I've cycled to work and back 59 times this year, and reported 36 drivers (with video evidence from my bike) to the police, with them taking "positive action" in 34 of those cases. But yeah, it's the cyclists who are dangerous.
Yeah I think the main problem isn't the cyclists themselves, it's that cyclists don't have a safe place ride without getting ran over. Cyclists shouldn't be a problem to drivers in the first place if they had their own lane or space. I'm lucky to live somewhere that has bike lanes and sidewalks on most streets. America strangely lacks basic infrastructure in a vast majority of their country. It really sucks ass if you have a fear of driving :(
Cyclists aren't a "problem" any more than traffic lights or stop signs are. Drivers should be able to deal with having to slow down a bit for a few seconds without getting upset about it. If you saw a driver shouting out of his window at a traffic light you'd think they were insane.
Yeah and not believing that cyclists have no right to space and should be squeezing to the side to let them by.
It has become wildly better here in Bordeaux though, in the city there are basically no incivilities any more, but they have done a tremendous job to get there. Get outside of the city (in the suburbs) and it's still drive as fast as you can without thinking like before.
A vehicular cyclist is a cyclist riding as if they were a car, so in the middle of the lane etc. It's the adviced way of cycling when there is no proper infrastructure, as sticking to the side makes you less visible and more likely to be dangerously overtaken. It depends on the context of the road whether it is the best way, but I would not call them the problem, just a bad solution to a problem that should be solved by infrastructure.
If I'm on a bike, notice a car coming up behind me, and don't think it's safe for them to pass, I will put myself in the middle of the road to block them.
If they try some stupid and dangerous passing, I'm the one getting pulped. Putting yourself in the middle of the road is a very effective way of communicating "don't even try to squeeze past me, there's not enough space." The most dangerous situations I've been in on a bike have been due to cars trying to squeeze past me when there isn't enough space, it's terrifying.
I bike or walk pretty much everywhere I go, so my take on roads and traffic is that they're usually far too car-centric (Norway). Even when I drive, I'm so used to thinking like a cyclist that I become very aware of how poorly roads are often designed around biking.
With that said... The amount of cyclists with an apparent death wish is just staggering. Just two days ago I passed a cyclist in an 80 km/h zone. No issue there. Just around the next turn, I caught up to a second cyclist that I couldn't immediately pass due to oncoming traffic. I'm behind this second cyclist, going downhill at maybe 50 km/h, with oncoming traffic on a relatively narrow road, when I notice that the first cyclist has caught up to us. Instead of placing himself behind me, he decided it was a brilliant idea to squeeze himself into the ≈ 1.5 m gap between me (a 6m long, 2-ton car going at 50 km/h) and the guard rail. At this point, I'm just sitting here terrified that I'll end up accidentally squeezing him into the guard rail and killing him if I happen to move a couple centimeters too close to the edge of the road. I'm seriously afraid of breaking to let him in front of me, because I'm afraid he could hit my side-view mirror if I break unexpectedly (for him). There's oncoming traffic, so I can't move over to give him more space.
To be honest, even when I'm biking myself I far too often find other cyclists to be absolute assholes with no respect for traffic rules. Of course, this doesn't apply to everyone (by a long shot), but man those people cause the rest of us a lot of stress by being a danger to themselves and others.
As someone who doesn't really ride bikes, I think it's wild when car people are against bike lanes.
Back when I used to drive, it was so annoying to get stuck behind a cyclist. Their max speed is lower than the speed limit on most roads, passing them makes me nervous even on straight and flat roads, and if the road is hilly or curvy like most in my area, it's downright dangerous.
I would love it if there were more bike lanes so that cyclists don't get in my way. Why would anyone who drives a car be against that?
When they have their own lane and space cars still just use it. They park on the bike lanes, move into them if somebody's passing on their left, or try and pass cars on their right if they find space during slow traffic.
Absolutely needed but people in cars will still cause issues and when they cause issues, it's a multi ton vehical hitting some aluminium and flesh.
Agreed. My bike is egregiously visible. I put over a hundred reflectors on her (no that's not hyperbole, there are a hundred spokeys and then some) and then lights and a flag, and it's all very bright.
No one sensible wants to hit you when you're out riding, so when you make yourself easy to see, they react accordingly. I've only had a couple shitass drivers who tried to kill me while out driving in the last year. Maybe it's my locale, maybe it's my loud bike, maybe I'm lucky and the local gangs are looking out for me as a favor for keeping my mouth shut that one time (I asked that they keep my bike and my friends' bikes from being stolen as my favor and bikes stopped getting stolen in town). idk.
Luckily, yes. There's a web page where you fill in the details, you upload the footage and then they actually do something about it. Options for "positive action" are:
Letter - which has the same status as a police warning, i.e. no action taken at the time but it can be used against you later if you go to court for something similar
Points and fine with the option of taking a driving education course instead
Points and a fine with no alternative
Sent to court
All these can be appealed. Interestingly, I once spoke to one of the people who processes the cases. He said that the drivers don't get to see the video footage unless they say they want to appeal. Then they see the footage and almost all of them drop it.
Yeah, I must be able to make them drive like arseholes bad enough that they get prosecuted. It's magic or something. It can't be that there's a lot of people driving cars really badly, can it?
Very apt that an anagram of your name is "scapegoat".
The kamikaze cyclists give all of us a really bad time. I'm honestly surprised at how some people behave in traffic, knowing that they're an unprotected meat bag moving at speeds far higher than what the human body is built for.
Just yesterday I watched a teenager biking the wrong way on a 40mph road in the bike lane. They must’ve just learned how to ride because they were wobbling and swerving so far out of the lane that I was worried they’d smash into oncoming traffic.
Luckily it was a 4 lane road so cars could move over, but yeeeesh the kid had a death wish.
Living in a big Dutch city. Cyclists just be like: I have to be careful not to hit any more dumb suicidal tourists. For fuck sake, I have had to repair my bike twice this week already.
And in these modern times everyone needs to be careful of young kids on fat bikes.
They aren’t easier to maintain at all, the exact opposite is true. Most bicycle shops refuse to even service them because they are of such bad quality and the parts are not available. They are very unsafe (brakes failing, things like that).
Meaning more surface area to hit something sharp. Yeah the larger area means lower pressure on the contact surface but I don't think that's the deciding factor in whether something punctures your tire. Best way to prevent punctures is tougher tires rather than larger ones. The lower pressure just helps with stuff like loose gravel or sand.
There are also puncture self repairing tires now. They have a gel like layer on the inside which gets pushed out into the hole sealing it. I have them and haven't had a flat in over 5 years.
Larger surface area surely increases the risk as there is more area that could run over glass shards.
I have 700x35, or 38, can't remember. Had 1 flat on the front wheel in the entire lifespan of the outer tread. Second outer tyre now and nothing so far.
Then get one at the black market because then you pay what they are worth. Also, they are perfect if you like to maintain your bike, as you have to do it often. They break down often, especially breaks. Easy to maintain? No. Lots of sensor errors, software issues, etc. It's fancy looking (well, I find them ugly AF) Chinese junk which have increased accidents exponentially since they arrived on the market. Next to that they are getting banned now, with Amsterdam as a first banning them at certain places. They also want to change regulations to make helmets mandatory for them and raise the minimum age.
Want an electric bike? Get a non-smart one. No Vanmoof or anything like that. They are junk (I had one, they are awful and insanely overpriced).
