Alright. We get it. You’re riding a bike because you’re being eco-friendly (bullshit, your old, fixed-gear bike from circa 1975 has more lead in the paint alone than a lead vest) or trying to be ironic/trendy. But here’s the thing: you clearly don’t know how to ride a bike.
First, you were riding in traffic, and not once did I see you look behind you. This, in the absence of your bike not having mirrors. This isn’t some lonely country road in France. Do you have ESP?
Secondly, you cut me off. Me, in a car, and you on a bike. Let’s talk basic physics here. Your bike can move/brake/turn quickly. My car in relation to your bike cannot maneuver nearly as quickly. Yet, you seemed surprised when I honked at you, because my hood almost drove that milk crate up your ass… Why were you surprised?
Finally, you clearly wanted to get onto the bridge (which precipitated your sharp turn in the first place)… So why were you riding down the middle of Wyse Road, as oppose to sticking to the right hand side, like any normal person?
And some people have the nerve to whine about a nanny state. It’s stunts like this that make helmets mandatory. Maybe we should go a step further and make bike licenses mandatory. Also, while we’re at it; whatever you had painted all over your helmet made it look like a goddamn couch. It’s not artistic. It actually ruins the helmet. Good luck in suing anyone that hits you or redeeming any insurances you have if you get any head injuries from a crash. —The Fever
This article appears in Aug 5-11, 2010.
almost all car-bike accidents in this city are caused by the bike riders!!!!remember,bikes are vehicles,so,stick with the streets and be patient..don’t weave in and out of traffic,ride on the opposite side of the street into oncoming traffic and please..stay OFF the sidewalks!!!once these so called bike lovers do all of the above,then they might have the respect of all drivers…but,until that day comes…stay off your bike!!!!
Cyclists want city council to cater to them at every whim and refuse to listen to anything anybody else has to say opposite of their opinion. But most cyclists I see break the laws and rules of the road and feel that traffic lights/signs don’t apply to them. And make up your mind; road or sidewalk? You can’t have both.
Some cyclists know their shit. Others don’t have a clue and are up for the Darwin Award. Granolas seem to be the worst offenders. All butterflies, rainbows, and unicorns in their world.
Actually Fat, you can have both. That’s the beauty of the versatility of the bicycle. Sometimes the sidewalk is the safest option.
Nope. One or the other. And if you choose the road you should be held accountable for actions like anybody who owns a motor vehicle. If you choose the sidewalk, pedestrians > cyclists.
I saw a cyclist that didn’t stop at a 4-way stop the other day, although it was my turn to go. Cyclists pretend they are pedestrians on crosswalks and at 4-ways, and pretend that they are a part of the traffic at other times, it seems. I find that very dangerous.
It would be fair to say, Newtie, that only SOME cyclists are guilty of the behaviour you describe. Some of us are careful, considerate and conscious of the fact that larger vehicles can be lethal if not given the proper respect when sharing the road and that equal repect be given to pedestrians when necessity forces one to use the sidewalk. Some of us even walk our bikes across crosswalks. A few bad apples don’t ruin the whole bunch.
As a side note on the whole cyclist Vs motorist debate, people complain about cyclists being idiots on the road who should be licensed and yet there are many licensed motorists who drive like morons too, so licensing appears not to be a determining factor is who will be a good driver or not. What gets lost in this debate is the fact that ‘green’ solutions benefit the planet while fossil-fuel propelled vehicles are causing harm. More cyclists on the road benefits us all, especially those who will inherit the planet from us, our cherished children and grandchildren. Or are we really too selfish to care. Stephen Hawking predicts that at the rate the planet is being exploited and changing the only hope for the survival of the human species will be space colonies. Too bad for the rest of the thousands of unique and miraculous animal and plant species that depend upon Earth for survival too. What an utter shame for mankind!
This bitch is awesome and NGF is right. Motorist or pedestrian? Which are you?! I can’t stand 90% of the cyclists on the roads these days. A couple weeks ago I was driving down Cunard by the commons. There were 2 cyclists on the right hand side of the road (a guy and a girl, both granolas) and out of nowhere, the guy just cuts right into the middle of the left hand lane. No signal, no indication that he was going to change lanes. The idiot cuts right in front of me while I’m going 50kph and just starts peddaling up the middle of the road. I almost ran the guy over (unintentionally), so of course I honked at the idiot and when I got up next to him, he tried to spit in my window. He’s lucky he veered off down Cornwallis at that point…
The best one is the ass with a motorized bicycle going through stop signs going on sidewalks and crosswalks, passing on the right. Going to wind up as an organ donor one of these days.