Oh my GOD you self-righteous bikers in the HRM. You complain when cars are bullies to you on the road, but then I see you BIKING in CROSSWALKS and on SIDEWALKS. The key word in BOTH of those being WALK. If I see another bitch about “wah wah your car is bigger than me! you can hurt me!” I will effing scream, your BIKE can hurt me when I am walking/running, and I don’t appreciate rolling my ankle when I try to get out of the way of your huge stupid hipster bike which takes up the whole damn sideWALK. If you’re a pedestrian, get rid of the wheels, if you’re a biker, stay on the GODDAMN STREET. If the street is too narrow for you WALK your bike on the sidewalk. Having a bike and the holier-than-thou attitude that goes with it does not entitle you to injure me or put me at risk, dicksore.
— InjuredRunner
This article appears in Aug 13-19, 2009.
ya know, we cyclists are damned if we do (ride on the road) and damned if we don’t (use the sidewalk instead). lead-footed motorists HATE us, because all we are to them is an annoying impediment on the road (since motorists ‘own’ the road, or so they like to believe), and pedestrians are afraid of us because they think we’re gonna run them over.
btw, did you know – a major reason that so few people cycle is because they are AFRAID to do contend with cars (and aggressive drivers) on the road? cyclists really have nowhere SAFE to ride AND we are vilified by motorists and pedestrians alike. you’d think that cycling would be actively *encouraged* nowadays – but oh no, not in THIS fucking city. we are practically seen as pests.
anyway, getting back to you, OB – the biggest mistake pedestrians make is attempting to get out of the way (when a cyclist is approaching, from the front or behind). do NOT do that! just keep walking normally, as if the cyclist wasn’t even there. why you ask? b/c the cyclist has already SEEN you ahead of time and was likely planning to ride AROUND you… until that is, you started playing a game of chicken with him/her.
as a pedestrian, YOU do have the right of way on the sidewalk, so just WALK, and allow the cyclist worry about how/when to get by you. we will wait if necessary, it’s not a problem for us. a conscientious cyclist, which ime represent the majority of us, will wait until there is an opportunity to safely pass the pedestrian(s) – just as cars SHOULD be doing when they get behind a cyclist (yet motorists often get pissed-off and ride the cyclist’s ass, with the obvious intent of scaring the b’jesus out of the cyclist, until s/he pulls over/gets out of the motorist’s way).
btw, i am a cyclist and i DO occasionally ride on the sidewalk, IF it is safer than riding on the road (b/c of heavy traffic, aggressive drivers, etc) AND the sidewalk is not crowded with pedestrians. if you ride yourself, then you should also know that it is sometimes necessary to get off the road/street and onto the sidewalk. indeed, a cyclist should walk his bike if the sidewalk is crowded with pedestrians, but i don’t see the point otherwise, assuming it is safe to ride.
finally, just because YOU had a bad encounter with ONE asshole cyclist doesn’t mean you get to bitch ALL of us out. most of us ride safely and don’t pose any threat whatsoever to pedestrians.
ps – i’m sorry to hear that you were injured, i wish you a speedy recovery.
I pretty much agree with techcafe – I ride my bike on the street most of the time, sometimes I will even remain on the street when there is no room for me (even if I was there first) and wait for the cars to pass. I only ride on the sidewalks when the street IS dangerous for a bike and I keep to a very slow pace even if there is no peds in sight – because someone could always jump out. I’m not sure what the OP is talking about “hipsters with huge bikes” since they mostly seem to have tiny fixies and racing bikes. I find the ones to watch out for are the testosterone-oozing knuckle draggers with the huge souped up mountain bikes who seem to think any random residential street is an extension of the skate park.
I accept no responsibility for what other bone-headed cyclists do, probably the same goes for you and other car drivers, no?
I try and be considerate to walkers/bikers etc.. but If a person is a cyclist they belong on the road and should obay the rules of the road as they feel cars should. If a cyclist is sitting on their bike at a crosswalk waiting to cross…I do not stop because, a cyclist is to walk their bike across the cross walk. One must pick what they want to be a cyclist or a walker
You bitch about the key word being “WALK” and yet sign off as “injuredRunner”!? It’s not called a cross-run or a side-run either. If you actually know how to properly ride you can negotiate sidewalks and crosswalks on a bike just as safely (if not safer) than if you were running.