Best advice I can give you is a Gazelle or similar brand, with a Bosch middle motor (so not in the wheels, as they suck). They are easy to maintain, don't have weird electronics hidden in impossible places, no smart mullshit which requires an app or the bike won't work, normal commercial off the shelf parts you can get anywhere.
Everyone warned me about the bikes in Amsterdam when I went to visit. When I got there and stepped outside for the first time, oh yeah the bike lane is painted a different colour to the pavement so I will walk on the pavement bit. Hang on, how the fuck do people struggle with this?
Fat kid is child abuse (unless medical condition) and the young bike needs to be rated for the weight otherwise it's also child abuse (/jk). But older bikes usually have steel wheels while younger bikes have aluminium bikes, so the weight capacity is larger with older bikes (not that it matters for kids though, but it does matter when having someone on your luggage carrier).
In the Netherlands Fat Bikes are not those mountain bikes with fat tires, they are just electric motorcycles disguised as a bicycle because it has barely functioning pedals. Kids are a menace on those bikes, they go way too fast. Not to mention Dutch kids are getting fatter and unhealthier because they barely exercise and putting kids on motorized vehicles instead of bicycles doesn't help.
I see a fat bike on my commute to work most days. Fucking massive tyres, but its not got a massive motor on it so I overtake it with a regular pedal bike.
There are quite a few emopeds disguised as ebikes too though.
I'm glad little shitheads on motorized bikes is a problem all the world over. I get them riding through the playground where my kids play.
NJ just required the ebikes be registered and insured and put age requirements on them, and so I have noticed lately a drop in shitheads, but there are still some out there.
My issue is if you want to bike in the streetlike a car, then you have to obey car rules. Like stopping at stop lights and stop signs. If you want to ride on the sidewalk then you have to obey pedestrian rules, like crossing at the correct times. Thr number of cyclists I've seen blow through stop signs and stop lights is staggering.
I first found John Forester's book in the library in the 90s, and it felt like a tome of secret, special knowledge. Then, I read more of it, and it did not match my experiences.
Jason Slaughter has now done a very extensive takedown video on his Not Just Bikes channel, which is far more congruent with what I have seen. Taking the lane is effective when there's no other choice, when it's too narrow for cars to pass, but drivers will try anyway.
Otherwise, there's very little that's safe about it.
Also often called "taking the primary position". It's often done to prevent close passes by forcing drivers who want to overtake to wait for a gap in the next lane
Man, it's almost as if we need a third thing. A sort of, road for bicycles (or long, skinny concentration camp, if you prefer) which is suited to bicycling without getting in the way. Get those bloody cyclists off our roads and footpaths, those are for us!
The Netherlands was as car-brained as most other countries. Then, they changed course after the Stop de Kindermoord (Stop Murdering Children) protests, and started to build for people outside of cars. The process of rebuilding is still underway, now, in 2026.
The difference is not that the Netherlands was originally built for bicycles. It was not. The difference is that Americans don't give two shits about the lives of children.
A significant portion of accidents involving cyclists is from others not paying enough attention to them - which can be mitigated by proper bike infrastructure.
Unfortunately we cannot mitigate the recklessness of cyclists this way, another big contributor to the accident statistics.
this is what's wild to me. I'll be having casual conversation with people and they'll mention one cyclist that did something they didn't like. sometimes (rarely) it's valid like running a red light, sometimes it's something stupid like complaining about how they're not in the non-existent bike lane. the wild part is that they will do this after we just had multiple discussions about how bad drivers were on the way to the location that we are currently hanging out. like, there's just no recognition for how much worse drivers are and how much more prevalent it is.
no matter what method of transportation I use, drivers are always the worst part of it. always. no matter where I go. a lot of routes around my house don't even require me to be on public streets except residential streets or to cross streets, and still drivers will fuck up the one of three situations in which I must interact with them.
Bullshit. Cyclists obey the rules of the road at greater rates than drivers. It's just that you expect drivers to behave like entitled dipshits, so their lawbreaking is less visible.
Oh, I did do that, didn't I? Crap. I meant it in the general-you sense. But still, cyclists obey the law more often than drivers when researchers do objective counts.
Edit: if I recall correctly, bicyclists in PA are supposed to obey all the same traffic laws as car drivers except they aren't required to maintain the same minimum speed, and they are allowed to ride on the shoulder.
However, it's been some time since I looked into it.
When I'm not biking I drive a delivery truck and make sure I stop for and/or let pass every cyclist in order to drive every other car brain on the road insane and it gives me great pleasure.
I do that. If I get to a crosswalk, I don't stand and wait for cars to stop, I step into the road and make them stop, because thems the rules. I don't do it while I'm staring at my phone though, because that's dumb.
As I've heard one person say, "your right of way doesn't matter if I run you over." As a pedestrian, I always wait until I see the car slowing down before I step out in front of it.
I definitely agree with the sentiment, my top priority is to not get run over. I still walk confidently onto the crosswalk without pausing, while keeping a close eye on the approaching car so that I can get out of the way if they don't stop.
My experience is that if you hesitate, way too many drivers will just floor it in front of you, while if you give the impression that they'll hit you if they don't stop, they'll hit the breaks.
Exactly. I drive and watch people hover on the sidewalk, clearly intending to enter the crosswalk, but not making that move. I stop whenever I even so much as think someone might cross. I stop and sometimes they turn instead of crossing. Whatever, doesn't matter, it's two seconds. But it seems like everyone else on the road can't be bothered.
And so it's because of that that I just walk into the road. And I should say into the road, but not into the travel lane, per se, because I don't actually want to get hit, I got kids, and it would be a stupid funeral if "Dad died doing what he loved, being an idiot."
yeah, I do that. because I have right of way when I do it.
I had a driver yell at me once because in her incorrect opinion I had not checked for cross traffic. I was approaching a pedestrian crossing at a roundabout that is signed that drivers must yield to pedestrians. I knew she was approaching from my left, I heard her slowing down, and I quickly glanced to confirm that she was stopping. I did this without obviously turning my head. I stepped into the crosswalk without slowing down, and she took the time to roll her window down and yell at me that I need to look around or something, and then nearly hit something as she proceeded through the roundabout trying to roll her window back up.
I did everything just fine, she was just mad that she was too inobservant to notice me checking for traffic
Today, while I had the green light, had another car blatantly run a red light and almost hit me. I turned left to catch up with him, pounded on his window and told him he was a jackass. When he rolled his window down I recognized him as a state assembly member. Hoping he doesn't recognize me when he eventually calls the HR office because he's at the dentists office and doesn't have his insurance card because he's a fucking spoiled man-child.
my mindset when biking now is mostly to inconvenience bad drivers as much as possible and ensure that if they hit me it results in as much damage to their car as I can without harming myself.
I will aggressively take my right of way. one of the most common places is a bike crossing nearby where drivers routinely blow the stop line on their red light - I start up quickly so that if they blow the stop and go into the crossing, I may not be able to stop before crashing into them (you often can't see them approaching the stop line because they are behind traffic in the middle lane). I don't mind my shitty bike taking some damage if it leaves them with a dented door panel. another common occurrence is roundabouts - drivers vastly underestimate the speed at which a bike can navigate a tight roundabout, and they routinely cut me off. unfortunately, I've avoided collisions every time that a driver has nearly hit me, because my reaction is to not get hurt. but god damn did I ever want to slam into some of those cars and leave a lasting impression
I feel you but you only have only one fragile body.
