Bikers vs. motorists...

I ride my bike to work every day (it's a fixed-gear bike similar to the kind most messengers ride), and more often than not, every day I encounter some jacka** who nearly hits me due to talking on their cell-phone, pure negligence, or because they simply don't care. However, when this happens to me, I will spit on their vehicle, kick or punch their car while riding, or chase after them and nearly get into fist fights. The other day, a group of girls told me to "Get the f*** off the road," and when I confronted them, the girl in the passenger side gave me lip, so what did I do? I spit on their car. Crass? I don't care. I wear a helmet and try to reduce pollution, and in reward I nearly get creamed every time I hop on my bike. Ride on the sidewalk? It's called a road-bike, not a sidewalk-bike. Get over it. These fat/obese ghetto girls actually chased me all over downtown in their car 'cause "that white boy" (their words) spit on their car. Boo-hoo.

Moral of the story? None, I'm just fed up with the fact that I have to deal with this all the time and I will have to continue putting up with more cars than bikes on the road.

 

yeah, I hate when bike riders ride on the street and get in the way, if one were to spit on my car, that bike would be a little ball of metal when I am done with it and the rider would be pistol whipped. I dont make a fuss over them unless they are well into the road so it shouldnt ever be an issue but biker riders often get in the way of the flow of traffic...there should be bike lanes just for them like in some euro cities....

I have a motorcycle I ride instead of driving when the weather is good...I thought this was about the GOOD kind of bikes...

 

I have a right to be in the road, end of story. I'll spit on anybody's car if they nearly kill me, and I carry a switch and my U-lock. No one is pistol-whipping me.

Motorcycles are a diff. story. Whereas most of them are fine (I've never seen a bad Harley rider, for example), I get a kick out of every young guy my age pulling wheelies downtown on their crotch-rockets with no helmet. I pray for the day one of them skids out of control and smashes into a building.

 

well, I can just advise you to stay as close to the side as possible or you will always be spitting on cars and will end up getting yourself killed by that one person you pushed over the edge...road rage, whatever...certainly you wouldnt be spitting on my car...I am in a car..you are on a bike...I dont even have to get out to hurt you bad...and a small reminder that if someone is pistol whipping you...they have a gun...they dont have to be whipping you....and some people are crazy enough to shoot over petty crass acts such as that.

like I said, bikes simply shouldnt be riding on roads that have car traffic, it effects the flow of traffic and more importantly it is dangerous for the bike rider...they need bike only lanes...

 

Well, until Denver puts a bike lane on every street, I have to ride in the street. Bikes don't belong on the sidewalk. Furthurmore, the closer I am to the side, the easier it is for me to get doored (hit by a parked car opening their door) and for cars to squeeze me off the road INTO parked cars. I ride in the middle of the lane on most multiple-lane roads because I'm more visible.

Disrupting traffic? Give me a break. If you have to get somewhere quick downtown, a bike will get you there 10x faster. Unless you're too much of a fat*ss to get on a bike in the first place.

And if you nearly hit me, yes, I would spit on YOUR car. Cry me a river. BTW, I live in a predominately black neighborhood. I know what it's like to have a gun drawn on me, and I've seen people get shot. I know the possible consequences to my actions, thanks. But I also stand up for myself no matter what.

 

So you ride your bike in the middle of the road...now I see the problem . Do as you please of course...I choose to live my life with as little conflict as possible and not invite it, makes things easier...to each his own...standing up for my right to ride my bike in the middle of the road is not what I would be willing to get shot OR beaten over...but whatever.

And if you nearly hit me, yes, I would spit on YOUR car. Cry me a river.

this could be said right back at you...hassled for riding your bike in the middle of the road, almost getting run over and whining about it on the internet? cry me a river...good luck.

 

Oh, everybody whines on the web these days. And when there's 5 lanes on a one-way road, yes, I'll ride in the middle of the far left lane. I see no problem with that, and it shouldn't count as me inviting conflict. When someone yells at me when I'm just riding, THAT'S inviting conflict, my friend.

I will more likely be shot at or beat up just for walking home at night where I live. Biking seems pretty easy compared to that, haha.