Bikers: Get off the sidewalks. You don’t belong there. Simple as that. And stop using crosswalks. Period. If I see a cyclist attempting to use a sidewalk, I am not going to stop. I don’t care if you pushed the button or not – it’s not meant for you. Wait for the green light with all the other VEHICLES. And yes, you are a VEHICLE, whether you like it or not.
The only reasoning to bike on a sidewalk is because you fit on a sidewalk. So does a motorcycle, but you don’t see them on the sidewalks. If you saw a motorcycle on a sidewalk, you would think it was dangerous. Same thing.
And for god’s sakes, wear a helmet. It’s the law. Period.
To all those cyclist who do follow the rules: Thank you. Please encourage your fellow cyclists to do the same. They are giving you all a bad name.
To all the motorists who honk at cyclists, try to force them off the road, etc, provoking the practice of cyclists using sidewalks in the first place: STOP IT. You are giving the rest of us a bad name as well.
I have almost been clipped by cyclists twice this year, both of whom were travelling too fast on the sidewalk. There is a reason why cyclists are not allowed to use the sidewalk as another roadway and that reason is safety. I can sympathize with people who feel uncomfortable riding their bikes on busy roadways because it makes them feel unsafe but the answer is not to in turn make pedestrians feel unsafe on the sidewalk. If you are not comfortable riding on a particular stretch of road plan an alternate route that takes you through quieter streets.
@Cranky – except it is unlikely that a pedestrian will be killed (or even seriously injured) by a ‘bone headed’ cyclist (and the cyclist is also likely to suffer injuries from riding like a bonehead, so we are careful to avoid pedestrians, obviously).
whereas, a bone-headed motorist can, in the blink of an eye, very easily inflict serious harm (or death) upon cyclists and pedestrians. obviously, motorists have a much greater responsibility to exercise diligence and caution when they get behind the wheel. if you think otherwise, then you are a menace on the roads.
OCTOBER 22, 2008 — Los Angeles police have reported a woman in her 60’s died after being hit by a bicycle just before 7 a.m. this morning. The bicyclist, a 16-year-old boy, was riding his bike to band practice when he hit the woman. The teenage boy suffered minor injuries in the Pacific Palisades bicycle accident, which happened at the 600 block of Palisades Drive, north of Sunset Boulevard. It was still dark outside when the accident occurred. Authorities are investigating the cause of the Los Angeles pedestrian accident, and were not able to confirm if the woman was fatally injured from being struck or when she fell to the ground. Anyone with relevant information is asked to call the Los Angeles police department.
mouth-breathing, nevermind, blabbers and drools, “If I see a cyclist attempting to use a sidewalk, I am not going to stop. I don’t care if you pushed the button or not…”
nevermind, you are obviously not a cyclist. and just listen to yourself yammering on like you have some goddamn authority over us. pffft, fuck off. you got a bad attitude and are probably one of those asshole drivers who think they OWN the damn road.
btw, if you do NOT stop , then you are bloody INSANE!
Comparing a bicyle to a motorcycle is ridiculous. For those of you who can’t see the distinction, well, you probably shouldn’t be on the road at all.
I really do my best to stay off the sidewalks and only walk my bike accross crosswalks, but there are times when a cyclist has no other choice. Until this city wakes up and starts making the roads more friendly, I see no problem using an empty sidewalk as a last resort.
These aren’t my rules techcafe. They’re laws. Learn them. And you’re right, I don’t have any authority over cyclists. But I wish those who did (the police) would start excercising theirs.
And if I don’t stop for cyclists using crosswalks, and I do hit you, I’m not the one getting charged with breaking the law, just so you know.
@Matthew – ah well, that clinches it then… an ISOLATED incident, from 2 years ago, involving a 60 year old, at NIGHT, in an area of LA that is KNOWN to be dangerous, not because of cyclists, but because of CARS!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bigduke6/sets…
http://tabloidbaby.blogspot.com/2009/02/en…
yup, we cyclists are a menace to society and pedestrians are no longer safe – ban the bikes!
what a bunch of fucking morons some of you are
you’re an asshole, nevermind… if you hit me while i’m crossing the street on my bike, crosswalk or not, you better hit me hard, because if i get up… you’re getting the shit pounded out of you!