I spent months of horror and multiple hospitalisations because I braked too hard on my bike at low speed, didn't fall but landed too hard on the saddle.
My username comes from that horrendous experience.
Of course it was because a car ran a red light, that was hidden to the inattentive car driver by a truck parked like an asshole.
There's a shitload of studies showing that cars break far more rules than bikes everywhere it has been measured. You don't have to put your body in the line to make a point.
Please just be safe for your own sake. You certainly deserve it.
thankfully my reflexes still prioritize my own safety, and most times I leave a near collision pissed off at the shitty driver and regretful that I couldn't leave them a lasting mark. but when I get to the chance to, say, let my cargo bike basket scrape a car that pushed me into the curb, I'm gonna try to take it.
and thankfully (?) my health issues are unrelated to biking injuries (at least, unrelated to sharing the road with drivers — I've got a completely self-inflicted road injury from long ago and injuries from mountain biking lol).
my crossing signal turned green and I glanced both ways before stepping out. there's no need for me to be constantly aware as I cross, nobody should be driving at me.
I think they mean when not at an actual crossing and without ever even looking. I get it all the time, "phone zombies" stepping into the road right in front of me because my bicycle doesn't make as much noise as a car. The bell seems to do nothing to wake them from their stupor so I have avoided fixing my loud squeaky brakes on purpose.
Also though, do people really need to constantly stare at their phones while walking anywhere, let alone where there are 1 tonne metal things moving at speed with pilots who may or may not have seen the red light?
oh man, people not hearing my bike coming is annoying. I'll make tons of noise and eventually ring my bell and they either don't shift or jump left directly in front of me. people do not pay attention to what is around them
I see it all the time and I can't stand it. It's not even cars, sometimes a sidewalk is lifted, low tree branch, literally any number of potential hazards in the way, and people are just letting iPhone Jesus guide them through life.
Yeah… I hate to say it but cyclists take to the sidewalks in my neighborhood even though we have bike lanes everywhere. Obviously they are trying to be safer from cars which I can’t fault them for, but they do become a danger to pedestrians. Basically pedestrians are in a lose lose situation. Unless we want to start counting the bugs they step on.
For some reason there’s always a guy doing this when there’s a perfectly good cycle lane on the road next to them. Best thing as a pedestrian is to show no fear.
"Perfectly good cycle lane" is something I have heard a lot of times from people who have never tried using the fucking awful cycle lane full of broken glass. Although usually here people cycle in the road instead, rather than the pavement.
You also have shared paths which have a line down the middle so bikes on one side and pedestrians on the other. 99% of the time pedestrians use the whole path and don't care which side they are on so I just swerve around them. Then had someone shout at me for being on the wrong side, I mean yes, but I was compensating for having to have just turned around someone and this space was clear so it made more sense to cycle here. Not sure why, when I cycle over the grass next to the path it seems to upset some people too. My bike is perfectly capable of going over grass, dirt and gravel tracks.
Going home from work the other day 2 pedestrians were taking up both lanes and I just cycled around them on the grass and one of them complained that I didn't ring my bell. Why bother, it's quicker for me to just go around you than wait for you to probably ignore me and maybe eventually move to the side in an unpredictable manner.
Here in Missouri the bike lanes are just painted on existing car lanes. Sometimes right down the middle. I actually applaud whenever I see a cyclist acting safe. The performance of most cyclists I see is insane at best, deadly at worst. I don't think most cyclists realize they can be run over and the cops would likely just rule it an accident, unless there's pressure and evidence to suggest otherwise. If I hated cars so much I didn't want to use one, the last thing I would do is pick fights with them on crowded streets. The best cyclist is the one that isn't there.
Anyone driving a car has already made the decision that their minor convenience is worth the possible death of someone they don't know and also worth the definite degradation of the shared environment everyone needs to live.
Expecting such a person to give any more of a fuck about the people around them than is necessary to avoid the "hassle" of hitting a pedestrian or cyclistsl is a laughable concept.
Good people don't drive cars as personal transportation.
Honestly, this is such a fucking privileged take that it hurts. How do you expect people to get to work? I cannot bike 25 miles to work in 107F heat. I will literally die. I fully support making cities completely walkable, and making public transportation make more sense. I also can see that tons of GOOD people only own cars because they have to. Cyclists, however, always seem to have a stick up their ass while also unapologetically breaking every road rule as they cry about car people. I think at least half of the times I've collided with something while skateboarding, its been a bicycle. I dont automatically assume that every cyclist is a bad person, even though my anecdotal evidence seems to support it.
this is such a fucking privileged take that it hurts.
From where I'm sitting the privilege belongs to the people making zero changes to their daily lives in response to climate change. Why the fuck do think it's ok to live 25 miles from work? Why not move? Bcs it would be inconvenient, got it.
People should not live in places where a car is required. Unless they are doing jobs that have to be done outside of the city. You wanna live like a modern hermit? Ok, but you need to get a job working on a farm, in a mine, or at a logging camp.
Otherwise, move your ass to a denser area with good transit or stop pretending that anything but selfishness and a desire to avoid inconvenience motivated you to stay in suburbia.
Good citizens don't have such absolutist takes like this. I hope you see how this attitude is just as dumbed as someone who thinks cars are the only solution.
"People should just move." 🤯🤯
My guy, the people I know that actually cycle, and are about that life, are either privileged enough to exist in a neighborhood that has enough tax funds to bother with any cycling infrastructure (see: privilege, biking is more convenient in these areas) or are so beaten down by the system they cannot purchase a vehicle, maintenance, insurance, and biking is their only option.
You are not only shifting the responsibility of climate change from the uber wealthy to the average citizen trying to not starve themselves or their families in this capitalist hellscape (that doesn't disappear by the good feels of well meaning people), but are detached from reality while doing so.
I'm guessing you're not part of any active revolution against your state to change things because it's inconvenient and bitching about normal people gives you some comfort that you're actually doing something.. but even though the odds are against you, I recommend you go try and change the world from the top with those grandiose ideals, those slim odds are higher than whatever it is you're doing.
I hope you see how this attitude is just as dumbed as someone who thinks cars are the only solution.
Nope. Bcs at worst I'm annoying some people who've embraced ecocidal narcissism. Carbraims are people who are embracing ecocidal narcissism. If you don't see the difference there, I don't think there's much hope for you.
I drive 25 miles to work because I cant afford to move closer. Closer would mean property values skyrocketing and quadrupled rent. I have a very specialized skill set and these jobs do not exist everywhere, but unfortunately I'm also not making six figures. There is also basically no public transit in my state, city or not. Hard to believe if all you've known is big city privilege, but there's a whole world of people like me and your utopian fantasy cant work for us unless someone foots the bill.
Maybe instead of attacking people who drive cars, you could focus that energy on the giant corporate polluters who are the ACTUAL cause of our climate crisis and show absolutely no signs of letting up. I think youd be surprised to learn that you and I probably agree on what needs to be done, and yet here you are angry at me for some bullshit that makes no difference in the bigger picture.
There is also basically no public transit in my state, city or not.
And yet you still choose to live there. That's the problem.
Hard to believe if all you've known is big city privilege,
And as hard as it is to believe with terminal carbrain, I grew up in the suburbs and lived for a while in rural Appalachia before moving to "the big city". And it was a sacrifice to move here, it sucked for a few years. But now I don't have to destroy the environment to get to and from work. You should try it. When nobody is willing to stay and pay taxes in car dependent shit holes, the assholes who run them will start "footing the bill" for decent transit infrastructure. Til then, staying just means you value your convenience over a habitable planet just like every other carhole on Earth.
