Why should bikers be able to bike on the sidewalk? It is called a sideWALK! Why should I be walking and be scared for my life. Have you ever walked down Quinpool going toward the rotary? Bikers are going faster than the cars, and sharing the sidewalks with walkers! What a joke! This should be stopped before someone gets killed. —Stick your two wheels up your ass
This article appears in Jan 13-19, 2011.
Most cyclists are considerate and responsible; the ones who aren’t deserve an umbershoot through the spokes or a karate chop to the bridge of the nose as they blithely sail by. I’d have a tad more sympathy for the calls for a bike lane if it weren’t for the self-entitled critical mass of twats who seem to believe that they already have one.
I bike the length of Quinpool everyday, and while I don’t bike on the sidewalk nor condone it, I do know people who are intimidated by the traffic on Quinpool. I know of one kind gentleman who does this on a regular basis. He doesn’t do it to scare pedestrians or flaunt the law, he just doesn’t feel safe on Quinpool. I am pretty much against bike lanes as a ‘cure-all’ to this issue, but I think in certain circumstances bike lanes are an answer. The length of Quinpool from the Rotary to Oxford should be bike-laned on both sides. Its especially dangerous at night. Thank you for your time.
“This should be stopped before someone gets killed”
they’re riding on the sidewalks so THEY don’t get killed…
since motorists share your same feelings for the poor bikers.
I’m having a hard time coming up with a scenario that would prove fatal in a biker/pedo crash….maybe if you were carrying a metal rod or something and impales you ???
Commuting to a Bicycle Jousting Event and they accidentally lance someone?
Ugh. This is a huge pet peeve of mine. I can see if it’s a kid or something, but regular joes biking on the sidewalks? Yeah, I’d like to put a stick in your spokes, losers.
They used to do this all the time in Ottawa and you’d be standing on the sidewalk waiting for the bus, minding your own business and BAM a bike would come speeding out of nowhere and yell at you to gtfo of the way. And if you got hit by a bike going those speeds you’ve be SERIOUSLY injured.
It’s like these people want it both ways: cars to respect them on the road, yet still be able to ride on the sidewalks which is pretty much the same as letting a car drive down the sidewalk.
People like this need to get bent.
why don’t you call your councillor and ask for the city to put in some bike lanes?
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4Z4MSCQ6p9A/Sbb4…
OB, I drive a bike, and I take offense at your statement.
OK, sometimes I drive on the sidewalk, but thats just to get around stuck traffic and I’ve never hit a pedestrian. So what if 4 or 6 of us use the ped-way for a shortcut, we’re there for only a few sconds, and it doesn’t hurt anyone. Jeesh, cut me some slack, my taxes pay for the sidewalks too, I can use them how I like….oh, you’re refering to pedal-bikes, never mind.
http://bikeportland.org/wp-content/uploads…
with people like this…. there’s really no wonder….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uYATWEZ0oU
Hugo…I’m reading your comment thinking you’re a bit of a dick about the getting around traffic and then smiled at the end. Thanks.
I don’t ride a pedal bike…I don’t want to be hit by one. I hate how there’s so many that break the rules yet demand respect. But there’s 2 stories to every story and for every asshole I’m sure there’s 10 nice bikers.
Our Hugo’s got a nicely dry sense of humor RC and a great sense for comic timing – in 3d as well as in our little disfunctionverse.
you don’t see these in our duchy
http://www.bestmotivationalposters.com/ima…
I always thought a ‘biker’ is a motorcyclist and a ‘cyclist’ is a bicycle rider. Since I am both a biker and a cyclist there is a definite difference to be observed depending on which vehicle I choose to ride. Bikers rely upon CC’s for power, cyclist mobility depends upon pedal power. When travelling uphill on the pedal power vehicle the difference is completely and painfully apparent. Then there are those motorized ‘bicycles’ that blur the lines between the two. Maybe those riders should be called bikelists:S
Ain’t I a stinker?
‘biker’ is a motorcyclist and a ‘cyclist’ is a bicycle rider, agreed OC.
My distinction is, I “drive” a motorcycle, I “ride” a bicycle or horse. I’ll stop there with the riding examples 😉
you have horsies? why was i not informed?
Indeed equine-sis!
This must be a new distinction Hugo because in all my years as a biker I have never heard anyone refer to what we do as ‘driving’. But each to his zone. The rest of us bikers will be happily riding our iron ponies while you are out driving yours.
