# Okay, everyone that gets their panties all in a twist over cyclists, in here! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 19, 2005, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-everyone-that-gets-their-panties-all-in-a-twist-over-cyclists-in-here/313110 "2005-07-19T06:49:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**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:** [July 24, 2005, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-everyone-that-gets-their-panties-all-in-a-twist-over-cyclists-in-here/313110/101 "2005-07-24T15:37:55Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > Try this: put: “hit and run” and “cyclist” into google. Hit enter. Start reading. I only bothered with the first four pages. Every single hit on those first four pages was about a car hitting a cyclist and running away. Not one single one was about a cyclist hitting someone and running away. For real fun, see how few convictions there are of such hit-and-run drivers… especially if alchohol is not involved. The number of cases I have found could be counted on one mutilated hand. A driver’s liscence is practically a liscence to kill. Its funny how\*\* Declan\*\* bitches and moans about his ultra-liberal city council, but then decides that what the world needs to solve a non-existant problem is **more beaurocracy!!** ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2005, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-everyone-that-gets-their-panties-all-in-a-twist-over-cyclists-in-here/313110/102 "2005-07-24T20:33:06Z")
> [@Mr. Miskatonic](#): > > Ah, I see. Never mind that the other cars are the ones darting around. Never mind the large number of cars being around is leading to the hazards you describe. > > Naaaah, let’s blame the bike!!! Its sooo much easier to do that! > > If the people on bikes were in cars, do you really think traffic would improve? Anybody driving slower than the flow of traffic (at the legal speed) is a traffic hazard. We’re not discussing other cars in this thread; we’re discussing bikes. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2005, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-everyone-that-gets-their-panties-all-in-a-twist-over-cyclists-in-here/313110/103 "2005-07-24T20:42:59Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > Cyclists pick and choose which laws they will respect, then expect drivers to respect them. > [@Princhester](#): > > What exactly do you mean by “respect them”? > > Because I sure as hell hope you do not mean that because in your view cyclists don’t obey certain traffic laws, they shouldn’t expect motorists to respect their persons. In the context of this OP that’s the obvious way to read this comment. > > You wouldn’t be advocating vigilante violence against cyclists would you? No, I’m not advocating vigilante violence against cyclists. What I mean by cyclists expecting drivers to respect them is, for example, they expect drivers to give them a wide berth when passing, but when everybody is stopped waiting for the red light, the cyclist just drives down the side of the lane beside the cars. Which is it - do you need the whole lane or not? If there’s plenty of room for cyclists to drive beside the cars stopped for the red light, I guess there’s plenty of room for cars to pass cyclists in the same lane. And red lights/stop signs - cyclists get all bent out of shape (no pun intended) when people right turn across them at a red light or stop sign, but cyclists come up to a red light, fly across in the crosswalk like a pedestrian, turn back into a vehicle on the other side of the intersection, and continue on their merry way, or pull any number of stunts that don’t include stopping in their place in the lane and waiting properly for the red light. You want drivers to look out for cyclists at intersections, I suggest irresponsible cyclists pull their heads out of their asses and look at their own behaviour in intersections. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2005, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-everyone-that-gets-their-panties-all-in-a-twist-over-cyclists-in-here/313110/104 "2005-07-24T20:59:06Z")