No, get off the internet and learn empathy. People exist outside of your pre-constructed idea of how the world should work. Get off the internet and go talk to people. Stop posting in that stupid brainwash cult.
Translation: it really hurts my feelings when you point out all the factual reasons relying on a pollution powered people crusher for my personal transportation is bad for society and the environment, please stop!!
Edit: no empathy for ecocidal narcissists. Learn some basic human decency before you go asking for empathy from others.
You’re either a troll or just a chronically online teenager because you don’t have any world experience if you’re spouting nonsensical buzzwords together to make yourself feel better about some half-cobbled together idea based on a world that exists only in your mind.
When cyclists have to share space with pedestrians, it can be really scary when a fast bike passes you as a pedestrian. But the changes of actually being hit and hurt are really low, though it does happen anecdotally.
Imagine being a cyclist having to share space with 50kph faster, 2 ton machines. The chances to be hit are quite high and the chances of being hurt near 100%.
152 Comments
Naich@piefed.world · 139 pts · 2d
I've cycled to work and back 59 times this year, and reported 36 drivers (with video evidence from my bike) to the police, with them taking "positive action" in 34 of those cases. But yeah, it's the cyclists who are dangerous.
Syndication@lemmy.today · 76 pts · 2d
Yeah I think the main problem isn't the cyclists themselves, it's that cyclists don't have a safe place ride without getting ran over. Cyclists shouldn't be a problem to drivers in the first place if they had their own lane or space. I'm lucky to live somewhere that has bike lanes and sidewalks on most streets. America strangely lacks basic infrastructure in a vast majority of their country. It really sucks ass if you have a fear of driving :(
Naich@piefed.world · 54 pts · 2d
Cyclists aren't a "problem" any more than traffic lights or stop signs are. Drivers should be able to deal with having to slow down a bit for a few seconds without getting upset about it. If you saw a driver shouting out of his window at a traffic light you'd think they were insane.
proudblond@lemmy.world · 25 pts · 1d
To be fair, if I saw a driver shouting out their window at a bicyclist, I’d also think they were insane (and a monumental asshole).
surewhynotlem@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 1d
I had a traffic light swerve into the second lane as I was passing. I totally almost killed it.
Valmond@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 5 pts · 1d
Yeah and not believing that cyclists have no right to space and should be squeezing to the side to let them by.
It has become wildly better here in Bordeaux though, in the city there are basically no incivilities any more, but they have done a tremendous job to get there. Get outside of the city (in the suburbs) and it's still drive as fast as you can without thinking like before.
ZILtoid1991@lemmy.world · -9 pts · 1d
Only "vehicular" cyclists are an issue, but TBH even other cyclists hate them.
DmMacniel@feddit.org · 5 pts · 1d
What's a vehicular cyclist?
Squirrelsdrivemenuts@lemmy.world · 22 pts · 1d
A vehicular cyclist is a cyclist riding as if they were a car, so in the middle of the lane etc. It's the adviced way of cycling when there is no proper infrastructure, as sticking to the side makes you less visible and more likely to be dangerously overtaken. It depends on the context of the road whether it is the best way, but I would not call them the problem, just a bad solution to a problem that should be solved by infrastructure.
thebestaquaman@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 20h
If I'm on a bike, notice a car coming up behind me, and don't think it's safe for them to pass, I will put myself in the middle of the road to block them.
If they try some stupid and dangerous passing, I'm the one getting pulped. Putting yourself in the middle of the road is a very effective way of communicating "don't even try to squeeze past me, there's not enough space." The most dangerous situations I've been in on a bike have been due to cars trying to squeeze past me when there isn't enough space, it's terrifying.
thebestaquaman@lemmy.world · 17 pts · 1d
I bike or walk pretty much everywhere I go, so my take on roads and traffic is that they're usually far too car-centric (Norway). Even when I drive, I'm so used to thinking like a cyclist that I become very aware of how poorly roads are often designed around biking.
With that said... The amount of cyclists with an apparent death wish is just staggering. Just two days ago I passed a cyclist in an 80 km/h zone. No issue there. Just around the next turn, I caught up to a second cyclist that I couldn't immediately pass due to oncoming traffic. I'm behind this second cyclist, going downhill at maybe 50 km/h, with oncoming traffic on a relatively narrow road, when I notice that the first cyclist has caught up to us. Instead of placing himself behind me, he decided it was a brilliant idea to squeeze himself into the ≈ 1.5 m gap between me (a 6m long, 2-ton car going at 50 km/h) and the guard rail. At this point, I'm just sitting here terrified that I'll end up accidentally squeezing him into the guard rail and killing him if I happen to move a couple centimeters too close to the edge of the road. I'm seriously afraid of breaking to let him in front of me, because I'm afraid he could hit my side-view mirror if I break unexpectedly (for him). There's oncoming traffic, so I can't move over to give him more space.
To be honest, even when I'm biking myself I far too often find other cyclists to be absolute assholes with no respect for traffic rules. Of course, this doesn't apply to everyone (by a long shot), but man those people cause the rest of us a lot of stress by being a danger to themselves and others.
Pieisawesome@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 9 pts · 1d
A lot of Cyclists seem to have car brain when biking, but don’t realize they are on a bike.
I have almost hit several cyclists that run red lights going 20+ MPH. Good thing I was paying attention…
When I lived in a walking friendly area, I used to keep a metal multitool in my hand to hit cars with when they tried to run me over.
Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works · 14 pts · 1d
Meaning that, as usual, cars are the problem.
wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz · 9 pts · 1d
As someone who doesn't really ride bikes, I think it's wild when car people are against bike lanes.
Back when I used to drive, it was so annoying to get stuck behind a cyclist. Their max speed is lower than the speed limit on most roads, passing them makes me nervous even on straight and flat roads, and if the road is hilly or curvy like most in my area, it's downright dangerous.
I would love it if there were more bike lanes so that cyclists don't get in my way. Why would anyone who drives a car be against that?
i_need_your_bones@piefed.social · 8 pts · 1d
When they have their own lane and space cars still just use it. They park on the bike lanes, move into them if somebody's passing on their left, or try and pass cars on their right if they find space during slow traffic.
Absolutely needed but people in cars will still cause issues and when they cause issues, it's a multi ton vehical hitting some aluminium and flesh.
unit327@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 12h
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzE-IMaegzQ
HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 1d
Agreed. My bike is egregiously visible. I put over a hundred reflectors on her (no that's not hyperbole, there are a hundred spokeys and then some) and then lights and a flag, and it's all very bright.
No one sensible wants to hit you when you're out riding, so when you make yourself easy to see, they react accordingly. I've only had a couple shitass drivers who tried to kill me while out driving in the last year. Maybe it's my locale, maybe it's my loud bike, maybe I'm lucky and the local gangs are looking out for me as a favor for keeping my mouth shut that one time (I asked that they keep my bike and my friends' bikes from being stolen as my favor and bikes stopped getting stolen in town). idk.
zloubida@sh.itjust.works · 19 pts · 2d
You live in a country where the police actually does something on these cases?
Naich@piefed.world · 28 pts · 2d
Luckily, yes. There's a web page where you fill in the details, you upload the footage and then they actually do something about it. Options for "positive action" are:
All these can be appealed. Interestingly, I once spoke to one of the people who processes the cases. He said that the drivers don't get to see the video footage unless they say they want to appeal. Then they see the footage and almost all of them drop it.
