Slow moving morons

NO .. DON’T ride on the sidewalk and grow up AA. You’re not going to hit a cyclist on purpose and everyone knows it … geesh.

You’ve raised a valid point, albeit not exactly the one you may have been idntending to raise: the relationship between motorists and cyclists, and for that matter drivers of cars and drivers of motorcycles, need some serious work, on both sides of the fence. Drivers need to realise that cyclists and motorcyclists are indeed a part of trafic, and are both valid forms of transportation, and they need to acknowledge them as such. This entails respecting the distance between you and the other person as you pass (i.e. not knocking them in the back of the head with your mirror as you go by), because the air thrown off by a car as it speeds by too close, well, it’s a bit disconcerting. Also, drivers need to realise the consequences of cutting in front of a motorcycle. When that is done to a car, the driver can swerve and the car does, at worst, a doughnut. In the case of a motorcycle, however, swerving can mean getting thrown and breaking one’s neck. Same goes in respect to cyclists. Getting into an argument with a car or a truck means serious injury or death, not a bent fender and a sore chest from the inpact of an air bag. Might does NOT make right, and you really don’t want to have to deal with the flak associated with vehicular manslaughter. In turn, cyclists need to accept that, as a valid part of the flow of traffic, they need to obey the rules of the road: all of them, not just the ones which they deign to be bothered with. That means using proper signals to turn and to stop so that motorists can tell what it is you’re going to do, or at least know that you are planning on doing something. That means stopping at stop signs, and waiting your turn, like everyone else. That means not coming up on the right side of cars at an intersection where cars aren’t expecting anyone and giving them heart attacks as they try to make a right turn and somehow there’s someone there who oughtn’t be; and it means not hopping from sidewalk to street in an unpredictable move to take advantage of crosswalks and avoid waiting for someone to come out of their driveway. There are two choices: sidewalk or street, and cyclists need to pick one and stick to the rules taht go with it. Either ride on the street and obey the rules of tht road, or go on the sidewalk and get off your bycycle and be a pedestrian. So… in a nutshell: drivers: have some respct for those smaller and less well arnmoured than you, and cyclists: let the other vehicles on the road know what you’re doing so that they can give you the space and respct that you need.

Frances I agree with almost everything you wrote except: That means not coming up on the right side of cars at an intersection where cars aren’t expecting anyone and giving them heart attacks as they try to make a right turn and somehow there’s someone there who oughtn’t be;I don’t understand that part. Cyclists are supposed to keep to the curb side as much as possible. A motorist planning a right hand turn at an upcoming intersection is supposed to stop and pause before turning right to get the BIG PICTURE. That means checking for peds, checking for vehicles turning left, checking for cyclists, and checking the cars behind them. Use mirrors, backwards glances for blind spots and everything at your disposal to make sure your path is clear. Motor vehicle drivers MUST be in control of their tons of metal and glass at ALL TIMES without exception. Surely they may have already passed the cyclist and know he’s coming up on the right of their vehicle at some point.It is up to you to pay attention to whomever or whatever is in your path and not be caught off guard. Your vehicle is a potential weapon. Drive carefully.

The city just isn’t very cyclist friendly… it’s really not very driver friendly either. This is city is fucked up. Until they actually fix the roadways (which will probably never happen) this is going to be a source of conflict. I do my best to give cyclists as much space as I can and really have very few problems with them. HOWEVER, you fuckers out on the old #2 highway that ride two wide on a road just big enough for 1 car can go fuck yourselves. It’s a gorgeous ride I know, but when I have to come to a complete stop on the road cause there’s cars coming at me and two of you in front of me… I get a little pissed.

Beep Beep – I’m a motoristI mean honestly, why don’t they just get rid of sidewalks and while they’re at it, that stupid little patch of grass between the sidewalk and the road. Anything that helps ‘pave’ the way for my new Ford F-950. Driving the kids to soccer never looked so tough.

I really have to say that EVERYBODY on the road right now is behaving ridiculously…nobody is immune to the rampant spread of Selfish Road Presence. Cars – aggressive and inattentive (cell phones, eating, etc) Motorcycles – Passing between cars and on the shoulder!!!!! WTF!?!?!?!?!Bikes – Sidewalk driving, Failure to yield when travelling well below posted speed limit (you know it is illegal to drive slower than 30km below the posted limit right?)I want to really make a point about this one here…NO (read NO) vehicle is allowed to ride up the right side of a SINGLE lane when another vehicle is already presently occupying the intersection (that means waiting to proceed into the intersection as well) regardless if the biker or motorbike will be turning right…you wait your turn like every other vehicle on the road. If someone managed to squeeze their car up like that when there was NO ALLOWANCE for it to occur, would be ticketed. If there is space for a 2nd car than it was intended to allow for right hand turning cars etc. but if there is just room for something like a bike…don’t be surprised when you get either ticketed or run over and then ticked for aggressivereckless driving (which is what a car would get if it did the same thing).So EVERYBODY, PLEASE, open you f***ing eyes and mind for once and think about what you are about to do next when on the road.