No ponies painie. Friends used to have horses, so I do know how to ride (been awhile though). Damm, the idea of getting up, extra early, every day, to shovel poop…..nahhh, not for me ☺.
OC, guess it’s just me and a couple of friends that make that distinction. With them it’s more of a driver/passenger thing. Only 10-12 more weeks till biking season.
cyclists are not allowed to ride on any sidewalk in n.s., check with cops. if they nail you, you get a ticket for unsafe handling, believe it or not. if you are walking, kinda of get in way, so that they either nick you or hit your. the worst i saw was last year, so help me, this is true. a chicky driving down sidewalk, on barrington, and texting, and talking, at the same time, on a fucking bluetooth in her ear,while holding a donut in the other while hoding the handle bar. really. i wish i would have had a fucking camera on me, but didn’t.
My BF witnessed some car vs. pedestrian rage and I thought it would definitely end up on here! It was at the corner of North and Windsor and there was a guy on a bike sitting in the lane by the sidewalk, going straight, waiting at a red light. In this lane you can go straight or turn right. Some bitchwoman with a massive car came up beside him and was pissed that she couldn’t turn right so she nudged the cyclist WITH her car. At that time he was balancing his bike while waiting for the light to change and almost fell over. He looked back at her and did the “WTF?!?!??!” arm motions and turned back around. The woman did it AGAIN and started to honk at him! The light then turned green so he drove forward to the other side and stopped on the sidewalk to hopefully get her license and what not. The whole time this bitch was flipping out in her car.
OC, according to The Almighty Google, the term biker is defined as “A person whose lifestyle is centered on motorcycles, may be a member of an outlaw motorcycle club; A person who rides a bicycle”.
I like to hang out to the left of a right turning lane so I don’t hold up cars turning right, but there’s always times when it isn’t feasable. And then there’s the bitch douches.
Last week I had a stupid bitch pull out of a side street 3 ft in front of me without stopping. When I caught her at the next light I did the WTF hand wave and then she swerved towards me and then started making funny faces and cursing and then swerving at me again. It was then that I noticed she had kids in the car with her. Nice.
Vehicular assault, and hit & run. Hopefully the cyclist did get the plate #.
Cranky, the cops will have a chat with people like that. No ticket, but they will go have a little visit.
Friggin beautiful out there today, spent almost 2hrs at the beach, dogs are passed out 🙂
dog(s), you have more than one? i have ridden a horse once, but spent lots of time around them. i don’t mind getting up early to shovel horse poop *hint hint*. there are horse stables where we take the hounds to run, maybe they will let me ride
pg, mine & my cousin’s wheaton.
Horses need exercise pg, some owners can’t always ride them daily, sooooo….
http://www.guzer.com/pictures/horse_chases…
http://www.bbpress.nl/annuals/world_of_new…
That brings back memories, Hugo = ) We used to have a donkey on the farm who hated our Australian Shepard. One of the boys thought it would be fun to get on her back, call Casper, and when she chased the dog, he would finally get to ride her (she was stereotypically stubborn and refused to be ridden). It all went according to plan, except between her boney spine and nothing to hold to since she took off running with her head down (to headbutt Casper, I presume), he got more than he bargained for. Between the rat-a-tat-tat on his testes and falling on his ass (not the donkey), his future ‘great ideas’ never included Matilda again.
Man, I wish I could find an owner very near the city who needed someone to exercise their horse.
well since i’m apparently 7 feet tall (you’re not that short rosie) i would need a big horse. found it
http://lizditz.typepad.com/photos/uncatego…
I am short-ish Painey m’girl! And I didn’t mean YOU were 7 ft tall… you’d need a shower that… oh never mind! 😀
haha, i knew that. i am only 180cm but i have clown feet http://www.emphasisallmine.com/.a/6a00e550…
Ob aka scaredy cat…get a pair of dark glasses, sunglasses will do. Buy or acquire a white cane. walk down the sidewalk with a ridged stance.
Anyone on a bike sees that & they’ll be afraid of you .
No one wants to stand before a judge & admit they ran over a blind man while illegally driving on the sidewalk…I know I sure wouldn’t !
Some obey the rules of the road, some do whatever they damn well please. I almost reduced the cyclist population yesterday by one when a bike came flying through the red light at the intersection of Agricola and North as I was driving down to the bridge. Dumb as had grocery bags on his handle bars. Real smart…..save the environment by putting yourself six feet under.