> [@Mr. Miskatonic](#): > > Check your local laws. Basic safety does involve giving proper clearance when passing. You are doing nothing special to be rewarded. It’s like reading Animal Farm, it really is: “four wheels bad, two wheels good”. Actually, since a mo’bike’s my preferred mode of transport, I can cheerfully say "a curse on both your houses. I give proper clearance plus plenty more out of goodwill, the same as when I pass horses I give them the whole width of the road if I can, pull the clutch and coast by. And I don’t plan to stop doing so - even if your constant snivelling of “But you’re only doing what the law obliges you to! Don’t you go around thinking you’re owed anything in return!” _is_ becoming a little wearing. > [@Mr.Miskatonic](#): > > Tell you what, before you try paw waving the inconvenience to the cyclist, try this. Take the same road, every time you see another car, stop your car, turn off the engine, step out of the vehicle, wait for the car to be out of your sight, then get back in and start up again. > > Seem inconvenient? Sure is! But that is what you are asking of the cylist. In fact what you are asking is far, far more dangerous. Except that what I was asking for - and what you’re studiously ignoring - is that the cyclist should pay attention to an unusual situation developing behind him: a vehicle fully capable of the posted speed limit, but too large and too sluggish to pass the bike on a winding road, _especially_ once he’s been forced to slow to the speed of the bike in the first place. I’m not expecting him to stop and get off every time another vehicle appears; that would neither be practical nor necessary. Try not to generalise my argument to the point that it’s only useful for scaring crows, would you? :dubious: One advantage of a bicycle, ISTM, is that if you can be arsed to pull in and stop to let other traffic by, you can do it and be on your way with much less inconvenience than the anile analogy you postulate above. But since we’re battling this whole Animal Farm mindset, I don’t expect this to sink in for a while. ---
**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:** [July 24, 2005, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-everyone-that-gets-their-panties-all-in-a-twist-over-cyclists-in-here/313110/105 "2005-07-24T21:32:51Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > Except that what I was asking for - and what you’re studiously ignoring - is that the cyclist should pay attention to an unusual situation developing behind him: a vehicle fully capable of the posted speed limit, but too large and too sluggish to pass the bike on a winding road, _especially_ once he’s been forced to slow to the speed of the bike in the first place. I’m not expecting him to stop and get off every time another vehicle appears; that would neither be practical nor necessary. Try not to generalise my argument to the point that it’s only useful for scaring crows, would you? :dubious: So where is the limit? One car? Three cars? Six cars? > [@](#): > > One advantage of a bicycle, ISTM, is that if you can be arsed to pull in and stop to let other traffic by, you can do it and be on your way with much less inconvenience than the anile analogy you postulate above. But since we’re battling this whole Animal Farm mindset, I don’t expect this to sink in for a while. You have a funny defintion of “less inconvenience” that does not jibe with my experience or that of most cyclists. Times were (loooong) ago, when I lived near country/suburban roads, that I used to get off my bike to let cars by. I actually was taking a huge risk given that there was insufficient room for them to pass. Cars came within inches of me, and while I did not expect gratitude, I did not expect cursing, and attempts to spit on me. At the time I tought I was doing the right thing, I was wrong. There were other problems with stopping too. Bikes do not have brake lights and impatient drivers tend to forget their stopping zones. Add to that the fact that far too many drivers do not recognize hand signals, I was risking my life somply by trying to stop. No thank you. ---
**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:** [July 24, 2005, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-everyone-that-gets-their-panties-all-in-a-twist-over-cyclists-in-here/313110/106 "2005-07-24T21:34:22Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > Anybody driving slower than the flow of traffic (at the legal speed) is a traffic hazard. Wrong. ---
**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:** [July 24, 2005, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-everyone-that-gets-their-panties-all-in-a-twist-over-cyclists-in-here/313110/107 "2005-07-24T21:45:44Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > No, I’m not advocating vigilante violence against cyclists. What I mean by cyclists expecting drivers to respect them is, for example, they expect drivers to give them a wide berth when passing, but when everybody is stopped waiting for the red light, the cyclist just drives down the side of the lane beside the cars. Which is it - do you need the whole lane or not? If there’s plenty of room for cyclists to drive beside the cars stopped for the red light, I guess there’s plenty of room for cars to pass cyclists in the same lane. You are comparing a situation where two objects are moving at full speed, to one where only a one is moving (at reduced speed). Can you not grasp that there is a difference? > [@](#): > > And red lights/stop