This article appears in Dec 6-12, 2007.
Clear a path
When I’m riding my bike to work, I take the sidewalk. To all the tightwads who tell me to get on the road: I am always mindful of pedestrians. I have never hit anyone, and if I ever did, I’m sure they would not be splattered all over the place as I would
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If you want to be on the sidewalk and off the road, walk dumbass. Otherwise, stop being a pussy, wear a helmet, be more motorist aware, and take your two wheels on the roadway. As a frequent pedestrian, I certainly don’t need another fucking cyclist on the sidewalk thinking he/she has the right to ring his/her little bell to make me move faster and out of his/her way. And as an avid cyclist I do agree the roads are shit, but don’t take it out on pedestrians who have the RIGHT to be on the sidewalk, not you. It’s against the law to be on the sidewalk for a fucking reason ~ a bike is a vehicle meant to transport you quickly on the roadway, not inbetween human pylons. Put your bike on the street where it belongs, and join TRAX to push for better roadways for cyclists instead of just giving them a bad rap.
if there are no bikelanes and the roads are narrow what choice does a cyclist have?
^^What choice does a cyclist have? Lobby the municipal government to make bike lanes, vote for pro-bike councillors, join Critical Mass, and just get out there riding your bike every day, on the road. Just because the cycling conditions in Halifax are sub-par does not mean you need to make the walking conditions for others equally so.Sidewalk Cyclist says that they have “the right to ride a bike without having to risk my life”. I would say this is more of a priviledge (the word *right* gets bandied about far too often), and is one that you must extend down the transportation food chain to pedestrians, yes? Not only is riding your bicycle on the sidewalk inconsiderate, but it is dangerous (no matter how ‘careful’ you claim to be). Grow up. If cycling on the road is too dangerous for you, then I suggest you stop cycling.
lobbying has failed, critical mass once a month accomplishes?, and ‘just get out there riding your bike every day’, this will accomplish?, the road is dangerous, i ride very carefully and and always give pedestrians right of way, i do not endanger anyone and have never had a complaint’cynical cyclist’ get over it, (it being whatever your problem is), just because you make the choice to risk you’re well-being on the road does not mean everyone else shouldwould you want your child or younger sibling to risk him or herself on the roads with no bikelanes?
boo fuckin’ hoo! yes, halifax needs bike lanes-but a bike is a vehicle and as such is to be ridden on the road. quite being so inconsiderate to pedestrians. if you can’t take the heat-don’t ride a bike, pussy!!
It appears that Sidewalk Cyclist 4-Ever from your recent Bitch column simply does not understand that the rules are not designed to cater to his “needs” but for the common good. He/she does not have a right to ride a bicycle on the side walk because it is unsafe and against the law. Other cyclists use the roads, but if Sidewalk Cyclist 4-Ever is nervous to do so I suggest using another means of transportation such as walking or public transit. Sidewalk pedestrians have no way of knowing how “mindful” you are of them. We see a larger, faster, unpredictable, irresponsible being heading towards us or whipping past us. And a “tightwad” body knocked to the ground by a cyclist may not suffer just cuts and bruise, as you seem to believe. Long term or permanent harm can result from such a collision. I wish all sidewalk cyclists would reconsider this bad habit.
It’s called a sideWALK for a reason! Drive on the damn street.
Sidewalk Cyclist 4-Ever you are the reason that bicyle rights are shit in the city. Bicycles are for the road, the only cyclists that should be on the sidewalk are kids under the age of 12 who have no idea how trafffic works. I am an avid cyclist, I have been a commuter in the past. You excuse for the speed and dangers on the road are bull. I know when I was an active commuter I was faster that the bus, and close to as fast as a car (I am not bragging because I am far from fast) By riding on the sidewalks you present 2 problems. #1 Pedestrians have the right of way, thay do not know where you are going and you are travelling way too fast relativly for them to see you are ‘always mindful’ #2 When you bike on the sidewalk, a motorist can not see you. The motorist expects something coming off the sidewalk to be travelling at the speed of a pedestrian, even a jogger is moving significantly slower. A cyclist is moving too fast for a motorist to see them when making a right hand turn. If you continue to ride on the sidewalk you will get hit, but maybe Darwin has a point. There is only one reason why there are no bike lanes, or driver awareness of cyclists: There are not enough commuters in this city.Lose the training wheels and get on the road.
You think you are safer on the sidewalk? Cars aren’t expecting how fast you are going compared to pedestrians when you pop off the sidewalk to cross a perpendicular street, you are going to end up on the hood of someone’s car sooner or later, and it will be your own fault.Hopefully you will be injured enough to make you decide to quit riding a bike, you give all cyclists a bad name.
If the main roads are too ‘busy’ for you, aka Quinpool, there are more than enough side streets to use which will take you to the same place.
Did you say you ride on the sideWALK, the place built for WALKING. My wish for you is to be entangled in a moron’s long leash with his rottwilier on the other end while riding on the sideWALK, enjoy the food at the QEII if you survive. Take the training wheels of your bike and be a man on the ROAD.
That’s why we should follow the example of Big Daddy and walk around with sticks at our side to catch people that might run us over with their bikes of evil. And when they road rash you could easily run away because they are a stain on the sidewalk…
Sidewalks for normal walkin, none of that fancy walkin. (ie. bike riding)
what pisses me off more? guy driving bike on sidewalk or guy drivng bike on road with that holier than thou attitude of ” i have every right to drive on the road & no i won’t get over to let you pass safely”….eff off already….no insurance, no license, no inspection therefore -NO ROAD!!
