egkelly, in Carmel we don’t have them sidewalks so we walk on the street & I guess after doing that for years, we do the same when we visit another city.
I’m under the same impression. Everything I’ve seen leads me to believe that bicycles are supposed to use the roads, not the sidewalks. Practice is different from theory, though, and I’ve seen quite a few cyclists on the sidewalks.
Does anyone know for sure whether cyclists are supposed to stick to the roads?
Yes, bicycles are subject to the same rules as motor vehicles. Check the Motor Vehicle Act in your state.
Interesting enough, bicycles are prohibited from using the interstates in SC, but not pedestrians.
As a recent arrival to Charleston SC, I know why joggers & bicyclists use the road. Around here many sidewalks in the city center are made of either cobblestone, slate (flagstone), or trampled tourists. All are lumpy and somewhat dangerous.
Welcome to the Board 'Uigi, and also welcome to Charleston. I live here too, in James Island. Where do you live? You’re damn right about those sidewalks. I’ve tripped many a time running on them.
In DC, I am required to ride (my bicycle) on the road. This often puts me at odds with joggers, who usually jog against traffic. When we meet, we are like the north-going Zax & the south-going Zax butting heads on the prarie of Prax. We manage to squeeze past each other while motorists try to whack us with their SUV’s side view mirrors.
This is dangerous and clearly somebody needs to get up onto the sidewalk.
As a runner who often uses the roads, I say it is the job of the runner to avoid cars, to some extent. It wouldn’t kill most drivers to slow down a bit, either. Asphalt IS much softer and safer than sidewalks. And I often run in the MIDDLE of the road, because the sides are sloped and can cause knee injuries if you’re running very far. But I try hard to watch for cars.
This varies from state to state, but I believe in most states bikes are only prohibited from sidewalks in downtown areas. And even there are allowed to use sidewalks in an emergency.
I have never seen or heard of a law that would prevent pedestrians from using the street as long as they don’t interfere with traffic. I would be quite interested to see any actual law that prohibits pedestrians from being beyond the curb line.
So, riding a car is so important that mere human life should not stand in the way of your God-given right to not slow down?
Bikes are dangerous to use on the sidewalk. I know you have little regard for human life that isn’t surrounded by a source of pollution, but the laws in every state give bicycles the right to use any street they are not expressly forbidden from.
Incidentally, there was a bill before the legislature here in Massachusetts that would have required pedestrians and bicycles to travel opposite the direction of traffic. While probably a good idea for pedestrians, this would be incredibly dangerous and stupid for bicycles. Thankfully, it never made it out of committee.
In a couple of main streets in New Orleans, there’s a well-maintained wide grass strip in the middle of the street that the joggers apparently think was created for them, judging by how many joggers use the strip at all hours of day and night. The problem is,
- the strip was actually created to be the right-of-way for the streetcar line,
- streetcars still run on that line,
- they run pretty frequently, as the line serves a couple of universities as well as connecting residential neighborhoods to downtown, and
- unless they are ringing their bell (horn, whistle, etc.), an electric streetcar is pretty damned quiet.
:eek:
An easy solution often overlooked by the general population is rocks. Each person should be allowed to carry three rocks, which can be thrown at the jogger/biker/car at the user’s discretion. You are only allowed three rocks a day, so use them wisely. When you have thrown all of your rocks at the offending parties, you must go home and sit for the rest of the day.
BaddaBING!
Recently a lady was given a ticket for running in the street in a jursidiction other than where I live. The Hearing Office denied her protestations that she had always done it and the sidewalks were uneven and dangerous. She appealed to the judge who dismissed her ticket with the comments that in a perfect world there would be separate paths for joggers, but until such time, etc.
That was in the recent issue of Runners World. I have read about similar tickets being issued. In NY, I believe.
Moreover, I would like to see the law of any state that does not state bicycles are subject to the same rules of the roads as automobiles. That has been the law in every state I’ve lived in.
Here are links to bike laws in every state: http://www.massbike.org/bikelaw/index.htm
I believe that with minor adjustments in some states, bicycles are generally considered vehicles when on the road, and are subject to the same laws as cars, with a few added regulations.
I asked a lady why she was walking in the road & she said because its smoother.
Another lady said she jogs on the road cause its softer.
Anyone know if asphalt is really that much softer than cement? Isn’t asphalt just rocks coated with tar?
Asphalt is much softer than cement. Try jogging on each surface. You’ll soon see or feel the difference. “Just rocks covered with tar,” and what a difference the tar makes.
http://kicksports.com/new/where.shtml
Every running book I have ever read says to stay off the sidewalks. And I know from experience. Just try running five miles on sidewalk one day and five miles on the road the next. You will feel the difference.
I find it hard to believe that with air pumps in our shoes & space age shock absorbing materials to cushion, that one could really feel the difference between concrete & asphalt. I don’t dispute that people claim to be able to feel it, I just can’t see how they do. To me, it’s one amazing Princess and the Pea claim.
The sections of sidewalks off jut up wheeeere they meet and it’s a real good way to hurt yourself if you catch one with a toe and crash.
It isn’t that people just claim it Attrayant. It is a fact. Concrete is much harder then asphalt. Running on concrete is harder on your legs then running on asphalt. Even if the runner doesn’t feel it at first it is asking for trouble to run too many miles on sidewalks. Most serious runners stay off concrete as much as possible.
It does feel different too. It may be hard to believe when you haven’t done it. If you have done it you wouldn’t question.
Look it up! Every runner’s books or website will say the same.
Probably they walk in the road because a) older people often don’t see very well and b) falls are much more dangerous to the elderly. So all the things mentioned here - branches, uneven sidewalks, curbs, ice, etc. - would be even more of a threat for an old person, hence the walking in the street.
I don’t say this is sensible, mind you, because it probably isn’t in lots of areas. I also don’t say it happens a lot - I’ve never seen it, but then Angelenos have a slightly different attitude about streets than Americans. (We also have a slightly different attitude about walking and jogging; we don’t walk or jog on sidewalks OR on roads, for the most part - we do it on treadmills in gyms, and we drive to the gyms to do so. Look, it doesn’t have to make sense.)