signs - cyclists get all bent out of shape (no pun intended) when people right turn across them at a red light or stop sign, but cyclists come up to a red light, fly across in the crosswalk like a pedestrian, turn back into a vehicle on the other side of the intersection, and continue on their merry way, or pull any number of stunts that don’t include stopping in their place in the lane and waiting properly for the red light. You want drivers to look out for cyclists at intersections, I suggest irresponsible cyclists pull their heads out of their asses and look at their own behaviour in intersections. Sweeping generalization are such fun. I do not run red lights myself, except under certain rare circumstances. So is my head up my ass? Or am I suddenly responsible for the behavior of all on pedals? Becuase I sure don’t hold every driver responsible for the assualts I have recieved. ---
**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:** [July 24, 2005, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-everyone-that-gets-their-panties-all-in-a-twist-over-cyclists-in-here/313110/108 "2005-07-24T22:28:22Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > And red lights/stop signs - cyclists get all bent out of shape (no pun intended) when people right turn across them at a red light or stop sign, but cyclists come up to a red light, fly across in the crosswalk like a pedestrian, turn back into a vehicle on the other side of the intersection, and continue on their merry way, or pull any number of stunts that don’t include stopping in their place in the lane and waiting properly for the red light. You want drivers to look out for cyclists at intersections, I suggest irresponsible cyclists pull their heads out of their asses and look at their own behaviour in intersections. As a further to my previous comments: I would point out that this above quote is the same “blame-the-victim” bullshit that I complained about on post #60. Basicly featherlou is saying that cyclists have absolutely no right to complain about people killing them since some commit traffic violations. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2005, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-everyone-that-gets-their-panties-all-in-a-twist-over-cyclists-in-here/313110/109 "2005-07-24T23:02:14Z")
> [@Mr. Miskatonic](#): > > As a further to my previous comments: I would point out that this above quote is the same “blame-the-victim” bullshit that I complained about on post #60. Basicly featherlou is saying that cyclists have absolutely no right to complain about people killing them since some commit traffic violations. That would be an incorrect extrapolation from what I’ve posted here. I have been saying, and will continue to say, that cyclists have a share in the responsibility for how motorists feel about them. The animosity that drivers feel for cyclists didn’t develop in a vacuum. That doesn’t mean that I or most other drivers actively try to hurt them. ---
**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:** [July 24, 2005, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-everyone-that-gets-their-panties-all-in-a-twist-over-cyclists-in-here/313110/110 "2005-07-24T23:38:15Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > That would be an incorrect extrapolation from what I’ve posted here. I have been saying, and will continue to say, that cyclists have a share in the responsibility for how motorists feel about them. The animosity that drivers feel for cyclists didn’t develop in a vacuum. Actually, it did. Remove all the bad acts by cylists and you’ll still have drivers going nuts over cyclists being on their roads. The thread in the following link was started by a person who is pissed at bicyclists. Note that in his OP, he describes nothing that is illegal by cylists. Yet he is still pissed off at them. This is typical of far too many drivers. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=295140&highlight=bicycle](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=295140&highlight=bicycle) Face it, drivers will have tantrums about bikes without any illegal acts being done. > [@](#): > > That doesn’t mean that I or most other drivers actively try to hurt them. I did not say that it did. I am saying you are blaming the victim. You are effectively telling a person who got mugged that they should not have been walking in the city. I bike using VC as my guideline. I stop at red lights, take the lane when it is too small to share with a car, and so forth. I still have had tantrum prone drivers yell at me, throw things at me, and assault me with their vehicles. I have been right hooked by drivers even when I was in the middle of the lane and the first at the light. But, according to you, I deserved it all, since some cyclist ran a red light somewhere… ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-everyone-that-gets-their-panties-all-in-a-twist-over-cyclists-in-here/313110/111 "2005-07-25T03:23:19Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > Fuck about with terminology all you like, your point is still a dud. Motorists and cyclists are both entitled to be on the road, whether as a right or privilege. Saying cyclists are not entitled to be on the road is, as a matter of simple fact, bullshit. Thats nice , pat pat Declan ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-everyone-that-gets-their-panties-all-in-a-twist-over-cyclists-in-here/313110/112 "2005-07-25T03:31:45Z")
> [@Mr. Miskatonic](#): > > You get irritated too easily. Why is your irritation aimed at the cyclists and not all the other cars that you seem capable of waiting patiently for? Because I can see the other cars, while a bike coming up curbside may litterally just appear > [@](#): > > I don’t give a shit about your local politics, but I am a moderate-conservative who rides. Don’t try and make this a left/right issue. I dont expect you care about someone elses local politics , I really don’t. So i really dont expect to see why you have a dog in this hunt about how I treat local bike riders here , either. > [@](#): > > No. I paid for it. I need to use it. Go piss up a rope if you can’t handle that. Its not a matter of handling it , like I have a choice in the matter , one of my earlier posts stated that I did not expect bikes to be banned from the road any time soon, just dont read that as acceptance of your perfered mode of transportation , pedestrian. > [@](#): > > And you did it very, very badly. Meh , like I am losing sleep over it Declan ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-everyone-that-gets-their-panties-all-in-a-twist-over-cyclists-in-here/313110/113 "2005-07-25T03:57:37Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > Yeah, a ding of the bell and a “Passing on your left” would be great. Too bad no Calgarian biker would be caught dead doing either. And speed limits on the congested multi-use paths - those are for pussies. > > I should say, in case it hasn’t been apparent already, I hate cyclists when I’m a driver, and I hate them when I’m a pedestrian on the multi-use paths and sidewalks in Calgary. It took me many years and many incidents to develop this hatred of them. I think it is justified. I use, and hear, bells on the bikepaths all the time. I’m very pleased at how well Calgarians have been trained to heed the bell. If only they were so courteous behind the wheels of their cars. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-everyone-that-gets-their-panties-all-in-a-twist-over-cyclists-in-here/313110/114 "2005-07-25T03:59:02Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > Anybody driving slower than the flow of traffic (at the legal speed) is a traffic hazard. We’re not discussing other cars in this thread; we’re discussing bikes. This is exactly why I stay on the side roads and bike paths. Whether I have the right to or not, riding alongside traffic doesn’t strike me as being either considerate or smart. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-everyone-that-gets-their-panties-all-in-a-twist-over-cyclists-in-here/313110/115 "2005-07-25T04:05:08Z")
When you’ve just had your ass handed to you, pretending you don’t care is about the only option left, I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-everyone-that-gets-their-panties-all-in-a-twist-over-cyclists-in-here/313110/116 "2005-07-25T04:57:31Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > When you’ve just had your ass handed to you, pretending you don’t care is about the only option left, I suppose. It is the last resort of the sore loser. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-everyone-that-gets-their-panties-all-in-a-twist-over-cyclists-in-here/313110/117 "2005-07-25T05:15:53Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > What I mean by cyclists expecting drivers to respect them is, for example, they expect drivers to give them a wide berth when passing, but when everybody is stopped waiting for the red light, the cyclist just drives down the side of the lane beside the cars. … . cyclists come up to a red light, fly across in the crosswalk like a pedestrian, turn back into a vehicle on the other side of the intersection, and continue on their merry way… Please don’t generalize. When I take the lane, I keep my place at red lights. I would _never_ ride past the cars to get to the front. Why would I want to? The cars I pass will pass me again as soon as the light turns green. And I have _never_ disobeyed a traffic light, except when the sensor is too insensitive to pick up my bike. And even then I’d wait more than one complete cycle to make sure, and try to activate the sensor by repositioning my bike. Perhaps we should be blaming the few cyclists who _do_ ride recklessly. But “some of them ride dangerously” is hardly an excuse to drive recklessly in return. ---