Nova Scotia is poor, or else they would simply make more bike lanes, even if it required major construction jobs on narrow streets. They do it in a lot of other places. I lived there my whole life and chose to never bike for that reason…it always seemed too dangerous on the busy streets – but I sure as hell would never dream of riding on a sidewalk either. I get so angry now that I live in Toronto and the laws here are not enforced either. I walk a lot and everyday there are cyclists coming way too close to hitting me on the sidewalk. I refuse to get out of the way, I keep walking in the straight line that I was going all along. About two weeks ago here, a 57-yr-old woman was killed by a teenaged boy riding his bike on the sidewalk. Enough said.
If you don’t cross illegally, we won’t have a problem. If as a driver, I have to obey the rules of the road, I only ask that everyone else does as well, be they cyclists, drivers, pedestrians, buses, or whatever.
You’re right Tech, a collision on a sidewalk involving a cyclist and a pedestrian probably isn’t going to end with a fatality. It can easily, however, end with a head injury, broken bones, etc. No, it’s not death, but it’s certainly not something I wish to endure.
I would say I’m a motorist 40% of the time, a cyclist 40%, and a transit user the other 20%, so I appreciate all sides of the argument. Halifax has a long way to go to become a cycle-friendly city. But if the route you’re biking is too dangerous and you need to move to the sidewalk, get off your bike and walk it like the pedestrian you are.
While I’m here, can someone please explain “mouth breathing” as an insult to me? I totally don’t understand…
jennifer says, “Until this city wakes up and starts making the roads more friendly, I see no problem using an empty sidewalk”
ditto! and self-righteous motorists have no right to bitch about it either, since you don’t have to share your sacred road with us cyclists.
can you imagine if ALL cyclists used the roads *exclusively*, riding at a normal pace, forcing motorists to SHARE the road with us SLOWER cyclists. most drivers (including nevermind) would have their knickers in a knot before the next light change. fuck, some of you people have a grossly inflated sense of entitlement.
a bike is not a motorized vehicle, so imv, it’s appropriate to ride on the road OR the sidewalk, whichever happens to be safer for the cyclist, motorists and pedestrians.
jesus, only in halifax do people bitch about petty shit like this.
@Jennie – mouth breather, as in dim-witted, knuckle-dragging neanderthal
here, look it up:
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?…
and i’m outta here – to ride my bike!
I grew up in truro, and lived on my bike every summer all summer long, and as far as i can tell, it was far safer for me on my bike while driving down the SIDEWALK!! drivers are very inattentive, and dont give a fuck about the person on the bike, at least the biker who is paying more attention to whats in front of him and around him can easily bike around other people who use the sidewalk….
mouth breather = someone who always breathes with their mouth hanging open. ie Napoleon Dynamite.
I am all for adding more bike lanes in Halifax. Show me a petition, I’ll sign it twice! Put it to a vote, I’m with you all the way! But until that happens, all I want is for people to obey the rules of the road. They exist for a reason. A bike might not be a motorized vehicle tech, but under the law, they are the same.
And if all cyclist did use the roads *exclusively*, there’d be no problem, as streets are made wide enough for both to use at once.
Geesh techcafe, calm down.
And unless you’re from the future, it was 10 months ago.
Jim Caviezel, Jesus in The Passion of the Christ, suffered minor cuts and bruises when a man threw a bicycle in front of his motorcycle as he was riding in Washington. The injuries could have been much worse had Caviezel not been wearing his helmet.
Again!!!!
Ninja Boot , your right to be safe while riding your bike does not trump my right to feel safe while walking down the sidewalk. As for your theory that all cyclists pay closer attention to what is going on around them than drivers, I call bullshit. Inattentive operation of a vehicle is not exclusive to motorists.
The “rules do not apply” attitude that so many cyclists demonstrate on the road is also illustrated quite clearly by some of the comments in this topic.
Ok, I am both a cyclist and a pedestrian, and I don’t think bikes belong on the sidewalk most of the time. However, there is a time and place, ESPECIALLY at crosswalks. Trying to turn left in heavy traffic is nearly impossible on a bike, as you just can’t get enough speed to turn. It’s especially hard on places like robie street and north, where you can’t turn left at the intersection and have to do it on one of the streets before. If you take the crosswalk, you can get across safely. And yes, I suppose you should get off your bike and walk it across, but I don’t think that’s always necessary.