NABDad@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 19h
Where do you live that the police do more than file the report?
Where I am they don't do anything if a car hits you unless the damage is beyond a cost threshold or someone is killed.
FishFace@piefed.social · 2 pts · 1d
Yeah but as a fellow cyclist I still laughed
spacegoat@lemmy.world · -8 pts · 1d
I see a common denominator in your story
Naich@piefed.world · 10 pts · 1d
Yeah, I must be able to make them drive like arseholes bad enough that they get prosecuted. It's magic or something. It can't be that there's a lot of people driving cars really badly, can it?
Very apt that an anagram of your name is "scapegoat".
Return_of_Chippy@lemmy.world · -8 pts · 1d
Narc ass snitch ass cop lover
RogueBanana@piefed.zip · 4 pts · 1d
Sarcasm right?
Return_of_Chippy@lemmy.world · -1 pts · 1d
Never heard of her
irate944@piefed.social · 84 pts · 1d
Hossenfeffer@feddit.uk · 19 pts · 1d
PattyMcB@lemmy.world · 15 pts · 1d
Look at all the angry comments by cyclists (with upvotes) and you'll have your answer!
OriginEnergySux@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 1d
Almacca@aussie.zone · 5 pts · 1d
It's a shitpost, obviously.
CheerfulPassionFruit@lemmy.world · 63 pts · 2d
Gosh, almost as if cyclists need safe spaces to ride. How about we just drastically reduce the number of 2 ton deathmachines on the roads.
Return_of_Chippy@lemmy.world · -27 pts · 1d
Why
CheerfulPassionFruit@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 1d
Seriously, go look at a notjustbikes video
Return_of_Chippy@lemmy.world · -12 pts · 1d
Can't
sukhmel@programming.dev · 7 pts · 1d
I see you're also very restricted in key presses, my condolences
Return_of_Chippy@lemmy.world · -1 pts · 1d
Thank
rockerface@lemmy.cafe · 56 pts · 1d
Obligatory fuck cars
markz@suppo.fi · 30 pts · 2d
I do occasionally see a kamikaze cyclist while driving. But damn am I more afraid on bike.
I don't know if the drivers don't see me from their phones or if they just don't care even about their cars' paint.
Lemmyoutofhere@lemmy.ca · 20 pts · 1d
Many drivers don’t even notice a semi truck near them, you think they will notice a bike?
You have to remember, the average driver is a moron.
thebestaquaman@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 1d
The kamikaze cyclists give all of us a really bad time. I'm honestly surprised at how some people behave in traffic, knowing that they're an unprotected meat bag moving at speeds far higher than what the human body is built for.
BlueOysterCultist@lemmy.zip · 3 pts · 1d
Just yesterday I watched a teenager biking the wrong way on a 40mph road in the bike lane. They must’ve just learned how to ride because they were wobbling and swerving so far out of the lane that I was worried they’d smash into oncoming traffic.
Luckily it was a 4 lane road so cars could move over, but yeeeesh the kid had a death wish.
TigerAce@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 28 pts · 1d
Living in a big Dutch city. Cyclists just be like: I have to be careful not to hit any more dumb suicidal tourists. For fuck sake, I have had to repair my bike twice this week already.
And in these modern times everyone needs to be careful of young kids on fat bikes.
okwhateverdude@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 1d
Fuckin' tourists. Get off the fietspad! And I wish they would just say no e-bikes for under-16.
TigerAce@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 6 pts · 1d
Yeah, plus no fat bikes at all!
HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 1d
Why no fat tires? I'm thinking about getting some just because they look easier to maintain
BorgDrone@feddit.nl · 4 pts · 1d
They aren’t easier to maintain at all, the exact opposite is true. Most bicycle shops refuse to even service them because they are of such bad quality and the parts are not available. They are very unsafe (brakes failing, things like that).
meekah@discuss.tchncs.de · 3 pts · 1d
why would they be easier to maintain?
HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 1d
Because they should get fewer flats. Larger surface area and all that.
Wizard_Pope@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 1d
That mKes it more likely to get flats though.
meekah@discuss.tchncs.de · 1 pts · 1d
Meaning more surface area to hit something sharp. Yeah the larger area means lower pressure on the contact surface but I don't think that's the deciding factor in whether something punctures your tire. Best way to prevent punctures is tougher tires rather than larger ones. The lower pressure just helps with stuff like loose gravel or sand.
TigerAce@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 1 pts · 1d
There are also puncture self repairing tires now. They have a gel like layer on the inside which gets pushed out into the hole sealing it. I have them and haven't had a flat in over 5 years.
HerbGrower@slrpnk.net · 1 pts · just now
Larger surface area surely increases the risk as there is more area that could run over glass shards.
I have 700x35, or 38, can't remember. Had 1 flat on the front wheel in the entire lifespan of the outer tread. Second outer tyre now and nothing so far.
TigerAce@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 2 pts · 1d
Then get one at the black market because then you pay what they are worth. Also, they are perfect if you like to maintain your bike, as you have to do it often. They break down often, especially breaks. Easy to maintain? No. Lots of sensor errors, software issues, etc. It's fancy looking (well, I find them ugly AF) Chinese junk which have increased accidents exponentially since they arrived on the market. Next to that they are getting banned now, with Amsterdam as a first banning them at certain places. They also want to change regulations to make helmets mandatory for them and raise the minimum age.
Want an electric bike? Get a non-smart one. No Vanmoof or anything like that. They are junk (I had one, they are awful and insanely overpriced).
Best advice I can give you is a Gazelle or similar brand, with a Bosch middle motor (so not in the wheels, as they suck). They are easy to maintain, don't have weird electronics hidden in impossible places, no smart mullshit which requires an app or the bike won't work, normal commercial off the shelf parts you can get anywhere.
HerbGrower@slrpnk.net · 1 pts · 5m
Everyone warned me about the bikes in Amsterdam when I went to visit. When I got there and stepped outside for the first time, oh yeah the bike lane is painted a different colour to the pavement so I will walk on the pavement bit. Hang on, how the fuck do people struggle with this?
NABDad@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 19h
What about fat kids on young bikes?
TigerAce@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 2 pts · 18h
Fat kid is child abuse (unless medical condition) and the young bike needs to be rated for the weight otherwise it's also child abuse (/jk). But older bikes usually have steel wheels while younger bikes have aluminium bikes, so the weight capacity is larger with older bikes (not that it matters for kids though, but it does matter when having someone on your luggage carrier).
Shayeta@feddit.org · 1 pts · 1d
What do you have against bikes with fat tires?
SkunkWorkz@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 1d
In the Netherlands Fat Bikes are not those mountain bikes with fat tires, they are just electric motorcycles disguised as a bicycle because it has barely functioning pedals. Kids are a menace on those bikes, they go way too fast. Not to mention Dutch kids are getting fatter and unhealthier because they barely exercise and putting kids on motorized vehicles instead of bicycles doesn't help.
HerbGrower@slrpnk.net · 1 pts · 9m
I see a fat bike on my commute to work most days. Fucking massive tyres, but its not got a massive motor on it so I overtake it with a regular pedal bike.
There are quite a few emopeds disguised as ebikes too though.
Shayeta@feddit.org · 1 pts · 12h
Thank you. I've seen articles before but didn't understand the hate.
Dozzi92@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 23h
I'm glad little shitheads on motorized bikes is a problem all the world over. I get them riding through the playground where my kids play.
