Why do bicyclists whine about equal rights when they can't obey the law?

Question

I understand the sport quite well. Heck - I even know how to ride a bike. And when I go out for a bike ride (sans-spandex), I understand that roads are meant for cars. I do stop at stop signs and obey the law. It's great to want to keep the pansy pack in tact, bxxxxh - but you're just going to keep making enemies and getting run off the road by disobeying the laws. You people actually believe you shouldn't have to obey the law - and that's my beef. I hope you're not on the road when I am too.

Answer 1

i bike to work everyday, but i feel your pain. every year in chicago, where i live, there's a race. bicyclists try to get from downtown to the far north side as fast as possible going down main arterial roads, and not paying attention to traffic, in rush hour. every year someone dies during this race. it's not the car or it's drivers fault when a bike comes flying through an intersection against a light and that's the last thing they ever do. bicyclists whine because they think someone will listen, and they think they're better than you. they're not looking for equal road rights, if they were they would have stopped, or at least slowed down and given you the opportunity to grant them the right of way, rather than anticipate it. they want more road rights than the car. now that said if you see a group of cyclists coming down a hill, and it's a stop sign, just let them go, why risk someone getting hurt over a few seconds. but i tend to agree, bike paths are there for a reason.

Answer 2

now really man? so they didnt stop, is that really enough to make you go and run em over? so yeah i guess those are the kind of spandex fairies taht give us a bad name, it happens

Answer 3

I am a BIG Bicycle advocate. Not a Lycra type most days, but:

I run stop signs when there is no one there.  

I run stop signs when there is NO chance of an accident with anyone and no cops around.

I NEVER assume that ANYONE or ANYTHING is going to yield me the right of way.

I have been riding for 45 years.  NO accidents, no tickets.

I get weary of Car drivers that ignore the fact that most cars are driven at well over 10mph over the speed limit every place in the neighborhoods, that most cars only slow down for stop signs, don't stay in their lanes when making turns and hardly every use their turn signals,  endangering lots of folks,

Then drivers want to know why Cyclists ignore traffic laws.  Because no one notices their own behavior, only others.

Everyone disobeys laws sometimes.  When cars do it they endanger lots of people.  When bicyclists do it, they endanger mainly themselves.

OK back to your question:

Ignoring physics is  stupid.

Things that are 100 times your size with 200 times your power should not be ignored when in your path.

Racing anything at any time on public streets (without a permit) is ILLEGAL and  dangerous to mainly non racers.

I am glad no one died, I am  glad they got ticketed.

They were looking not for equal rights, but saying YOU should give  up your rights.  Bad cyclists.

Yeah I will probably get a bunch of thumbs down, but This is my opinion.

Answer 4

Some times its not safe to stop, They can endo (flip over handle bars). Besides, whats the big deal, its a lot harder for a biker to have to stop and then have to start up again and switch gears and get back in the groove, and such after braking. Its not that hard for people in cars. Hit the brake then hit the gas

Answer 5

i'm a biker and my first reaction was to call you a bxxxh, but you probably don't understand the sport.  when we ride in groups we like to stay together.  normally drivers are courteous enough to give a little slack to riders, because they recognize that they are in much more danger than you are in your carbon spewing 3000 lb vehicle.  did you really have to make a statement about your "rights" by taking out two bikers?  you should feel very proud of yourself.  i hope i'm not on the road when you are.

Answer 6

I'm a cyclist that rarely stops at a stop sign, but I always slow down enough to either give or get a go ahead wave. If it looks like I'm not going to get the go ahead then I'll definitely stop, since that's what I'm supposed to do anyway. Mind you most of my in town riding is just on the way to get to a county highway where i can get in an undisturbed training ride. If I do happen to be riding close to campus (Iowa State) or maybe down in Des Moines along the trail system there, I will ALWAYS come to a stop in those areas, bc the drivers already have enough to worry about with out me cutting them off.

I think the worst area for bad cyclists is around college campuses. Around here they ride like they own the road, so I feel your pain. I never drive my car through campus during the day, but when the weather's decent I use my bike (vroom vroom, not pedal pedal ding ding bike) to get back and forth to class. Three times in two years, I've been hit by a bicyclist while making a right turn at a stop sign (and yes, I was using my turn signal each time). I don't know about anyone else, but i don't usually think to check my right mirror when I'm making a turn. Luckily, I've never been knocked off my bike or had any damage done to it, but I would not be above beating the c**p out of the guy that does knock me over because they were being retarded.

Answer 7

Hi, let me just start off by saying that I am a cyclist. So I guess I fall into your category of "spandex fairy".

I am very sorry about what happened to you in that situation. Obviously those particular cyclists were just jerks. But please don't put every cyclist in the same category as them.  All the respectable and experienced cyclist that I know (and myself included) would stop at any stop sign. We follow the exact same rules that people in cars do. I have heard stories like yours before and I can tell you that that behavior is not the norm or accepted by most serious cyclists.  And the only time I've had the "equal rights for cyclist" speech with someone was when they drove by in their  diesel truck and blew a huge puff of black smoke from their tail pipe at me.

So not all cyclists are like the ones you experienced.