As for the bike lane comments, didn’t someone bitch the other day about cars parking in them? I’ve seen that on several occasions. Or, I’ve biking along, stopped at an intersection, and only realized there’s no continuation of the bike lane once I get to the other side and there’s not enough room between the parked cars and the moving cars to ride my bike (another time that I would probably pop up on the sidewalk until I could maneuver more freely in traffic). The city just isn’t designed for cyclists, and the mentality of drivers is even worse.
years ago I pushed a cyclist over when he came too close to me on the sidewalk, he broke his wrist and I laughed and laughed and laughed….when the police interviewed us both, and the witnesses, no further action was taken.
Wow, you’re an asshole.
OP, I swear to you, twice in one day, I saw 2 bikers on the LEFT side of the lane, not wanting or intending on turning left, and there’s a fully available bike lane.
you should see the idiots on bedford highway in the middle lane rather the right lane!
Maybe they’re heading straight up to Lady Hammond Road or whatever the fuck it is and would rather be in the centre lane before they have to be rather than swerve into it at the last minute? The Bedford Highway is one of the Top Three(tm) Hated Places to Ride a Bike in the City. The asphalt orgasm just past the Mount (heading into town) sucks ass.
JUST STAY OFF THE FUCKING SIDEWALKS, OK?
I don’t give two shits about whether or not people bike, and I have no issue with cyclists in general, just STAY OFF THE FUCKING SIDE WALK IT’S CALLED A SIDEWALK NOT A SIDERIDE.
I know not every cyclist does this, but for those who do: I hope you run over some glass on a sidewalk and pop your fucking tire you ignorant fucks.
Biking on the sidewalk sucks. First theres the crack between slabs every 5 ft and then there’s dodging pedestrians, strollers, and dogs. I don’t know why people bother.
Then there’s bike lanes’ Tomorrow its going to be super hot. Drive/bike out to Long Lake Provincial Park. I guarantee you that there will be 50-100 cars parked in the bike lane. No exageration.
@Pretty Kitty – meeeoowww… hissss!
Halifax may not have bike lanes but Halifax has a smashing library! cool huh? smart even *wink*
Techcafe what makes you think you’ll be doing much of anything after being hit by a 1/2+ ton of steel. This ain’t Star Trek, you hve no deflector shields around you. Reminds me of the idiots last night biking on the road wearing dark clothing, and no lights or reflectors on their bikes.
To those who say bikes are not motor vehicles. Well you cant argue that, however under the the NS motor vehicle act you cant ride on the sidewalks…yes even those pussies who are afraid of traffic……stay of the sidewalk bitches!!
(2) No person shall ride a bicycle, tricycle, or similar machine on a sidewalk, provided, nothing in this Section shall be deemed or construed to prevent the use of velocipedes or similar machines by children on a sidewalk in a public square, park, city or town.
@Hardtail – with all the legitimate things there are to bitch about (particularly in halifax)… you tards get off on obsessing over something as mundane as riding one’s bike on the sidewalk.
fucking nazis
Cranky, I’ve reached the bottom of the posts and I’m still laughing at your comment re: the ‘Asphalt Orgasm’ by the Mount!!!
Tech, I think you and your semi-courteous sidewalk riding style is more the exception than the rule. Even if MOST cyclists were following the rules and being extra safe when breaking them there are still plenty of asshat cyclists who ruin it for the whole group. Similarly there are a few dickhead drivers that make the road a hazard for cyclists. Cyclists these days are an unpredictable group who move between the sidewalk, crosswalk and road as it conveniences them, and unpredictability compromises safety. That’s why people, drivers and pedestrians, get pissed off at cyclists.
And people bitch about cyclists in every city, no matter how many bike lanes they have….that’s because some cyclists can’t seem to get with the program and follow the rules.
What I love is when cyclists come within inches of me whilst on the sidewalk, and then they have the nerve to shoot me a dirty look. What I absolutely love is when they dart in and out of traffic; and finishing off with not using proper hand signals. Tech, you see, you are a minority. As much as motorists need to respect cyclists, cyclists need to respect the fact that they indeed do not control the road, nor can they treat the sidewalk as their own personal space. As far as I’m concerned, if any cyclist hits me while on the sidewalk, I’ll have their hide. As far as I’m concerned, cyclists don’t deserve dedicated lanes until they learn to respect both cars and pedestrians. Or at the very least, lose the whole holier than thou attitude of “we’re saving the planet, so we deserve special treatment.”