NJ just required the ebikes be registered and insured and put age requirements on them, and so I have noticed lately a drop in shitheads, but there are still some out there.
Wizard_Pope@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 1d
Get them the fuck out of towns
DudleyMason@lemmy.ml · 1 pts · 11h
If by "them" you mean ecocidal narcissists in their stupid pollution powered people killing machines I agree wholeheartedly.
FollyDolly@lemmy.world · 23 pts · 1d
My issue is if you want to bike in the streetlike a car, then you have to obey car rules. Like stopping at stop lights and stop signs. If you want to ride on the sidewalk then you have to obey pedestrian rules, like crossing at the correct times. Thr number of cyclists I've seen blow through stop signs and stop lights is staggering.
SwingingTheLamp@piefed.zip · 25 pts · 1d
You say that, but drivers would lose their minds bicyclists followed the same rules. Example: Taking the whole lane.
NathanRanch@lemmy.zip · 13 pts · 1d
I wish bikes just took the whole lane like a car. Half assing it either way is really the problem.
SwingingTheLamp@piefed.zip · 20 pts · 1d
I don't disagree, but the reason we don't is because of the intense road rage it causes in drivers.
NathanRanch@lemmy.zip · 6 pts · 1d
I'm aware
RobotToaster@mander.xyz · 7 pts · 1d
It's called vehicular cycling and it's a safer way to cycle.
SwingingTheLamp@piefed.zip · 8 pts · 1d
I first found John Forester's book in the library in the 90s, and it felt like a tome of secret, special knowledge. Then, I read more of it, and it did not match my experiences.
Jason Slaughter has now done a very extensive takedown video on his Not Just Bikes channel, which is far more congruent with what I have seen. Taking the lane is effective when there's no other choice, when it's too narrow for cars to pass, but drivers will try anyway.
Otherwise, there's very little that's safe about it.
Jtotheb@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 1d
Video for reference
mbp@slrpnk.net · 1 pts · 17h
Thanks for shouting it out! I've been putting off watching that video for weeks but I'll give it a go based on the recommendation here.
glibg10b@lemmy.zip · 8 pts · 1d
Also often called "taking the primary position". It's often done to prevent close passes by forcing drivers who want to overtake to wait for a gap in the next lane
Archimedes@sh.itjust.works · 12 pts · 1d
Man, it's almost as if we need a third thing. A sort of, road for bicycles (or long, skinny concentration camp, if you prefer) which is suited to bicycling without getting in the way. Get those bloody cyclists off our roads and footpaths, those are for us!
YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today · 1 pts · 1d
How would you implement this? Are they going to have bridges over every traffic light?
HerbalGamer@sh.itjust.works · 7 pts · 1d
The Netherlands would like a word.
YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today · -1 pts · 1d
Granted. But they were originally built with cyclists in mind. I would love their infrastructure!
SwingingTheLamp@piefed.zip · 13 pts · 1d
The Netherlands was as car-brained as most other countries. Then, they changed course after the Stop de Kindermoord (Stop Murdering Children) protests, and started to build for people outside of cars. The process of rebuilding is still underway, now, in 2026.
The difference is not that the Netherlands was originally built for bicycles. It was not. The difference is that Americans don't give two shits about the lives of children.
phar@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 1d
Toronto has a pretty sweet setup with bike lanes that have their own bike street lamps. Seems to work very well for a city of millions.
PyroNeurosis@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 3 pts · 1d
Extensive unlit tunnels five feet tall and two and a half feet wide. Entry and exit is by vertical shaft only.
YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today · 3 pts · 1d
I'm so down for this!
Alienz8mypopcorn@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 10h
I live in a city in the US that has "bike lights" at the intersections. These give bicyclists the right of way without "letting" cars go as well.
Little longer of a traffic light, but makes biking waaaaay more approachable for newbie bicyclists (like me!)
Unfortunately, this is the only place I've ever seen them implemented.
Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works · 10 pts · 1d
Dutch people: "both of those are dumb and dangerous"
UnfortunateShort@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 1d
A significant portion of accidents involving cyclists is from others not paying enough attention to them - which can be mitigated by proper bike infrastructure.
Unfortunately we cannot mitigate the recklessness of cyclists this way, another big contributor to the accident statistics.
robin@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 4 pts · 1d
Some places you don’t have to. Here, a stop sign is a yield for bikes, and a red light is a stop sign, legally. It works really well imo.
mrgoosmoos@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 14h
to be fair, it's not like fewer cyclists are following the rules than drivers
ZkhqrD5o@lemmy.world · 17 pts · 1d
angry boomer noises
frog@feddit.uk · 14 pts · 1d
Living in Manhattan for decades, I only had 3 issues with cyclists. I've had dozens with drivers. I had no issues with skateboarders.
mrgoosmoos@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 14h
this is what's wild to me. I'll be having casual conversation with people and they'll mention one cyclist that did something they didn't like. sometimes (rarely) it's valid like running a red light, sometimes it's something stupid like complaining about how they're not in the non-existent bike lane. the wild part is that they will do this after we just had multiple discussions about how bad drivers were on the way to the location that we are currently hanging out. like, there's just no recognition for how much worse drivers are and how much more prevalent it is.
no matter what method of transportation I use, drivers are always the worst part of it. always. no matter where I go. a lot of routes around my house don't even require me to be on public streets except residential streets or to cross streets, and still drivers will fuck up the one of three situations in which I must interact with them.
YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today · 11 pts · 1d
As much as I am all for the de-car-ification of my country, cyclist really aren't doing themselves any favors.
SwingingTheLamp@piefed.zip · 16 pts · 1d
Bullshit. Cyclists obey the rules of the road at greater rates than drivers. It's just that you expect drivers to behave like entitled dipshits, so their lawbreaking is less visible.
YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today · 7 pts · 1d
So much to dissect here
First: drive(cycle) predictively, not politely.
Second: I just left a comment about not liking car culture(go on, check my profile. I'm not lying.)
Third:I don't expect anything! I get into the other lane if there is a cyclist. But go on, tell me more about myself.
SwingingTheLamp@piefed.zip · 6 pts · 1d
Oh, I did do that, didn't I? Crap. I meant it in the general-you sense. But still, cyclists obey the law more often than drivers when researchers do objective counts.
YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today · 5 pts · 1d
Yeah. My limited experience in addition to statistics, says you're correct.
Didn't mean to start an argument, and I'll apologize for it.
I'm sorry.
Turret3857@infosec.pub · 4 pts · 1d
Now kiss!
slams 2 dolls together
YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today · 2 pts · 1d
Don't tempt me with a good time!
SwingingTheLamp@piefed.zip · 1 pts · 1d
No, my apologies! It's even a personal rule of mine to not tell people what they believe and experience.
criss_cross@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 1d
I’ve never once seen a cyclist stop at a stop sign. Even into oncoming traffic they just ignore them and hope for the best.
HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 1d
Are cyclists supposed to stop at stop signs there? Here they aren't. They are supposed to treat them as yield signs
NABDad@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 18h
It varies by state.
Edit: if I recall correctly, bicyclists in PA are supposed to obey all the same traffic laws as car drivers except they aren't required to maintain the same minimum speed, and they are allowed to ride on the shoulder.
However, it's been some time since I looked into it.
criss_cross@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 14h
In my state they are expected to follow the rules of the road and stop at stop signs and traffic lights.
