# Yes, it's time for another round of "Who's the dick?" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 11, 2016, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-its-time-for-another-round-of-whos-the-dick/751896 "2016-04-11T17:10:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-its-time-for-another-round-of-whos-the-dick/751896/21 "2016-04-11T19:21:38Z")
You were only very slightly inconsiderate. The passenger is innocent - if the app lets them choose locations, it’s fair game. The biker was a dick. ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-its-time-for-another-round-of-whos-the-dick/751896/22 "2016-04-11T19:32:59Z")
It seems like Uber should have a notification function where the driver can just ht a button on the app to let the passenger know the ride has arrived. I think the biker was the bigger dick. Riders have to deal with parked cars all the time so having an obstruction in their lane shouldn’t be a big deal. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-its-time-for-another-round-of-whos-the-dick/751896/23 "2016-04-11T19:34:33Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > **OP** : would you rather have dealt with the cyclist yelling or calling the cops, resulting in a ticket? :dubious: The cops would laugh their asses off. Even if they didnt, they’d arrive a hour later. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-its-time-for-another-round-of-whos-the-dick/751896/24 "2016-04-11T19:39:50Z")
> [@SmellMyWort](#): > > It seems like Uber should have a notification function where the driver can just ht a button on the app to let the passenger know the ride has arrived. > > I think the biker was the bigger dick. Riders have to deal with parked cars all the time so having an obstruction in their lane shouldn’t be a big deal. Uber sends a notification to the passenger when the driver gets within 2 minutes of arrival. However, it’s very common for the app and the passenger to disagree on where that place is. I don’t know how or why this happens this happens. In some cases it’s clear – the rider puts in the destination as the pick up location, and vice versa. But in others it maybe a mile apart for no discernible reason. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-its-time-for-another-round-of-whos-the-dick/751896/25 "2016-04-11T19:43:28Z")
I’m not a biker, don’t own a bike, haven’t ridden a bike in at least a decade, and I think the biker was the one most in the right here. ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-its-time-for-another-round-of-whos-the-dick/751896/26 "2016-04-11T20:08:37Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I think the biker was the one most in the right here. I agree. Also not a bike rider. ---
**Author:** ![Lowdown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Lowdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lowdown)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-its-time-for-another-round-of-whos-the-dick/751896/27 "2016-04-11T20:25:21Z")
The biker was CLEARLY the dick in this situation, because I know you’re in Madison. 🙂 (A while ago, Madison got voted second-best city for bicyclists in something, I don’t remember or care what. Since then, the city has been hell-bent on making itself some sort of bicycle utopia. Here, bikers can _legally_ pretty much do whatever they want. They can ride in the road when they want to be treated like vehicles, or they can ride in the sidewalk when they want to be treated like pedestrians. As you may or may not imagine, this has led to some serious entitlement issues for many of them.) ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-its-time-for-another-round-of-whos-the-dick/751896/28 "2016-04-11T21:12:49Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Can the best uber driver not text, ‘Nowhere to wait, circling the block, please be on the curb!’ Texting from the road is illegal in many states. Now, if you’d only pulled over (in the bike lane) to send the text… ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-its-time-for-another-round-of-whos-the-dick/751896/29 "2016-04-11T21:27:28Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > FYI, Uber tells me that I am to wait a minimum of 5 minutes for a passenger, and after that I can cancel the ride and note that the passenger was a no-show. What do the Uber rules say to do if you get to a pickup point and there is no safe place to wait that isn’t blocking traffic? ---
**Author:** ![BrianJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/54ee81/32.png) [@BrianJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrianJ)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-its-time-for-another-round-of-whos-the-dick/751896/30 "2016-04-11T21:45:14Z")
I don’t have any useful opinion on the OP I’m afraid, but I’m curious. Here in Ottawa, there is a lot of angst about Uber operating illegally in Ottawa, pissing off taxi drivers. And now the city is looking at ways Uber can operate here legally. Did your city go through something n similar? Do you have Taxi drivers harassing you as you pick up passengers? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-its-time-for-another-round-of-whos-the-dick/751896/31 "2016-04-11T21:46:43Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > What do the Uber rules say to do if you get to a pickup point and there is no safe place to wait that isn’t blocking traffic? They don’t say anything, except for a generic encouragement to operate the car safely. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-its-time-for-another-round-of-whos-the-dick/751896/32 "2016-04-11T21:58:21Z")