It’s true that Halifax is probably one of the more cycling unfriendly cities I’ve ever ridden in, and I can understand why some people might *think* that riding on the sidewalk solves this. However, in my mind, two wrongs (cars not respecting bicycles and bicycles not respecting pedestrians) do not make a right. I currently have the pleasure of being able to ride my bike on divided bike lanes, and I will tell you that it is flipping amazing. Also, when not on the divided lanes, motorists are generally courteous, although the aggressive nature of the Montreal roads isn’t for everyone. I feel that some structural improvements (divided bike lanes), and attitude adjustments (bikes belong on roads, not on sidewalks or the garage) could make Halifax a better place for everyone.
Though we have “no insurance, no license, no inspection” we do have to respect the rules of the road. People on bikes can and have had points taken off their license for disobeying traffic laws while cycling, and believe it or not, most adults who commute by bike do own cars and have car insurance, which would be affected by said traffic violation. And I don’t know if this is holier than thou or not, but I haven’t read in the paper lately about drunken cyclists without insurance killing anybody else within 10 feet of the road. Or speeding. Or rear ending someone else in the rotary while talking on the cell phone, so yeah, we’re a real hazzard out there, using the side of the road and occasionally taking up more space than you think we ‘have the right to’ though in actual fact, we’re probably avoiding some crap on the side of the road.And as for paying, read again what I said about insurance and car ownership. Most of us ARE PAYING asshole, for something we choose not to use Monday to Friday. Hey, if I’m paying for it, and I’m not in a car and biking instead, should I take up a whole lane? I guess I’m kinda entitled to it, according to you.
Though we have “no insurance, no license, no inspection” we do have to respect the rules of the road. People on bikes can and have had points taken off their license for disobeying traffic laws while cycling, and believe it or not, most adults who commute by bike do own cars and have car insurance, which would be affected by said traffic violation. And I don’t know if this is holier than thou or not, but I haven’t read in the paper lately about drunken cyclists without insurance killing anybody else within 10 feet of the road. Or speeding. Or rear ending someone else in the rotary while talking on the cell phone, so yeah, we’re a real hazzard out there, using the side of the road and occasionally taking up more space than you think we ‘have the right to’ though in actual fact, we’re probably avoiding some crap on the side of the road.And as for paying, read again what I said about insurance and car ownership. Most of us ARE PAYING asshole, for something we choose not to use Monday to Friday. Hey, if I’m paying for it, and I’m not in a car and biking instead, should I take up a whole lane? I guess I’m kinda entitled to it, according to you.
syg said:”would you want your child or younger sibling to risk him or herself on the roads with no bikelanes?”ummm…isn’t that why children (i.e. those with bicycles with wheels less that 20″ I believe) are allowed by law/societal courtesy to ride on the sidewalk?Needless to say this does not extend to adults who have gained enough sense, skill, and experience to drop the training wheels and move onto the road.And for the record, I would not expect my adult children or siblings to ride on the sidewalk, in fact I would give them hell if they did.Also, you can be sure that if I saw any adult riding on the sidewalk I would give them the courteous complaint of “please ride on the roadway”.
until cyclist are considered in future urban planning this debate will continuemany motorists have pretty ‘tough stance’ opinions about cyclists, i wonder if they have ever ridden in the city or they just don’t like when we get in their way or cause them a 3 second delay only assholes would wish harm or injury to others, grow up and/or get a heart if, do something
Jesus, as I read the comments of some of you people, I wonder where the hell your friggin common sense lies.How could you compare a cycle-person collision with a automobile-cycle collision? It’s like hitting an apple with a broom, then with a hockey stick. Would it not be just as easy for you “pedestrians” to simply take a step to the left or right? Instead, I have to dodge a cyclist with waving arms and jittering feet jotting along an injested stretch of traffic. I don’t know who I feel more sorry for, the poor people who put their life on the line to ride their bike; or the poor gas-taxpaying-that-maintains-and pays-for-the-roads; that they have to almost kill people because their forced to cycle on a major road way.10 pound bike 1000 pound car…..What isn’t clear people?
listen u bike riding assholes, when u start paying your fair share of taxes there will be bike lanes. until then, keep your organ donor card handy. remember your healthy organs will go to the cellphone talking suv driving caffine junkie that kills u.
extended mirrors decapitate said ‘listen u bike riding assholes, when u start paying your fair share of taxes there will be bike lanes’you are an idiot
I am amazed at how liberally insulting of one another some of you people can be. F this and F that and you’re a pussy and he’s a shithead and so on. What about having a level-headed discussion on the matter at hand rather than throwing words around like a bunch of self-serving monkeys? If there’s no peace in your words, there’s no peace in the world. There are countries in Africa with over 25% AIDS infection rates. 1000 people a month die in Iraq in the civil war there. What are you guys bitching at one another for? Are we monkeys or people? Monkeys can drive cars and ride bicycles too…
I’m sorry, but there is no excuse for a person riding a full size bicycle to ever take it onto a sidewalk, unless he or she is walking it. A bicycle is a vehicle, and like it or not, vehicles stay on the road when being operated. I genuinely sympathize with cyclists who get buffaloed by idiotic drivers, but as a pedestrian, I should be able to use the sidewalk without fear of a collision with said cyclists. In fact, all of us who use the roadways need to be more conscious of the rules, and obey them.
I’m sorry, but there is no excuse for a person riding a full size bicycle to ever take it onto a sidewalk, unless he or she is walking it. A bicycle is a vehicle, and like it or not, vehicles stay on the road when being operated. I genuinely sympathize with cyclists who get buffaloed by idiotic drivers, but as a pedestrian, I should be able to use the sidewalk without fear of a collision with said cyclists. In fact, all of us who use the roadways need to be more conscious of the rules, and obey them.