I walk everywhere here in Halifax in the summer (Metro Transit if I’m desperate) and it drives me crazy to have to jump to the side of a sidewalk to avoid getting hit because some fucking biker is biking down the middle of it. This happened 3 times within 5 minutes on Bell road yesterday, while a few concientious bikers whizzed by in the clearly marked bike lane right next to us. I understand that Halifax traffic can be dangerous and some people don’t want to bike with the cars– but where there are actual bike lanes, shouldn’t there be some kind of law that MAKES THEM FUCKING USE IT? Pedestrians have the sidewalk, bikers get bike lanes. That’s the whole damn point.
—sick of getting side-swiped
This article appears in Jul 23-29, 2009.
There is a law saying that bikers can’t be on the sidewalk.
Unfortunately all the bikers in this city seem to think they’re above the laws (most don’t wear helmets or obey traffic lights either) because they are “doing their part for the environment” or “reducing their carbon footprint”.
And the cops won’t give them tickets because they don’t see the danger it causes to people like you OP.
It’s called a sideWALK, you fuckers, not a sideRIDE.
I LOVE this bitch.
When I ride my bike, I ride on the sidewalk but I always get out of the way of people walking. I hate it when people on bikes force you off the sidewalk. They can be respectful about it.
It’s still illegal virgomom.
And it’s even worse when you “get out of the way” of the pedestrians by suddenly jumping onto the street to do it. What pisses me off the most is bikers who choose to “switch” between pedestrian and vehicle to suit their needs at the time. Like coming to a red light, and then biking through the intersection on the crosswalk. Even pressing the crosswalk button to get the flashing crosswalk lights and biking across then!
“ALL” bikers ride on the sidewalk? I better start pulling my weight because I never have. Starting Monday, straight up Quinnpool! Look out fuckers!
I’m pretty sure the OP was limiting this bitch to the inconsiderate fucks who DO ride on the sidewalk, not ones like you who drive on the road, cranky.
Usually the people I see riding on sidewalks are younger and don’t have a helmet on.
What used to piss me off is the entitlement of bikers in Ottawa. The city is SPRAWLING with bike lanes. Everywhere there are bike lanes, yet there are always dumbfucks riding on the sidewalks. And they tend to get super aggressive if you “get in [their] way”…on a sideWALK.
Exactly PK, exactly!
I get irked at:
-the sight of bikers who will go through red lights if there is no traffic going in other directions. the cars have to wait for the light to change but bikers don’t seem to care.
-bikers on sidewalks period. unless walking with the bike instead.
Bikers tend to demand the same rights/privileges as car owners/drivers but also of citizens that walk. No matter what is done for them or done to accomodate bikers, its never enough.
They can do whatever they want on the road (ignore traffic laws, signs and lights) but they seem to own the side walks as well. Its a no-win situation for anyone that isn’t a self-righteous biker.
I gotta interject on this one. “All bikers” think they’re above the law and “most” don’t wear helmets or obey traffic lights? I call bullshit.
I’m a cyclist and I’m on the road nearly every day. Most cyclists I know and see are decent, law-abiding folks who just happen to ride a bicycle. Most of us DO wear helmets and obey lights, because we have a reasonable amount of respect and responsibility, and none of want to pay fines, which ARE most certainly handed out by police.
A friend of mine was nearly hit by a large truck at an intersection and, feeling quite shaken, rode his bicycle up onto the sidewalk to compose himself. A member of HRM’s finest saw the whole thing happen and promptly ticketed him anyway.
Perhaps if the city thought it worthwhile to create a few more bike lanes, maybe even ones that (gasp!) connected to each other, you wouldn’t see so many lame asses on the sidewalks.
I just have a problem with absolutes. Like “all LTWBers will masterbate to a Sears cataglog tonight but -most- will not use lube’. That kinda thing. Like someone mentioned, for the most part we are all obeying the rules and are wearing helmets, we just tend to notice the ones who don’t.
Taser the bikers on the sidewalk, see how the old legs pump after a couple of jolts fucko
Dark glasses, light colored cane (white perferable) walk rigidly & as bike passes…jam cane into spokes…appologise profusely if driver is conscious after sidewalk impact 🙂
Have a nice day.
Bikers are forced to improvise everyday in this city. Halifax is like fucking Mutant League Biking!
If I see that middle aged crunchy-granola-save-the- earth-bitch on a bike riding on the sidewalk at Public Gardens one more time I swear I’ll push her off. She didn’t take too kindly to me telling her the law required her to use the road and the sidewalk was for pedestrains. Chief Beazley should tell his traffic cowboys that every Monday is ‘Ticket a cyclist’ day; HRM needs the money.
GlenJM…. kudos!
IMO, we need to get back to the days where Mutant League crap seemed crazy and far-fetched.
There are too many idiots willing to try anything regardless of consequences.
I tried the road’s round here once on a bicycle…
Haven’t tried it since, but that’s ’cause I need more air in the tires…. and balls in the pocket.
And More, that cane trick would work, provided the tensile strength of the cane and spokes were equivalent. Haven’t tried it but it would be epic if mythbusters confirmed.
Came close, with their work on the motorbike but I’d be skeptical with a bicycle.
I have also been pushed to the edge of the sidewalk by bikers on the hill side of Bell Road while others took the marked lane, so I know exactly what the OP is bitching about. I can understand young kids alone on bikes on the sidewalk, but that’s about it.
If you’re a cyclist and you’re ballsy or enviromentalist enough to be whizzing along under your own power anyway, strap on that helmet and take to the streets. If you’re nervous on busy streets that don’t have marked bike lanes, I don’t know? Change your route? There are plenty of neighbourhoods and sidestreets that can be taken to navigate through this city.
Though I totally hate folks who ride on the side walk (and I am a cyclist) telling folks to use the completely non-existent bike lanes is pretty unconstructive.
Perhaps you could start supporting the groups out there trying to get more bikes lanes in the HRM.
The big reason bike lanes tek forever to get built is because, in general, the only people who advocate for them are the cyclists. People who dive and walk need to start supporting them as well, since bike lanes will make everyone happy.
Only time I ride my bike on the sidewalk is when I have my two year in her seat with me. Thats only because there are two many jackasses out there who don’t know how to share the road with bikes. I have close calls all the time while driving my bike on the street, and I am not about to chance it with my daughter on the bike with me.