cans, and soon enough, we broke down on the side of a major highway.

It took 20 minutes before anyone stopped on the side of the road to pick us up and take us to the nearest gas station. They were religious, so we were lucky we got picked up at all. I guess cars brought self-dependency, and the unwillingness to help others, just because you have a reason of speed. Of course, this incident was years before, so it's probably changed. I've seen people on the side of the road on the way to the store, and on the way back, when the entire trip took three hours. Of course, I guess that's kind of self-blaming too, since I didn't stop for them, but it's still kind of rude.

[bascule]

Well, you can't expect EVERYONE to be nice... I guess the only people you can count on that drives a car to help you would be police officers and religious people, and a few choice good samaritans.

 

Oddly enough, I wrecked in front of the police station. Unfortunately, there was not a cop in sight.

 

People find now that they don't do it because they don't get a prize or award for it. Not to mention that people are in a hurry all the time, like you said. My father and I a while ago were driving, and we ran out of gas. We did know that we were gonna do that, so we brought one of those portable gas cans, and soon enough, we broke down on the side of a major highway.

It took 20 minutes before anyone stopped on the side of the road to pick us up and take us to the nearest gas station. They were religious, so we were lucky we got picked up at all. I guess cars brought self-dependency, and the unwillingness to help others, just because you have a reason of speed. Of course, this incident was years before, so it's probably changed. I've seen people on the side of the road on the way to the store, and on the way back, when the entire trip took three hours. Of course, I guess that's kind of self-blaming too, since I didn't stop for them, but it's still kind of rude.

 

Oddly enough, I've had a number of good samaritans help me when I was in my car. However, when you're just a biker, I guess nobody cares.

 

Fortunately, I was wearing a helmet, otherwise I'd probably have a brain injury or be dead at this point. Thanks to that, I was able to just pick up my bike, walk it back to my office where we had some first aid supplies, and ride home, stopping by our neighborhood pub first for some pain relievers (151) and some much needed sympathy.

[gator grunt]

Cars don't drive stupidly; people do.

 

sorry, couldn't resist...

[insane_alien]

there are some of us drivers out there that are courteous to bikers.

 

at the most, a cyclist will require that you slow down a little until there is enough space and time to pass them. while this is an inconvienience(thats my third attempt at the word, it still gets marked wrong. spleleing soox.) its nothing big. I can deal with that easy. now, other drivers, THEY are the ones that cause problems. 99% are decent people and drivers but there is always that 1% of muppets like the guy overtaking me on the motorway a few weeks ago. I was going at the speed limit(70 mph) so he shouldn't have been doing it anyway but when he went to pull back into the lane, he hit my damn car. what sort of moron even thinks about pulling in until they re well past the other car. luckily, his car didn't spin out of control and it seemed he blamed me because he stuck his hands(yeah, both) out the window and gave me the finger(s).

 

never had a cyclist do that to me.

 

so, bascule, have faith, there are some nice people out there, its just that you only remember the not so nice.

[YT2095]

after I got mashed up in 96 on my bike, I`m of the opinion that ALL car drivers before passing their test, MUST spend a compulsory 6 month as a biker!

 

then they will know what it`s like to be vulnerable, and hopefully learn some road manners.

[the tree]

Indeed cars are incredibly irritating, somewhere to live without cars would be pretty awesome.

[Dak]

how is it the cars fault that you hit the curb?

[the tree]

Coming up to close behind him is what the driver did wrong, since I presume the driver wasn't fixing his error, Bascule had to deal with it the best he could and it that situation, turning towards the pavement is the quickest way of getting out of it.

[Dak]

meh. i take a somewhat suicidal approach in those situations: i'm the one who's going to die if they don't slow down, so they're the one's who will get sent to jail for manslaughter if they don't slow down; hence, if i just carry on as normal, they'll have to slow down.

 

worked so far

[YT2095]

Spoken like someone that`s never been Mashed up before!

 

a JOKE it is NOT!" these cage drivers get off with it in most cases and you have to live the rest of your life Damaged!

and that`s if you get one that Stops, the ilegals don`t!

[Fuzzwood]

Or you could have steered to the middle of the road and happily kept cycling there

[Dak]

Spoken like someone that`s never been Mashed up before!

 

a JOKE it is NOT!" these cage drivers get off with it in most cases and you have to live the rest of your life Damaged!

and that`s if you get one that Stops, the ilegals don`t!

 

hmm, maybe an attetude difference between the uk and us? i've been cycling all my life (since about 13), and i've never been hit by a car... they can beep all they want, but i aint swerving out their way, and they do stop

[YT2095]

Mine had an engine, but the same rule applies (or should).

 

you have to be Their Eyes also!

