Bicycles and Road Rage

[Abraham]

I'm an avid cyclist and a motorist - that said, I'm annoyed as anyone can be when I experience a group of spandex uniformed cyclists hogging the road and flaunting the law. These cretins give cyclists a bad name.

I do my utmost to share the road by not being a road hog. I stay far to the right. I pedal defensively and have had many a close call with those who treat me as if I'm invisible, as in the case when they hurriedly drive past me and then make a quick right turn immediately in front of me or perform some other death defying inconsideration.

I used to get angry when this kind of thing happened, but now that I carry I'm on my best behavior. I figure, if they act annoyed by virtue of unkind driving in my regard, when I've given them no reason to act so, they probably didn't see me or want to scare me. Either or, I understand and do my best to simply keep pedaling and keep my blood pressure in check by not letting their behavior cause my behavior to go astray.

On week-ends, when I'm getting in my milage, out on the country roads I travel, I see throngs of cyclists weaving all over the road and understand the disgust they engender with their churlish behavior and wonder how they can complain when people in cars are impatient (at best) with their antics.

People on bicycles need to remember to fairly share the road with motorists and not act boorish teenagers.

[WildBill]

On week-ends, when I'm getting in my mileage, out on the country roads I travel, I see throngs of cyclists weaving all over the road and understand the disgust they engender with their churlish behavior and wonder how they can complain when people in cars are impatient (at best) with their antics.

People on bicycles need to remember to fairly share the road with motorists and not act boorish teenagers.

This seems prudent to me, if only for their own safety. Cars have much more mass and kinetic energy than a bicycle. It's better to be safe and uninjured than to be "right".

[Oldgringo]

On week-ends, when I'm getting in my mileage, out on the country roads I travel, I see throngs of cyclists weaving all over the road and understand the disgust they engender with their churlish behavior and wonder how they can complain when people in cars are impatient (at best) with their antics.

People on bicycles need to remember to fairly share the road with motorists and not act boorish teenagers.

This seems prudent to me, if only for their own safety. Cars have much more mass and kinetic energy than a bicycle. It's better to be safe and uninjured than to be "right".

, a cyclist will not win a confrontation with a car or truck regardless of right-of-way. The cemeterys are full of folk who had the right-of-way.

[particle]

What ticks me off is when I pull up to an endlessly long group of cyclist taking up the entire lane, and it's impossible to safely pass because they've left no room for cars to duck back into the lane in case of oncoming traffic.

In my opinion, it should be against the law to ride on any road that does not have an improved shoulder, and bikes should be forced to ride on the shoulder unless they're participating in a race. This way, if cars happen upon a group of cyclist, it is what it is - the car chose to take a route designated as a race route that day. Some may say riding on the shoulder is dangerous - well, buy better/wider tires that aren't so prone to rolling off the rim!

Cyclists are expected to obey the rules of the road (stopping at stop signs, for example). That should include maintaining speed limits, brake lights, license plates, blah blah blah. Otherwise, stay out of the way of motorized street-legal vehicles.

I'm sure there are a ton that would disagree with me, but I used to live in an area with a ton of cyclists, and no shoulders - it got pretty annoying.

[android]

What ticks me off is when I pull up to an endlessly long group of cyclist taking up the entire lane, and it's impossible to safely pass because they've left no room for cars to duck back into the lane in case of oncoming traffic.

In my opinion, it should be against the law to ride on any road that does not have an improved shoulder, and bikes should be forced to ride on the shoulder unless they're participating in a race. This way, if cars happen upon a group of cyclist, it is what it is - the car chose to take a route designated as a race route that day. Some may say riding on the shoulder is dangerous - well, buy better/wider tires that aren't so prone to rolling off the rim!

Cyclists are expected to obey the rules of the road (stopping at stop signs, for example). That should include maintaining speed limits, brake lights, license plates, blah blah blah. Otherwise, stay out of the way of motorized street-legal vehicles.

I'm sure there are a ton that would disagree with me, but I used to live in an area with a ton of cyclists, and no shoulders - it got pretty annoying.

I'm going to disagree with you on several counts and not just with regards to bicycles.

First, you don't seem to understand how most roads work. The right of way belongs to the vehicle traveling in the lane. When you come up on tractor, slower car, motorcycle, moped or bicycle, it is not YOUR LANE until you are able to PASS SAFELY. Passing safely is 100% the responsibility of the overtaking vehicle. The slower guy in the front doesn't have to move over, slow down or do anything else to help out. (although it is certainly polite to move right a bit.) Why should he? It's HIS LANE!!