**Author:** ![threemae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f9b8f/32.png) [@threemae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threemae)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-everyone-that-gets-their-panties-all-in-a-twist-over-cyclists-in-here/313110/118 "2005-07-25T05:30:48Z")
> [@Declan](#): > > Because I can see the other cars, while a bike coming up curbside may litterally just appear > … I did not expect bikes to be banned from the road any time soon, just dont read that as acceptance of your perfered mode of transportation , pedestrian. First off, **Declan** , a cyclist will most definitely not just suddenly “appear”. We obey the same laws of physics that all vehicles obey, and any sudden “appearance” is really simply stupidity or negligence on your part. “Honestly, it wasn’t my fault officer! I was just driving along in a wreckless manner where I was going too fast and in a position to be unable to respond to any number of obstacles that could have suddenly popped up in the roadway, from a cyclist, to a child, a stalled out semi-truck, or a cop giving a traffic ticket! He just ‘appeared’, so how can you possibly blame me for running him over?” Second, guess what, I don’t want to “accept” your fat, ignorant, careless ass sitting behind the wheel of a large automobile while talking on your cell-phone, eating your Big-Mac, and fiddling with your radio with your head down. Nonetheless, the government in charge of your roads have decided that you are indeed entitled to that priviledge, so if we ever cross in traffic I’ll do my best to be as considerate as possible and cause you the least delay without compromising my own safety, and guess what, you’ll just have to accept it without being too much of a jackass. Suck it up. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-everyone-that-gets-their-panties-all-in-a-twist-over-cyclists-in-here/313110/119 "2005-07-25T06:25:55Z")
> [@threemae](#): > > First off, **Declan** , a cyclist will most definitely not just suddenly “appear”. We obey the same laws of physics that all vehicles obey, and any sudden “appearance” is really simply stupidity or negligence on your part. **"Honestly, it wasn’t my fault officer! I was just driving along in a wreckless manner where I was going too fast and in a position to be unable to respond to any number of obstacles that could have suddenly popped up in the roadway, from a cyclist, to a child** , a stalled out semi-truck, or a cop giving a traffic ticket! He just ‘appeared’, so how can you possibly blame me for running him over?" Amazing You start off with physics and move right on over into rant mode , was this strictly for the audience ? Yeah , won’t some one think of the children that might wander off into traffic, the poor cop that might be giving someone a ticket. When all I said was that in a gridlock situation , cars may be moving at 5 mph , while a bike coming up the curbside may be actually clocking at 20 cause he or she is in a rush as well as everyone else. From there , you talk about careening all over the road , being distracted from seeing a tubular steel frame, whos biggest visual cross section will be the riders ass. Truly fantastic > [@](#): > > Second, guess what, I don’t want to “accept” your fat, ignorant, careless ass sitting behind the wheel of a large automobile while talking on your cell-phone, eating your Big-Mac, and fiddling with your radio with your head down. Nonetheless, the government in charge of your roads have decided that you are indeed entitled to that priviledge,\*\* so if we ever cross in traffic I’ll do my best to be as considerate as possible and cause you the least delay without compromising my own safety\*\*, and guess what, you’ll just have to accept it without being too much of a jackass. You gotta deal pedestrian. Declan ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-everyone-that-gets-their-panties-all-in-a-twist-over-cyclists-in-here/313110/120 "2005-07-25T07:44:39Z")
And you’re still an idiot for thinking that bikes “suddenly appear.” Hint: Bikes don’t have some cloaking mechanism to reveal themselves at the least convenient moment possible for you. They’re not invisible from the front. Just because YOU don’t pay attention to what’s on the road around you doesn’t give bicycles magical powers. If you want to hold all bicyclists responsible for your ignorant behavior: thanks for killing my friend’s dad, you asshole. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-everyone-that-gets-their-panties-all-in-a-twist-over-cyclists-in-here/313110.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-everyone-that-gets-their-panties-all-in-a-twist-over-cyclists-in-here/313110.md?page=7)