SwingingTheLamp@piefed.zip · 4 pts · 1d
I stop at stop at stop signs, and see others do, too. So it happens. Probably as often as drivers stop at stop signs.
mrgoosmoos@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 14h
no less so than drivers are, so it's kind of an irrelevant point
dan69@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 1d
*Drivers: I have to be careful by not texting gibberish or not watching this entire 7 second TikTok clip
Leviathan@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 9h
When I'm not biking I drive a delivery truck and make sure I stop for and/or let pass every cyclist in order to drive every other car brain on the road insane and it gives me great pleasure.
A_Chilean_Cyborg@feddit.cl · 6 pts · 1d
Idunno pedestrians in my city just walk with the confidence that law says cars have to stop.
Dozzi92@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 23h
I do that. If I get to a crosswalk, I don't stand and wait for cars to stop, I step into the road and make them stop, because thems the rules. I don't do it while I'm staring at my phone though, because that's dumb.
skidicarus@sh.itjust.works · 6 pts · 21h
As I've heard one person say, "your right of way doesn't matter if I run you over." As a pedestrian, I always wait until I see the car slowing down before I step out in front of it.
thebestaquaman@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 20h
I definitely agree with the sentiment, my top priority is to not get run over. I still walk confidently onto the crosswalk without pausing, while keeping a close eye on the approaching car so that I can get out of the way if they don't stop.
My experience is that if you hesitate, way too many drivers will just floor it in front of you, while if you give the impression that they'll hit you if they don't stop, they'll hit the breaks.
Dozzi92@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 19h
Exactly. I drive and watch people hover on the sidewalk, clearly intending to enter the crosswalk, but not making that move. I stop whenever I even so much as think someone might cross. I stop and sometimes they turn instead of crossing. Whatever, doesn't matter, it's two seconds. But it seems like everyone else on the road can't be bothered.
And so it's because of that that I just walk into the road. And I should say into the road, but not into the travel lane, per se, because I don't actually want to get hit, I got kids, and it would be a stupid funeral if "Dad died doing what he loved, being an idiot."
NABDad@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 19h
I do this, but only if I can see their eyes.
DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 19h
Posted from a hospital bed.
mrgoosmoos@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 14h
yeah, I do that. because I have right of way when I do it.
I had a driver yell at me once because in her incorrect opinion I had not checked for cross traffic. I was approaching a pedestrian crossing at a roundabout that is signed that drivers must yield to pedestrians. I knew she was approaching from my left, I heard her slowing down, and I quickly glanced to confirm that she was stopping. I did this without obviously turning my head. I stepped into the crosswalk without slowing down, and she took the time to roll her window down and yell at me that I need to look around or something, and then nearly hit something as she proceeded through the roundabout trying to roll her window back up.
I did everything just fine, she was just mad that she was too inobservant to notice me checking for traffic
Washedupcynic@lemmy.ca · 6 pts · 14h
Today, while I had the green light, had another car blatantly run a red light and almost hit me. I turned left to catch up with him, pounded on his window and told him he was a jackass. When he rolled his window down I recognized him as a state assembly member. Hoping he doesn't recognize me when he eventually calls the HR office because he's at the dentists office and doesn't have his insurance card because he's a fucking spoiled man-child.
mrgoosmoos@lemmy.ca · 6 pts · 14h
my mindset when biking now is mostly to inconvenience bad drivers as much as possible and ensure that if they hit me it results in as much damage to their car as I can without harming myself.
I will aggressively take my right of way. one of the most common places is a bike crossing nearby where drivers routinely blow the stop line on their red light - I start up quickly so that if they blow the stop and go into the crossing, I may not be able to stop before crashing into them (you often can't see them approaching the stop line because they are behind traffic in the middle lane). I don't mind my shitty bike taking some damage if it leaves them with a dented door panel. another common occurrence is roundabouts - drivers vastly underestimate the speed at which a bike can navigate a tight roundabout, and they routinely cut me off. unfortunately, I've avoided collisions every time that a driver has nearly hit me, because my reaction is to not get hurt. but god damn did I ever want to slam into some of those cars and leave a lasting impression
Sirius006@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 14h
I feel you but you only have only one fragile body.
I spent months of horror and multiple hospitalisations because I braked too hard on my bike at low speed, didn't fall but landed too hard on the saddle. My username comes from that horrendous experience.
Of course it was because a car ran a red light, that was hidden to the inattentive car driver by a truck parked like an asshole.
There's a shitload of studies showing that cars break far more rules than bikes everywhere it has been measured. You don't have to put your body in the line to make a point.
Please just be safe for your own sake. You certainly deserve it.
mrgoosmoos@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 13h
thankfully my reflexes still prioritize my own safety, and most times I leave a near collision pissed off at the shitty driver and regretful that I couldn't leave them a lasting mark. but when I get to the chance to, say, let my cargo bike basket scrape a car that pushed me into the curb, I'm gonna try to take it.
and thankfully (?) my health issues are unrelated to biking injuries (at least, unrelated to sharing the road with drivers — I've got a completely self-inflicted road injury from long ago and injuries from mountain biking lol).
Almacca@aussie.zone · 5 pts · 1d
Pedestrians don't even look up from their fucking phones when they cross the road. I even saw a dude doing it while pushing a pram once.
mrgoosmoos@lemmy.ca · 8 pts · 14h
why would I need to?
my crossing signal turned green and I glanced both ways before stepping out. there's no need for me to be constantly aware as I cross, nobody should be driving at me.
Almacca@aussie.zone · 1 pts · 11h
You're more trusting than I am.
Edit: I'm hoping it's sarcasm
unit327@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 12h
I think they mean when not at an actual crossing and without ever even looking. I get it all the time, "phone zombies" stepping into the road right in front of me because my bicycle doesn't make as much noise as a car. The bell seems to do nothing to wake them from their stupor so I have avoided fixing my loud squeaky brakes on purpose.
Also though, do people really need to constantly stare at their phones while walking anywhere, let alone where there are 1 tonne metal things moving at speed with pilots who may or may not have seen the red light?
mrgoosmoos@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 8h
oh man, people not hearing my bike coming is annoying. I'll make tons of noise and eventually ring my bell and they either don't shift or jump left directly in front of me. people do not pay attention to what is around them
HerbGrower@slrpnk.net · 1 pts · 12m
Think I have clipped a few oblivious people before with my bike. Usually one of my pannier bags when they step into the road and I barely avoid them
Dozzi92@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 23h
I see it all the time and I can't stand it. It's not even cars, sometimes a sidewalk is lifted, low tree branch, literally any number of potential hazards in the way, and people are just letting iPhone Jesus guide them through life.
stickyprimer@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 12h
Yeah… I hate to say it but cyclists take to the sidewalks in my neighborhood even though we have bike lanes everywhere. Obviously they are trying to be safer from cars which I can’t fault them for, but they do become a danger to pedestrians. Basically pedestrians are in a lose lose situation. Unless we want to start counting the bugs they step on.
Agent641@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 1d
I live! I die! I live again!
NABDad@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 19h
I've had two bicyclists run a red light right in front of me as I was pulling out on a green.
One was horrified and apologic.
The other yelled at me for almost hitting him.
HexesofVexes@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 14h
Cyclists: every pavement is a shared space if you're going fast enough.
FluidBeef@quokk.au · 1 pts · 13h
For some reason there’s always a guy doing this when there’s a perfectly good cycle lane on the road next to them. Best thing as a pedestrian is to show no fear.