“I think you and your semi-courteous sidewalk riding style is more the exception than the rule.”
i disagree, Miles. from what i’ve observed (of fellow cyclists), this “semi-courteous riding style” is the RULE, rather than the exception. while it’s certainly true there are asshole cyclists (just as there are motorists), the majority of us are conscientious and safety-minded – not assholes – even when we are riding on the sidewalk. of course, there will be the occasional asshole… so ban the ‘assholes’ – not the bikes. i see no reason why pedestrians and the (occasional) cyclist can’t co-exist? it seems to work just fine in other urban metropolises, and much larger than halifax, so why is it a problem here?
i know one thing, HRM’s thriving car culture isn’t going away anytime soon… while practically nothing is being done to encourage and invest in alternate/less wasteful modes of transport (better public transit/urban planning, dedicated/buffered bike lanes, etc).
Fever, i somehow doubt your fat arse has ever seen a bicycle seat.
and i’m not sure what ‘holier than thou cyclists saving the planet’ has to do with riding your bike on a sidewalk?
i think your just talking out of your ass, again
Actually, Tech, long time ago, I used to like mountain biking, however, I gave it up after a terrible knee injury (along with many of the other athletic activities I used to do). How is that you assume that I’m out of shape because I say something constructive about the bad attitude that most of the cyclists have in this city? Look, this isn’t Toronto or Montreal. Most of the people that reside in HRM reside in areas well outside the city core, and rely on vehicles to get back and forth. There’s a car culture because of the nature our city. It will change, but it’s not gonna happen anytime soon.
sorry to hear about your knee injury, Fever… however, seems you haven’t just ‘given up’ on cycling, but your appreciation of it has suffered as well.
and i disagree, *most* cyclists do not have a “bad attitude”. that hasn’t been my experience at all, whether i’m walking or riding (on the sidewalk).
Look, not everyone “appreciates” cycling. Just because you absolutely love it doesn’t mean everyone else in the city has to either. It comes down to respect; drivers (for the most part) will respect cyclists as long as cyclists respect drivers. There seems to be a serious disconnect when it comes to that.
Fever says, “drivers (for the most part) will respect cyclists as long as cyclists respect drivers. There seems to be a serious disconnect when it comes to that”
disrespectful disconnect indeed… considering that roads & highways are designed/intended exclusively for motorists. where’s the ‘respect’ in that?? certainly none for cyclists. on top of that, drivers hate us for being (in their way) on the roads… while pedestrians (some of you) freak-out just because a cyclist will occasionally ride on the sidewalk.
some of you make it seem like halifax has a ‘problem’ with rogue cyclists terrorizing hapless pedestrians and ‘disrespecting’ motorists (whatever that’s supposed to mean, Fever?). i don’t see any of that.
tech…The law is the freaking law…I quoted the NS motor vehicle act, if you had read the post. So let me say that again as an adult it’s against the law to ride on the sidewalk!! It’s not ok if you’re courteous and polite…it’s still against the law.
Applying your logic to the law would mean…”but your honor, I gently pressed the gun to the victim’s head and politely asked for his wallet….”
Wrong is wrong dude, suck up and deal with it!
Now no one here will disagree that they are all kinds of assholes on the road, in cars, motorcycles, bikes, and pedestrians. Life is full of risk…..but when you start compromising someone elses safety to enhance your own, that just freaking selfish. Why can’t I drive my motorcycle on the sidewalk to feel safer? Same reason you can’t its against the law!!
Roads do not need to be designed for cyclists. Look dude, I grew up cycling back and forth on the St. Margaret’s Bay Rd as a kid. I learned that it was a busy road, and to stay on the side as much as possible, and there was never an issue, never a close call, nothing. I respected the fact that cars were flying past me at 70 KM/H and I was doing 15 KM/H, and the cars respected me. There seems to be a problem your community has, and that is thinking that they need special treatment. The city streets and roads that exist are perfectly fine for cyclists, but it’s like Hardtail says, there’s risk. Also, one final thought, if you think that they should build highways with cyclists in mind, buddy, you’re absolutely delusional.
