# Hey bicycle riders..Traffic laws DO APPLY to you too.. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 8, 2010, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-bicycle-riders-traffic-laws-do-apply-to-you-too/556441 "2010-10-08T01:09:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2010, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-bicycle-riders-traffic-laws-do-apply-to-you-too/556441/41 "2010-10-10T04:49:04Z")
> [@digs](#): > > Bike rider here. Who has blown through the random stop sign when no one’s around, or ridden on a sidewalk.. > > And y’know what? I was wrong. > > And I’m going to get hit someday… actually, I did get bumped by a car this summer. Totally my fault. > > If we bikes would grow up and act like cars everyone would be a lot safer… and a lot less pissed off. Thank you! I actually heard a local (in Anchorage before I left) talk show host complaining about this, he stated “why do bikes have to walk their bike through a cross walk? That doesn’t make any sense”. Because you IDIOT, bikes can go a pretty good clip, I’m guessing 30mph? (but I’m a super slow not very talented rider so I’m sure I’m much slower) and a car turning at that light won’t know a bike is approaching and crossing the way he/she would a pedestrian moving at a normal pedestrian speed. Sheesh. Yes bikes, you can be either a bike or a pedestrian, you don’t get to cherry pick which. And stop “mid-crossing” (or whatever it’s called) intersections too! As a pedestrian, (again, still in Anchorage) bike/pedestrian near misses were very common on sidewalks, and like other places, they’re not supposed to even be on the sidewalks downtown. ---
**Author:** ![bannerrefugee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c68b51/32.png) [@bannerrefugee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bannerrefugee)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2010, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-bicycle-riders-traffic-laws-do-apply-to-you-too/556441/42 "2010-10-10T09:45:45Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > > [@digs](#): > > > > If we bikes would grow up and act like cars everyone would be a lot safer… and a lot less pissed off. > > Actually, it seems to me that this thread shows that bikes _do_, in fact, act a lot like cars—dangerously, selfishly, and irresponsibly. I see far more drivers than cyclists disobeying the road rules and/or driving like assholes on any given day. Yeah but why bother pointing that out? We need some outrage here after all. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2010, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-bicycle-riders-traffic-laws-do-apply-to-you-too/556441/43 "2010-10-10T10:04:45Z")
When I’m in a car I obey all traffic laws except maybe 20mph ones. When I’m on a bike I cycle like a total asshole, and jump red lights like they’re going out of style. However, I never do anything that endangers others. The worst that could happen is that people may hurt their tongues by tutting at me. ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2010, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-bicycle-riders-traffic-laws-do-apply-to-you-too/556441/44 "2010-10-10T12:05:30Z")
Sorry. Outside of busy downtown areas where it makes sense to ride on the street my happy ass is up on the sidewalk. People drive like maniacs in south Florida, and I’m not placing myself in the road when there are miles and miles of endless uninhabited sidewalk to safely traverse. It only takes a second to detour into the grass for a moment when you meet the rare pedestrian. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2010, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-bicycle-riders-traffic-laws-do-apply-to-you-too/556441/45 "2010-10-10T15:46:02Z")
> [@PlainJain](#): > > Is it time for another bike thread already!? We actually haven’t had one in a while. We used to get one every year sometime in April and another one in the Fall. I’m betting there is a lot of pent up cager rage at cyclists for this one. I’m actually surprised the invariable ‘guy-who-threatens-to-run-down-cyclists-for-daring-to-be-in-his-way’ or something similar (Mr. Bikes-don’t-belong-one-the-road is a popular one) hasn’t shown up yet. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2010, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-bicycle-riders-traffic-laws-do-apply-to-you-too/556441/46 "2010-10-10T15:57:18Z")
> [@digs](#): > > If we bikes would grow up and act like cars everyone would be a lot safer… and a lot less pissed off. I wouldn’t be too sure of that. I use vehicular cycling on a regular basis somebody honks at me because I am on their road and not riding inches away from the parked cars so they can pass on that hilly curve up ahead. That being said, my riding style may piss people off but I am much safer for using it. I once did an experiment where I rode in a non-vehicular cycling style - riding way over on the side of the lane and other things. I cut it short of blowing lights but I did treat the quieter lights like stop signs. I was honked at much, much less but I was in about 10x as much danger\*. So when people say they want cyclists to obey the traffic laws, I have raise an eyebrow and say ‘do you? really’? - subjective estimate, I admit ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2010, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-bicycle-riders-traffic-laws-do-apply-to-you-too/556441/47 "2010-10-10T16:19:22Z")
Here they sail through pedestrian crossing red lights. I don’t mind if you wanna get yourself killed but don’t kill anyone else. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-bicycle-riders-traffic-laws-do-apply-to-you-too/556441/48 "2010-10-11T01:21:13Z")
Where is the instinct of self-preservation? On the instances where I do ride, I follow every law, stop or slow at every crosswalk, and always look both ways. You’re on a vehicle that can instantly become paste under the wheels of a 2000lb+ moving box of metal. Even if you don’t have to follow traffic laws, you DO IT because it’s safer that way. Hell, I even slow down at green lights when crossing major roads because if I don’t do that, and a car doesn’t do that, I’m the one that will be hurt, not the other guy ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-bicycle-riders-traffic-laws-do-apply-to-you-too/556441/49 "2010-10-11T02:20:08Z")
> [@Mr.Miskatonic](#): > > > [@digs](#): > > > > If we bikes would grow up and act like cars everyone would be a lot safer… and a lot less pissed off. > > I wouldn’t be too sure of that. I use vehicular cycling on a regular basis somebody honks at me because I am on their road and not riding inches away from the parked cars so they can pass on that hilly curve up ahead. > > That being said, my riding style may piss people off but I am much safer for using it. > > I once did an experiment where I rode in a non-vehicular cycling style - riding way over on the side of the lane and other things. I cut it short of blowing lights but I did treat the quieter lights like stop signs. > > I was honked at much, much less but I was in about 10x as much danger\*. > > So when people say they want cyclists to obey the traffic laws, I have raise an eyebrow and say ‘do you? really’? > > - subjective estimate, I admit Cool, can I decide what laws to follow in my car too as long as I subjectively think it makes me safer? Cause I think I’d be safer in those bike lanes then being nearer to oncoming traffic. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-bicycle-riders-traffic-laws-do-apply-to-you-too/556441/50 "2010-10-11T02:26:58Z")
> [@DanBlather](#): > > Cool, can I decide what laws to follow in my car too as long as I subjectively think it makes me safer? Cause I think I’d be safer in those bike lanes then being nearer to oncoming traffic. What _inept fucking reading skills_ did you apply to my post to come up with shit like that? ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-bicycle-riders-traffic-laws-do-apply-to-you-too/556441/51 "2010-10-11T02:35:04Z")
Be glad you’re not in Boulder. We don’t have bike lanes. Bicycles own the roads, and the cars have to travel in the vehicle lane. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-bicycle-riders-traffic-laws-do-apply-to-you-too/556441.md?page=2)