HerbGrower@slrpnk.net · 1 pts · 25m
"Perfectly good cycle lane" is something I have heard a lot of times from people who have never tried using the fucking awful cycle lane full of broken glass. Although usually here people cycle in the road instead, rather than the pavement.
You also have shared paths which have a line down the middle so bikes on one side and pedestrians on the other. 99% of the time pedestrians use the whole path and don't care which side they are on so I just swerve around them. Then had someone shout at me for being on the wrong side, I mean yes, but I was compensating for having to have just turned around someone and this space was clear so it made more sense to cycle here. Not sure why, when I cycle over the grass next to the path it seems to upset some people too. My bike is perfectly capable of going over grass, dirt and gravel tracks.
Going home from work the other day 2 pedestrians were taking up both lanes and I just cycled around them on the grass and one of them complained that I didn't ring my bell. Why bother, it's quicker for me to just go around you than wait for you to probably ignore me and maybe eventually move to the side in an unpredictable manner.
sangeteria@lemmy.ml · 2 pts · 14h
This is me but only bc I'm bad at biking lmaoooo
NathanRanch@lemmy.zip · -6 pts · 1d
Here in Missouri the bike lanes are just painted on existing car lanes. Sometimes right down the middle. I actually applaud whenever I see a cyclist acting safe. The performance of most cyclists I see is insane at best, deadly at worst. I don't think most cyclists realize they can be run over and the cops would likely just rule it an accident, unless there's pressure and evidence to suggest otherwise. If I hated cars so much I didn't want to use one, the last thing I would do is pick fights with them on crowded streets. The best cyclist is the one that isn't there.
DudleyMason@lemmy.ml · -7 pts · 1d
Anyone driving a car has already made the decision that their minor convenience is worth the possible death of someone they don't know and also worth the definite degradation of the shared environment everyone needs to live.
Expecting such a person to give any more of a fuck about the people around them than is necessary to avoid the "hassle" of hitting a pedestrian or cyclistsl is a laughable concept.
Good people don't drive cars as personal transportation.
Goforce5@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 1d
Honestly, this is such a fucking privileged take that it hurts. How do you expect people to get to work? I cannot bike 25 miles to work in 107F heat. I will literally die. I fully support making cities completely walkable, and making public transportation make more sense. I also can see that tons of GOOD people only own cars because they have to. Cyclists, however, always seem to have a stick up their ass while also unapologetically breaking every road rule as they cry about car people. I think at least half of the times I've collided with something while skateboarding, its been a bicycle. I dont automatically assume that every cyclist is a bad person, even though my anecdotal evidence seems to support it.
DudleyMason@lemmy.ml · 2 pts · 1d
From where I'm sitting the privilege belongs to the people making zero changes to their daily lives in response to climate change. Why the fuck do think it's ok to live 25 miles from work? Why not move? Bcs it would be inconvenient, got it.
People should not live in places where a car is required. Unless they are doing jobs that have to be done outside of the city. You wanna live like a modern hermit? Ok, but you need to get a job working on a farm, in a mine, or at a logging camp.
Otherwise, move your ass to a denser area with good transit or stop pretending that anything but selfishness and a desire to avoid inconvenience motivated you to stay in suburbia.
mika_mika@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 1d
Good citizens don't have such absolutist takes like this. I hope you see how this attitude is just as dumbed as someone who thinks cars are the only solution.
"People should just move." 🤯🤯
My guy, the people I know that actually cycle, and are about that life, are either privileged enough to exist in a neighborhood that has enough tax funds to bother with any cycling infrastructure (see: privilege, biking is more convenient in these areas) or are so beaten down by the system they cannot purchase a vehicle, maintenance, insurance, and biking is their only option.
You are not only shifting the responsibility of climate change from the uber wealthy to the average citizen trying to not starve themselves or their families in this capitalist hellscape (that doesn't disappear by the good feels of well meaning people), but are detached from reality while doing so.
I'm guessing you're not part of any active revolution against your state to change things because it's inconvenient and bitching about normal people gives you some comfort that you're actually doing something.. but even though the odds are against you, I recommend you go try and change the world from the top with those grandiose ideals, those slim odds are higher than whatever it is you're doing.
DudleyMason@lemmy.ml · 1 pts · 17h
Nope. Bcs at worst I'm annoying some people who've embraced ecocidal narcissism. Carbraims are people who are embracing ecocidal narcissism. If you don't see the difference there, I don't think there's much hope for you.
Goforce5@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 1d
I drive 25 miles to work because I cant afford to move closer. Closer would mean property values skyrocketing and quadrupled rent. I have a very specialized skill set and these jobs do not exist everywhere, but unfortunately I'm also not making six figures. There is also basically no public transit in my state, city or not. Hard to believe if all you've known is big city privilege, but there's a whole world of people like me and your utopian fantasy cant work for us unless someone foots the bill.
Maybe instead of attacking people who drive cars, you could focus that energy on the giant corporate polluters who are the ACTUAL cause of our climate crisis and show absolutely no signs of letting up. I think youd be surprised to learn that you and I probably agree on what needs to be done, and yet here you are angry at me for some bullshit that makes no difference in the bigger picture.
DudleyMason@lemmy.ml · 0 pts · 17h
And yet you still choose to live there. That's the problem.
And as hard as it is to believe with terminal carbrain, I grew up in the suburbs and lived for a while in rural Appalachia before moving to "the big city". And it was a sacrifice to move here, it sucked for a few years. But now I don't have to destroy the environment to get to and from work. You should try it. When nobody is willing to stay and pay taxes in car dependent shit holes, the assholes who run them will start "footing the bill" for decent transit infrastructure. Til then, staying just means you value your convenience over a habitable planet just like every other carhole on Earth.
TemplaerDude@sh.itjust.works · -1 pts · 20h
Get off the internet.
DudleyMason@lemmy.ml · -1 pts · 17h
Get a bus pass
TemplaerDude@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 17h
No, get off the internet and learn empathy. People exist outside of your pre-constructed idea of how the world should work. Get off the internet and go talk to people. Stop posting in that stupid brainwash cult.
DudleyMason@lemmy.ml · -1 pts · 15h
Translation: it really hurts my feelings when you point out all the factual reasons relying on a pollution powered people crusher for my personal transportation is bad for society and the environment, please stop!!
Edit: no empathy for ecocidal narcissists. Learn some basic human decency before you go asking for empathy from others.
TemplaerDude@sh.itjust.works · 0 pts · 10h
You’re either a troll or just a chronically online teenager because you don’t have any world experience if you’re spouting nonsensical buzzwords together to make yourself feel better about some half-cobbled together idea based on a world that exists only in your mind.
I’m not engaging with you any further. Grow up.
sem@piefed.blahaj.zone · -7 pts · 1d
When cyclists have to share space with pedestrians, it can be really scary when a fast bike passes you as a pedestrian. But the changes of actually being hit and hurt are really low, though it does happen anecdotally.
Squirrelsdrivemenuts@lemmy.world · 15 pts · 1d
Imagine being a cyclist having to share space with 50kph faster, 2 ton machines. The chances to be hit are quite high and the chances of being hurt near 100%.
sem@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 2 pts · 1d
Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works · 10 pts · 1d
It's almost as if faster vehicles need to be kept away from vulnerable travellers... Hmmm....
sem@piefed.blahaj.zone · -2 pts · 1d
I don't think it's that important to keep biikes away from pedestrians. They can usually coexist fine and fear doesn't actually hurt anyone.
It's way more important to keep cars far away from humans of all types.