Not really. He’s saying he doesn’t care about your opinion and that he will ride in the street because he is legally entitled to. There’s no implication there that you said it was illegal.
I agree with you that the guy is defensive, but that wasn’t a strawman.
I’ll concede I may have misinterpreted his statement, but it does seem like a needlessly pointless observation…
Rucksinator: Go fuck yourself. I, too, live in a place where there is seldom traffic gridlock, and I don’t give a shit what you think should be the case. I have every right to ride in the street, and I will continue to do so.
Here’s my advice: Piss right the fuck off. Because you’re far closer to being a pile of shit than you are to a sentient being.
No offense, but I see it happen daily. I saw it happen with startling regularity the last time I was in Columbia, too. And I can make such assurances because the number of motorists far outweighs the number of cyclists. Even in college towns.
Then they are what we in the know refer to as morons. Unfortunately, as RTFirefly (I think) said: I can’t change the actions of others. Wish like hell I could sometimes, but I can’t.
It does equate to you valuing your convenience over other people’s safety.
At least it’s only bicycles. In Bangkok, it’s motorcycles. Even the motorcycle cops take to the sidewalks, because of the traffic.
Guilty as charged, riding on the sidewalk.
It’s the only place I’ll ride, I don’t like sharing the road with city buses.
However, I ALWAYS cede to pedestrians. Damned, it isn’t that difficult to share.
I always choose the less walked side of the street, I always ride up onto the lawn to cede the sidewalk to any other users, I always ding my bell well in advance when approaching from behind (and riding on lawn to pass). I am never in such a hurry that I cannot stop and walk around something or someone or across a roadway.
I don’t have to drive a car, I don’t have anyone scream at me, I don’t inconvenience anyone in anyway and I arrive safely. It’s just not that hard to me. Simple common sense. 
I might be an asshole. And when her child is lying dead in the street, at least she will have the consolation of knowing that, and that the law was on their side. :dubious:
I think it would be safer, in general, if bikes did not share the road with other vehicles on most city roads.
No might about it. you are an asshole.
Here is a little something to think about, asshole. You ride up behind this child and honk. This startles the child so badly that he veers into your path. You then hit and kill said child. The child is dead as a direct result of your actions. Like I said nice work sparky. (I am an adult with tens of thousands of bike miles, and when car coasts up behind me and honks it scares the shit out of me. I can only imagine what it does to a child.)
So Red I think it should be legal for a bike rider to shoot and kill an idiot like you. Is that OK? In your world it can’t be wrong because it is an opinion. Is my opinion wrong, or not? You seem to think that opinions are more important than laws, so answer that one. :rolleyes:
It’s not a matter of ignorance. I happen to think that a child’s safety trumps the laws in certain, specific situations like the one that I described. I’m sorry, but I don’t share the “better dead than a lawbreaker” attitude that you seem to have.
On preview…
I didn’t honk behind the child. But don’t let anything get in the way of the image of me that you have painted in your head.
If you are talking about existing roads without bike lanes, this is not the case. Most bike/car accidents happen at intersections. As many people have explained already, bikes are more predictable and visible when they are on the road and behave as vehicles.
If you mean bike lanes would make cycling safer, that is also arguable but very possibly true. But in the absence of bike lanes, cycling on the road is generally safer than the sidewalk.
I’m just impressed that you’re incapable of being civil to someone who holds views opposite your own. You’re taking this far more personally than intended, and I’m not quite sure why. It’s not as if I start up my car every morning and run down bikers on my way to work , but you seem to be under the impression that I do.
What does this even mean? That one can’t hold an opinion counter to a law? Of course I value my own sentiments, but what does expressing them have anything to do with neglect of the law?
In the situation you describe, did you not see the cyclists from a good distance? Did you not have adequate time to change lanes or slow down to avoid hitting the cyclists? If so, why do you think the cyclists were in danger?
You know, I think we just hit the issue on the head. I base my opinion, as you base yours, on life experience. Where I drive, there are rarely bike lanes, but numerous intersections, which have created an uncountable number of near misses that I’ve witnessed between bikes and vehicles. Just last week I saw a bike shoot by a car on the right side, as the vehicle was making a free right; he’s damn lucky he didn’t end up as a pancake.
So in my area, yes, I believe it would be far safer if bikers did not share the road with vehicles, in general.
That incident was not created by riding on the road. It was created by the cyclist’s failure to follow the law and behave like a vehicle. What he/she should have done was to ride in the middle of the right-most straight-through lane. Or at least far enough into the lane that he/she is visibly occupying the lane.
You think I don’t understand the distinction? My point is I’ve seen situations similar to the above often enough for it to be a considerable problem. Very, very, few bikers round these parts seem to “behave like a vehicle” - as I’ve mentioned many times prior, if they were to, there would not be a problem.
No, I don’t think you understand the distinction. Why else would you see a few people breaking the rules, and conclude that the activity itself is inherently dangerous? I agree breaking the law while riding on the road is a problem. But riding on the road is not a problem in itself.
Now you’re splitting hairs. I see enough bicyclists breaking the law to make the distinction unremarkable.
A careful cyclist is unlikely to injure anybody on the sidewalk – and even if the does cause an accident, it’s unlikely to be fatal.
In contrast, being hit by an automobile would be far more life-threatening.
Therein lies the key. There’s nothing dangerous about cycling on the sidewalk if you maintain a reasonable speed and slow down at intersections or any other place where vehicular visibility is compromised (e.g. certain driveways).
I usually stick to the sidewalk, since the streets just aren’t safe. I don’t go as fast as many other cyclists, though. Does this make me look wimpy? Perhaps… but I do maintain better visibility that way.