> [@BrianJ](#): > > I don’t have any useful opinion on the OP I’m afraid, but I’m curious. Here in Ottawa, there is a lot of angst about Uber operating illegally in Ottawa, pissing off taxi drivers. And now the city is looking at ways Uber can operate here legally. > > Did your city go through something n similar? Do you have Taxi drivers harassing you as you pick up passengers? I haven’t had any issues with cab drivers, but I don’t even know if they recognize me as an Uber driver. My car isn’t marked. Yes, Madison tried to keep Uber out but Uber bypassed them by going to the state legislature and legalizing it state wide. I didn’t start as a driver till it was legal. The city had confiscated some of the cars. ---
**Author:** ![seal\_cleaner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@seal\_cleaner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seal_cleaner)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-its-time-for-another-round-of-whos-the-dick/751896/33 "2016-04-11T22:40:54Z")
Whenever I use uber, I wait to request a ride until I’m at an accessible stop. Let’s apportion adequate blame to the customer. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-its-time-for-another-round-of-whos-the-dick/751896/34 "2016-04-11T22:41:05Z")
Did your rider ever show up? ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-its-time-for-another-round-of-whos-the-dick/751896/35 "2016-04-11T23:05:40Z")
Looking for a pedestrian, not a cyclist? Even when blocking the bike path? That’s lame. Where would you park had there been a bench there? “Then he’d be screaming at the bench.” Lamer still! Can’t you text your passenger? “I’m not the best uber driver.” Seriously? Lamest of all. I originally thought it was a three way jerk draw, but now you’ve definitely moved into the lead! ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-its-time-for-another-round-of-whos-the-dick/751896/36 "2016-04-11T23:19:59Z")
Solutions: 1. Circle the block. 2. Park a block or two away and walk to the meeting point. 3. Text the client, tell the client your plan. What else? I don’t think you have the right to block the traffic lane. You gotta find something else to do, even if it’s less convenient. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-its-time-for-another-round-of-whos-the-dick/751896/37 "2016-04-11T23:32:06Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Solutions: > > 1. Circle the block. > 2. Park a block or two away and walk to the meeting point. > 3. Text the client, tell the client your plan. > > What else? > > I don’t think you have the right to block the traffic lane. You gotta find something else to do, even if it’s less convenient. Circling the block would be my solution, too. I get just as pissed as a driver at cars who block the road to pick up/drop off stuff (double parking.) ---
**Author:** ![HeXen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@HeXen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeXen)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-its-time-for-another-round-of-whos-the-dick/751896/38 "2016-04-11T23:32:39Z")
Wait down the block and make them walk to you or circle back around once they are outside and ready dumbass. I mean it’s common sense. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-its-time-for-another-round-of-whos-the-dick/751896/39 "2016-04-12T00:21:39Z")
On a dick scale of 1-10, I’d rate Boyo Jim as a 2.5 . Sure he could’ve circled the block, texted the passenger, etc but he gets a pass on that since he didn’t have the lay of the land until he showed up at the pick up location. The passenger gets a 5, since not being there waiting for the car you hired under such circumstances is rude. And the biker gets an 8, since like all bikers he is a self righteous prick who gets off yelling at car drivers for violating his rights. But since this particular biker didn’t call the cops or resort to physical violence, I downgraded him from a 10 to an 8. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-its-time-for-another-round-of-whos-the-dick/751896/40 "2016-04-12T01:15:39Z")
The Bike Lane is no different than any other lane of traffic. Sometimes bikers have to stop and accommodate pedestrians and people exiting/entering cars or crossing the street. Just because there’s a bike lane present doesn’t mean that other people might not have legitimate business that involves pausing the bike traffic. It’s no different if a pedestrian was crossing the street and needed to walk in front of a biker. Or if a taxi was waiting in the middle of the road, traffic behind it would have to pause and pass carefully. All the travelers on the road are responsible for working together to keep traffic flowing safely. Sometimes, that means bikes have to make allowances. Thems’ the breaks. Obviously the biker was still able to negotiate the road, since he was able to come up on the driver’s side of the car. So he had to give up his Tour de France fantasy for ten seconds. Big deal. Turning it into a drama festival makes the driver the Dickbag in this story. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-its-time-for-another-round-of-whos-the-dick/751896.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-its-time-for-another-round-of-whos-the-dick/751896.md?page=3)