Most roads that are not controlled access do not have a minimum speed and there is no requirement that people hauling equipment, horse trailers or even bicycles maintain the speed limit. A lot of drivers seem to have the attitude that where they're going and what they're doing is far more important that what anyone else on the road is up to. Road are a common resource shared by society. A bigger truck or a sports car with 400 horsepower don't entitle a person to any additional privileges. In fact, like a firearm, I would argue that it burdens the owner with increased responsibility to maintain a safe and courteous attitude.

Also, I know with all certainty that the civil engineer working for whatever transportation dept that designed the road want me riding my bicycle in the travel lane when there is no shoulder or a shoulder that is unsafe to ride. How do I know? Because if the engineer and agency responsible for that road intended otherwise, they would have build a wide, well maintained shoulder/break down lane.

[particle]

Like I said - "in my opinion..."

[casingpoint]

I rode bicycles quite a bit years go and had issues with motorists on occasion. That's putting it mildly. Android has framed the problem correctly. If I were to ride again in this day and time, I'd have some serious firepower on hand.

To address particle on a point he made, myself and another cyclist were almost arrested by a young DPS trooper near Alvin for riding on Hwy. 6, which back then had no shoulder. I'm sure it does now, and is probably five lanes in either direction to boot.The poor guy really thought bikes could not be ridden on a Texas highway.

[suthdj]

What ticks me off is when I pull up to an endlessly long group of cyclist taking up the entire lane, and it's impossible to safely pass because they've left no room for cars to duck back into the lane in case of oncoming traffic.

In my opinion, it should be against the law to ride on any road that does not have an improved shoulder, and bikes should be forced to ride on the shoulder unless they're participating in a race. This way, if cars happen upon a group of cyclist, it is what it is - the car chose to take a route designated as a race route that day. Some may say riding on the shoulder is dangerous - well, buy better/wider tires that aren't so prone to rolling off the rim!

Cyclists are expected to obey the rules of the road (stopping at stop signs, for example). That should include maintaining speed limits, brake lights, license plates, blah blah blah. Otherwise, stay out of the way of motorized street-legal vehicles.

I'm sure there are a ton that would disagree with me, but I used to live in an area with a ton of cyclists, and no shoulders - it got pretty annoying.

I'm going to disagree with you on several counts and not just with regards to bicycles.

First, you don't seem to understand how most roads work. The right of way belongs to the vehicle traveling in the lane. When you come up on tractor, slower car, motorcycle, moped or bicycle, it is not YOUR LANE until you are able to PASS SAFELY. Passing safely is 100% the responsibility of the overtaking vehicle. The slower guy in the front doesn't have to move over, slow down or do anything else to help out. (although it is certainly polite to move right a bit.) Why should he? It's HIS LANE!!

Most roads that are not controlled access do not have a minimum speed and there is no requirement that people hauling equipment, horse trailers or even bicycles maintain the speed limit. A lot of drivers seem to have the attitude that where they're going and what they're doing is far more important that what anyone else on the road is up to. Road are a common resource shared by society. A bigger truck or a sports car with 400 horsepower don't entitle a person to any additional privileges. In fact, like a firearm, I would argue that it burdens the owner with increased responsibility to maintain a safe and courteous attitude.

Also, I know with all certainty that the civil engineer working for whatever transportation dept that designed the road want me riding my bicycle in the travel lane when there is no shoulder or a shoulder that is unsafe to ride. How do I know? Because if the engineer and agency responsible for that road intended otherwise, they would have build a wide, well maintained shoulder/break down lane.

And how much do cyclist pay in road taxes compared to motor vehicles I don't believe they have a registration or safety sticker to pay each year. So when I start to see Lic plates on a bike then I will agree they have equal rights to road use.

[particle]

Granted, I was on a motorcycle, but I was hit by an inattentive driver one morning back in 1996 - he pulled out of a parking lot, didn't see me, and broadsided me, crushing my foot. I'm now an amputee as a result of that accident. I have a different viewpoint on this subject than most. Cyclists tend to have a mindset of "we have a right to be here, so just live with it" (see casingpoint's comment "I'd have some serious firepower on hand"). I tend to approach it from the mindset of "bike little, car big, bike slow, car fast - thus, bike + path = safe(er), bike + street = donor.

[Xander]

And how much do cyclist pay in road taxes compared to motor vehicles I don't believe they have a registration or safety sticker to pay each year. So when I start to see Lic plates on a bike then I will agree they have equal rights to road use.