 

Without choosing sides, allow me to play Devil's Advocate for a moment. Motorists pay to use the roadway in the form of fees when they register their vehicles (and when they re-register annually). States also tax gasoline to pay for upkeep of the roads. Do bicyclists pay any sort of fee to use the roadway?

I believe motorists have the right of way on roadways. However, it doesn't give them a right to run you off the road or injure you. My suggestion to you the next time something like this happens, instead of spitting on their car or kicking it, just give them the peace sign. They'll get the message.

 

I'll try that and report back. Luckily for me, my wife and I own a car as well, so maybe only bicyclists who DON'T own a car should ride on the sidewalk.

Thanks for playing the Advocate here. I do know where Drusus is coming from, and his views are concurrent with a lot of drivers, but until you've riden a bike in the road and almost been hit (or have been hit, in my case), don't knock it. It takes a lot of skill just to AVOID the drivers who aren't paying attention (just like driving a car, actually).

 

I can clearly remember riding pillion with my brother in law when a idiot in a sports car nearly ran us off the road I could have understood it a bit better if we had been in a built up area but no this happend at a crossroads on the moors LOL nothing else higher than a blade of grass for miles
We caught up with the idiot who claimed it was our fault for not allowing him right of way It is very strange you know the mess a pair of bike boots worn by a rather large person assisted by a bike chain can do to a little sports car :whistle:
But I hasten to add that the use of violence is no answer and I in no way condone such acts, I am a peice loving Orc

 

I couldn't have said it better myself. Fortunately, my bicycle-riding is relegated to "pleasure riding" in the streets in my neighborhood or at the designated trails around the lakes.

However, there are many people who don't own cars, but still need transportation to work and choose bicycles as that method. Further, there are many people who choose not to pollute the environment or simply want to avoid traffic gridlock. There's nothing wrong with that and motorists should be more forgiving.

Please keep in mind, however, that roadways are built with the intention of allowing automobiles to travel in the most expeditious and safest manner possible. With that in mind bicyclists, in turn, should be more forgiving, too.

Off-topic, by the way: You mentioned the Green Party in another thread. I checked them out and have decided to switch my political affiliation. I still believe in fiscally conservative Republican values with a mixture of socially liberal Democratic ideals, but I like the Green Party's attitude toward the environment and equal rights.

 

Really? That's great! The closest party resembling to the Greens is the Libertarian party, who ARE very socially liberal but very fiscally conservative in that they would like to see a very reduced federal government, with VERY little taxation. However, they are also a major proponent of a pure, unfettered free-market economy, and I very much disagree with them on that front, as I feel those kind of markets lead directly to exploitation of poorer countries. But you can't beat the Greens on their attitude towards the environment. I'm not a hippy, but I am anti-sexist/racist/agist and pro-environment/community/gay rights/blahblahblah, and they're very explicit about supporting those ideals.

Most days I am forgiving. I try to ignore most of the dumb stuff drivers do, but SOME days...

 

I ride a HOG, they get outta my way, LOL...

 

See my post about hogs, ha. I have a feeling you guys don't care much for Jap. speed-bike riders either, huh?

 

They don't bother me. I'll waive at any biker.

Ben

 

Hehehe, Bone I'll give you the right of way any day.

Some people who ride Hogs are decent, peace-loving, neighborly people. These people are nice.

Some people who ride Hogs are murdering, drug-dealing one-percenters. These people are mean.

Some people who ride Hogs are lawyers. These people are REALLY mean.

 

Ha, the under-the-bar-wave. I only have a problem with speed-bikes when they go 50 mph on downtown streets and weave in-and-out of traffic. Sorta hard to look-twice-save-a-life when they pop up outta nowhere. But you probably have far less of a problem with that where you live.

Most hog-riders are pretty friendly. I've been to NH enough times to know that.

 

^^^ I'm a good guy. http://combatvet.org/ http://www.masonicmotorcycleclub.org/

 

My bike, not a hog, not a ricer per se:



I fone guys on hog or bikes like mine will wave a lot, sports bikers dont wave much.

 

^^^ Very Nice ride.