[Dak]

oh yeah, i've had prats pull out in front of me because they didn't look

 

or my favorite: opening the road-side door without checking the blindspot

 

but so-far no near-accidents when they were aware that i was there.

 

oh, apart from pillocks who don't know that cyclists can keep to the outside lane in round-abouts, and can't figure out that i'm going to do this from the fact i'm indicating.

 

i'm just saying i wouldn't have swerved in bascules position, and they'd have probably stopped (in the uk atleast). then, a mutual giving-of-the-finger when you pull aside at the next convienient location, and it's all over -- no need to go pavement diving

 

ahem... excuse me:

 

British people: cyclists can stay in the outside lane of a roundabout at all times, just like lorries can.

[Sisyphus]

Are not arrogant and inconsiderate bicyclists equally as annoying as their counterparts in cars? Isn't it ridiculous when bikes ride in car lanes? After all, you wouldn't walk in a car lane and expect the growing line of cars behind you not to be annoyed at going 3mph, would you? Isn't a bicycle just the same thing to a slightly lesser degree? Aren't bikes much more able to get out of the way of cars than vice versa, 98% of the time?

 

I'm not questioning that specific incident, bascule. That guy was obviously an ass. But anyone who's been in a car and shared the road with cyclists knows that bad drivers are universal. I can't count how many times I've had to swerve or slam on the breaks because some jackass bike messenger runs through an intersection or rides in the middle of a major road or something, assuming that everyone will get out of his way. You're not cows and this isn't India, guys.

[John Cuthber]

"Are not arrogant and inconsiderate bicyclists equally as annoying as their counterparts in cars?"

No, because they don't kill other people.

[insane_alien]

"Are not arrogant and inconsiderate bicyclists equally as annoying as their counterparts in cars?"

No, because they don't kill other people.

 

not directly but they can cause a car to be forced into a fatal accident. while they were not the direct cause, they were the cause.

[John Cuthber]

Roughly how common is that?

[Dak]

true.

 

what's a car-lane? is it a facetious name for a 'road', or do you have no-bike lanes in the us?

 

obviously we can't ride bikes on the motorway in the uk, but we don't have any car-only lanes afaik.

 

btw, i know bikes can be arseholes. i've never been hit by a car, but i have been hit by two cyclists

 

oh, and i hit a parked car once, but i don't want to talk about it

[YT2095]

Perhaps my Arg deserves a Third catagory then, Motorbikes don`t seem to fit into this at all, apart form the fact we don`t do the 3MPH thing and knock pedestrians over like bicycle and cage drivers seem to.

[bascule]

Are not arrogant and inconsiderate bicyclists equally as annoying as their counterparts in cars?

 

Probably. The difference is the automobile driver is safe and secure in a one ton steel box. The cyclist has nothing but his skin.

 

Isn't it ridiculous when bikes ride in car lanes?

 

According to Colorado state law bikes are technically cars and can ride along with traffic. There's several places where explicit instructions on the road tell cyclists to merge with traffic, particularly on narrow or steep streets where it's impractical to have a bike lane. It's also the proper way to execute a left turn (at least here)... cyclists merge with traffic then hand signal as they approach the intersection.

 

After all, you wouldn't walk in a car lane and expect the growing line of cars behind you not to be annoyed at going 3mph, would you?

 

I was probably going about 20mph at the time, on a street whose speed limit was 25mph.

[ParanoiA]

So, was riding along a sidestreet today... one that's particularly narrow without any bike lanes, and a car came up behind me, hoking its horn as it came up right behind me. I was riding particularly fast and swerved to the right side of the road... clipped the edge of the pavement and lost control. I now have some pretty nasty scars on my right leg and arm, some on the side of my face, and I broke my glasses.

 

And they didn't even have the courtesy to stop and ask if I was alright. Guess they were in a hurry.

 

Hope you're happy! Asshole

 

I'm stunned that you seem only mildly pissed. I would be a raging lunatic, quit my job, and begin a national movement to hang automobile drivers.

 

I lost alot of respect for humans when my wife had to dig out and free her car from the snow and ice at about 6 months pregnant while a group of young men watched from the steps of a convenience store...20 feet away. People just suck.

[Phi for All]

And they didn't even have the courtesy to stop and ask if I was alright. Guess they were in a hurry.

A pox! A pox upon them! An incurable pox, something quite ghastly and hideous that will put an immediate end to the question, "Will they ever reproduce?"

 

I think a good Boulder attorney could get the death penalty if the guy is ever caught. If not, you bring the beer and I'll bring the pick-up truck, a small mob and a rope.

[Sisyphus]

According to Colorado state law bikes are technically cars and can ride along with traffic....

 

Exactly. Isn't that rather ridiculous?