I’ve been to lot’s of different cities – large and small – in the world, and most seem to be on the ball when it comes to bicyclists… You know, motorists not screaming asinine and juvenile remarks at cyclists as they drive by, providing places to lock your bike, providing bike lanes or paths, respectfully SHARING THE ROAD.
WHEN IS HALIFAX GOING TO GET WITH THE PROGRAM?
I drive my bike to work everyday. I’ve had several instances where I was driving my bike and was verbally attacked just for being on a bike on the road!? I often get the sense that some people have this idea in their head that either driving a bicycle is just ‘not cool’, or it deeply offends them to have to share the road with cyclists! And there is a serious lack of places to lock your/my bike in the Sackville and Argyle street locations. —Flunch
This article appears in May 20-26, 2010.
I drove my bike for one summer to and from work. (Fishermans Market on Beford HWY to Halifax Dockyard) During that time for the most part i drove on the side walk. It just seems like the most rational thing to do. Id rather get hit by a walker then a car if that ever happened (very unlikely) and vice versa. Also there are less walkers compared to cars. I felt safer. Cops drove by all the time, they didnt care.
Also as a motorist it is annoying sometimes when your in a tight sqeeze and a biker is on the road taking up too much space (3ft or so from the curb). I say get on the sidewalk if your a regular biker. But if your one of those speedio guys sure drive on the street.
Cycling on the side walk only results in a changed position, rather being the one in danger the cyclist becomes the threat. Sure you can feel safer, but pedestrians wont. Impacts from cyclists on pedestrians are rarely fatal but quite often cause serious injury to the pedestrian. On less you are riding a bike for the first time in your life, in which case you shouldn’t be using it to commute long distances, you should be on the road. Both drivers and cyclists need to learn to be courteous to each other and share the space that are provided for both. To be fair to majority of the motorists in this city, they are remarkably well behaved (I come from Dublin where cycling both inside of the city and outside of it is remarkably dangerous in comparison).
As for being 3ft into the road on a tight road, the roads in this city are atrociously potholed in places forcing cyclists to cycle in the middle of the road. Suggesting that cyclists cycle close to the pavement is contrary to most safety advice I’ve ever heard.
The far right side of the road/street here in Halifax is frequently in a terrible state. I ride my bicycle a safe distance from debris and potholes the same way motorists drive their car a safe distance from the same.
I hate people on bikes because they bitch about sharing the road but they don’t do it themselves. Do you not hear 5 cars slowing down behind you to go your speed of 10-20 because they can’t get around you in heavy traffic/a windy road? OH YOU DID okay, well move over? NO? Alright…just stay in that same spot then because nobody has anywhere to be because you don’t.
Why not wrap the locking chain tightly around your throat ?
If you come back here tomorrow & tell us it didn’t work, try wrapping the chain tighter .
Lived in Hali for like 5 months, not bike friendly at all
o.p., this is the reason most people don’t bike much here.no real place to secure them. i used to ride a 20 speed and locked the sucker up to a meter one day, went in shop for like 5 minutes, came out and there was a cop, writing me a fucking ticket for locking my bike to a meter. i forget what section it was, but i went to court, got 30 dollar fine and said fuck you to the bike forever. i either bus, or in nice weather, take my lincoln out. and i watch where i park that beast. i would flip out if i even got a scratch on it.
I agree with melectric, and I hate the majority of cyclists, whom seem to think they can do anything they want and that none of the rules apply to them. I don’t care if they ride on the sidewalk- that doesn’t bother me if they’re considerate riders, and in my experience, more sidewalk riders ARE cnsiderate. I am talking about the street riders; and I am so fucking sick of them plowing through stop signs, turning the wrong way onto one way streets (and careening down the center of it), turning right without stopping (even though there are pedestrians with a green light to cross!). And pick a fucking lane, assholes! Instead of speeding so quickly along between two lanes of cars stopped at a red light you dont even notice you’ve fucking knocked the rear-view window of my car! Of all the scary close calls I’ve had as a pedestrian with drivers not payingn attention, the vast majority of those vehicles have been fucking bicycles!!
Yawn. I don’t care about your bike. I only care about my SUV. You try paying for parking in the downtown core.
Minimum wage pays for an SUV?
Exactly what I was thinking, NGF! This guy probably has lawn chairs and a plastic table in his kitchen.
all you people complaining about cyclists driving differently than cars can go take a big gulp of my FUCK OFF drink! have you half-witted douchebags ever been to the rest of the world? that’s the way it is, so get used to it you fucking whiny fucktards.
i am so sick of close minded self absorbed and arrogant people. open your eyes and mind people! let’s move forward i.e. – evolve. are we going to just repeat ourselves into infinity for fuck sakes?
Flunch
I agree with you flunch about the shitty tude towards cyclists, unfortunately rad. bikers give resp. riders like myself a bad name and like any group with bad reps/pr they are easy targets for the mainstream derserved or not
Look flutch, if cyclists elsewhere are breaking the laws of the road, why the fuck does that somehow equate for people here to do the same?
THe rules are there for some very simple reasons… you know simple like, anyone can learn it !!
We all know we drive on only 1 side of the road I we keep to the left of oncoming traffic. We all know we don’t drive right down the middle of 2 lanes, its fucking rude in a vehicle & its dangerous for bikes & cars as well !!
The fucking lights & signs cost us a shitload of tax dollars & if you pay attention to them, you’ll definately live longer.
You don’t weave in & out of traffic, nor do you go up onto & then back off the sidewalk, simple rules.
Most bike riders do not follow the rules of the road, they seem to think that they’re only there for cars & trucks … but if you think that you are WRONG.
You are not exempt & often you are the author of your own misfortune.
Rules? please tell me, what are the “rules”? is there a bicycle drivers manual out there somewhere? shouldn’t we have to register our bikes then? and maybe get a bicycle driving license as well…how come all these cyclists breaking the ‘rules’ aren’t getting issued fines/tickets?
Flunch, if you are unaware of the rules, maybe you could try reading this, ahem, BICYCLE SAFETY MANUAL, provided by your provincial government:
http://www.gov.ns.ca/snsmr/rmv/safe/Bicycle_Safet…
You’ll find that cycling rules are pretty common sense, standard stuff across N. America, and even in other parts of the world. Perhaps it is you who should open your eyes/mind?