They may pay a lot more than you do, depending on what they're driving when they're not on their bikes. Or how many municipal bonds they've purchase to finance roadway projects. Or how much they pay in other taxes that go towards public roadworks. You don't really think that your automobile registration fees are the *only* monies the government uses to finance roadway projects, do you? This isn't a problem to blame on cyclists, it's problem caused by our quasi-socialist system that decided that roadways (on the whole) should be public property, built and maintained by the government and unfairly legislatively forcing taxpayers to finance them, rather than being private property built and maintained companies that can finance them with use-tolls.

[ScubaSigGuy]

Everyone is certainly entitled to their opionion. As a cyclist it always makes me smile when some impatient driver passes me at a high rate of speed, while beeping, only for us to be stopped at the same spot at a traffic light a mile down the road. I consider myself a considerate cyclist. If riding on a two lane road, I try to signal the driver behind me that it's OK to pass. Being a motorcyclist for most of the last 20 years, maybe I just see things differently.

I too used to get angry when I had to wait in traffic because of an accident, or was slowed by a farm vehicle, which believe it or not, happens in Frisco and McKinney on a regular enough basis. Then one day it hit me that someone might be seriously injured or worse in that accident ahead, and all I have to complain about is being delayed getting wherever I am going. Get over it. There is no reason that cyclist and motorists can't share the road. Is that one minute delay becasue you couldn't pass that cyclist, really going to cause you that many issues? If you are running late then I understand your frustration, but don't take it out on others using the road because you didn't start you day early enough, or didn't allow yourself enough time to get where you are going. As for bikes not being registered, it not required by law, and cyclist pay the same taxes and registrastion fees on their motor vehicles as non cyclist, and it's not their fault that you choose not to exercise (no pun intended) your right for non-motorized transportation on roads that we ALL paid for.

[casingpoint]

Cyclists tend to have a mindset of "we have a right to be here, so just live with it" (see casingpoint's comment "I'd have some serious firepower on hand")

Well. that is the presumptive attitude of some motorist. Am I somehow supposed to be subservient to automobile drivers? One things leads to another, and a lot of folks can't control their rage today. I'm not going to be the one going down if I can help it.

p.s, I haven't biked in years and probably can't now due to an injury, but I always have serious firepower close at hand since the hurricanes in '05.

[Drewthetexan]

Funny this should come up, I almost plowed a cyclist last week.

I was driving along a four-lane divided suburban street with curbs and sidewalks in a 'pack' of cars that just got the green light at an intersection. I was in the right lane at the front with another car immediately to my left and was coming up on a cyclist who was riding on the sidewalk. As we get close, he signals that he is turning left, which confused me so I slowed a bit anticipating stupidity. Seems I guessed right. He looks right at me, and the crowd of cars behind me, and rides right out into the road. If I thought the possible legal ramifications, inconvenience, and damage to my car didn't outweigh his imminent attitude adjustment, I wouldn't have braked as hard.

I respect cyclists' access to roadways and afford them whatever courtesy the situation warrants, but I expect that courtesy in return. I consider the random cyclist an impromptu school zone and accept it. When 'entitlement' behavior is exhibited, it's hard to have any sympathy for the mistreatment cyclists incur.

[android]

And how much do cyclist pay in road taxes compared to motor vehicles I don't believe they have a registration or safety sticker to pay each year. So when I start to see Lic plates on a bike then I will agree they have equal rights to road use.

Oh my, we've been found out...

Yes, when my property tax bill from the county assessor comes in the mail, all I have to do is write "I RIDE A BICYCLE" on it and send it back and the taxes are waived.

When I'm shopping, I just tell the person ringing up the sale that I ride a bicycle and she presses a special button that subtracts the Texas and local sales taxes. (We have to look around and make sure no non-cyclists are watching)

When I'm putting gas in my car, I have a special code (you get it at the bike shop with your bike) that I enter on the pumps numeric keypad and it deducts all the fuel taxes. Drops the price down to about $1.25 per gallon. It's a really good deal.

And when I file my 1040, I just write "I RIDE A BICYCLE" and the IRS just refunds all my payroll withholdings for the year. (Social Security and Medicare too!!)

Dude, I would so love to live in this fantasy world where cyclists don't pay any taxes. It would save me in the neighborhood of $30,000 a year in local, state and federal taxes.

[roberts]

The slower guy in the front doesn't have to move over, slow down or do anything else to help out. (although it is certainly polite to move right a bit.) Why should he? It's HIS LANE!!

Because it's the law. (Texas transportation code)

An operator being passed by another vehicle:
(1) shall, on audible signal, move or remain to the right in favor of the passing vehicle; and
(2) may not accelerate until completely passed by the passing vehicle.