Bengal Lancers is the only stable in/near the city that I know of.
Harrietsfield is next.
someone on kijiji was looking for a person to exercise their horse, but it was in yarmouth, damn. too far away for a casual ride for me.
when i was there, there were at least 5 different people with horses that wanted people to turn them out and ride them. some were green broke, some were saddle trained. i’ll take bareback anytime, thank you. and i do mean horse back.
betty’s place in harrietsfield is closed i think, but check local phone book. truro or chezzetcook is the next logical areas to check out. or try putting an ad on kijiji, you just never know what you will find from there. it’ a damn fine place to get just about anything you want.
Bengal Lancers…tried years ago. I am more a cowgirl than a ‘equestrian’, and although I can put a horse through its paces, they generally want someone with jumping experience. Green broke is no problem, but it’s been awhile, and, of course, my bronc days are over (it’s been so long, in fact, I’m sure I’ve lost my seat). It used to be you could get some time in in exchange for troubleshooting, breaking or giving lessons, but those days are virtually over.
I did see the Kijiji ad, but it was too away, and it was a lease. Every once in awhile, you will find someone giving a horse away, but boarding a horse anywhere near the city is expensive. Until I get a car, I guess it’s Hatfield Farms or nothing = ).
well, ya got me beat kimmy. i like to groom them and kiss their squshie faces. so i guess that makes me a cowpoke. like candy from bonanza^^
Shit, when I had horses in ’81, it was $300 a month for board -I’m curious to see how much higher they are now.
http://www.crownvranch.com/getfile/267f927…
forget boarding, just get a home with a horse barn!
http://halifax.bizcaf.ca/Newly_renod_count…
No car Kim? I guess that Windsor Junction or Fall River (Miller Lake) are out of the question then.
Holy Shit, $164,000 for that little bungalow! With only an acre of land, the barn must be a lean-to. My Mom lives just outside of Edmonton (where the price of property is sooo inflated), her house is bigger, and she only paid $225,000.
The way prices are going, I’d be lucky if I could buy just a barn to live in = )
When I really want to go somewhere, I just hire someone to take me. But, asking them to wait an hour or more is hard…which is why I wanted somewhere close. Actually, I just found a handy site!
http://www.horsenovascotia.ca/forum/
I’ll be getting a car this year, so my scope will increase considerably.
$600-$650 per month, TTFN, to board in HRM…not an option for me.
if you can get me a horse to play with i’ll drive you wherever you want miss kimmy
holy crap…
at that price, I’d be living in the barn stall with Mr. Ed.
Not bad though… comes with a free salad bar….
He keeps eating my bed though.
Oh, breadlady,
I found some horses to play with… but unless you have the lotus from The Spy Who Loved Me, I think you’d have a hard time driving us there.
http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mnh/nature/sableis…
A guy from my hometown had his horse taken away from him, he lost his license drunk driving and took the horse through the drive-thru at Tim’s 🙁
But to the original post, yeah, I hate cyclists that do that too. If I’m unhappy to cycle on the road, I dismount and walk my bicycle. I hit a kid with my bicycle on a shared path once and it was terrible (I kept trying to steer away from him and ringing my bell, he kept stepping backwards right in the path of my bike, he was ok but I cried), the thought of there being this sidewalk full of people I could potentially hit makes me too anxious (even if many of them I’m unlikely to hurt).
Ah Jellohead. I lived down in B’rrington too. Wonder what ever became of that.
http://www.thevanguard.ca/News/Justice-Cri…
People like hishighness make me want to fill the lane so people in cars can’t make that right turn. Logic being, if I were driving my car they wouldn’t be able to go around me, so why not?
well, kimmy, i guess we need a helicopter. ce is a pilot, maybe he will volunteer or we could get one of these http://www.adventureseaplanes.com/185_gods…
sorry, i meant zZz. can you fly?
Woohoo! The barter system is not dead! I can exchange paingirl’s grooming services for free riding and get a drive to the stables in exchange for letting paingirl groom the horses = )
Everyone’s happy = p
http://trailrides.homestead.com/HankSmilin…
I bike to my university every day, and not once have I biked on the sidewalk. I’ve been hit by cars twice though, so I don’t blame anyone who wants to bike on the sidewalk for safety. Maybe when the city makes our streets a little more bike friendly, you wouldn’t have to go out of your way to move over a little bit on the sidewalk.
excellent rp http://www.johnjanacone.com/deputy-sheriff…