I don’t care where people ride their bikes so long as theyre respectful. I’ve had people come up behind me on a bike, on the sidewalk, and wizz past me, very close, with no warning or anything and scare the shit outta me. I find that rude. I’ve had people come up behind me, on the sidewalk, and say, very politely, excuse me or on your left/right. I don’t mind that at all.
There’s a handful of assholes that ruin it for everyone.
Also, the problem doesn’t go away with more bike lanes. Toronto has quite a few bike lanes and lots of cyclists and they are still the bane of walkers and drivers alike. Like I said before, cyclists who don’t follow the rules of the road are unpredictable and that unpredictability is not only annoying to others, it’s dangerous too. It’s the same unpredictability of pedestrians darting out into traffic or drivers cutting each other off that leads to accidents.
hardtail – not all laws are fair or just.
and worse still, the self-righteous obsessives, people like yourself, have this pathological need to concoct asinine laws, in a twisted effort to control everyone else’s behaviour.
and btw, motorcycles vs bicycles (on the sidewalk) is an absurd comparison, but of course, that’s what asshats like yourself do… attempt to confuse the issue with red herring bullshit.
anyway, please shove ‘the law’ up your ‘hardtail’
Fever says, “if you think that they should build highways with cyclists in mind, buddy, you’re absolutely delusional.”
so says a selfish motorist with a grandiose sense of entitlement to OUR roads and highways.
you’re right, virgomom, there are some discourteous (asshole) cyclists, just as there are motorists who think they own the road… except there are a lot more bad drivers who are a dangerous menace to cyclists and pedestrians alike. seems we ought to be bitching/banning them, instead of the occasional sidewalk cyclist.
how many here can say (honestly) that you’ve had ‘bad encounters’ with sidewalk cyclists? and just how ‘bad’ was it anyway? (other than some jerk blowing past you without proper warning) motorists pull that kind of shit ALL THE TIME, and often with far greater consequences (usually death) to the pedestrian/cyclist, yet we are practically mute about it. bad drivers are practically the norm, but the occasional jerk on a bike is somehow ‘really bad’ – and a good enough reason to vilify all cyclists, and banish their bikes from the sidewalk.
you know what i think… some of you are just supercilious bitches with nothing better to complain about
Tech…. sounds to me you’re the only one bitchin’. And to answer your question, I have had a bad encounter with sidewalk cyclists. I had one come off the sidewalk on Quinpool probably to avoid a pedestrian. I was stopped in traffic and this clown ran down the side of my car with the saddle bags or some shit sticking off the side. So I’m out 600 buck plus for repairs and there he goes merrily down the road and right back up on the side walk nearly taking out a woman with a stroller because he knew he had hit me and was trying to run ( he nearly fell off). So you see not all bike/vehicle encounters result in death…that’s only because I couldn’t find the fucker once the traffic started moving! It was probably you, you self absorbed prick…..you can kiss my hardtail….
really hardtail, $600+ damage caused by a saddle bag??
so your car got scraped by one bad cyclist… the same thing might’ve happened just as easily had the (bad) cyclist been riding in traffic, instead of on the sidewalk. more likely even.
and i’ll bet that cow with the stroller had it coming too! ;~}
your alias, hardtail… i find it ironic.
Tech, you seem to have this idea that a pedestrian/cyclist collision is a fuckin’ walk in the park. People who are involved in these collisions usually end up with broken bones, head injuries, lost work time, etc. Also, I’m far from a “selfish motorist”. In fact, I hardly drive. Now that I’m 5 minutes away from the ferry, I use that to go to and from work. When I do drive, I ensure that I share the road with all motorized and non-motorized vehicles. Finally, it’s not a sense of self-entitlement. Roads are meant for all forms of vehicles, both human and motorized, sidewalks on the other hand, are designed with one purpose in mind; pedestrians. Cyclists seem to vilify (as you say) anything but other cyclists.
Yes tech 600 bucks, I suppose a can of touch up from Crappy tire would done the trick for most, but its too nice of a car for that. It ran the near length of the car and in spots down to the metal. You ever see what labour charges are in a paint shop??
Fever thinks, “Roads are meant for all forms of vehicles, both human and motorized”
oh really? well then tell that to all the douchebag motorists who – by virtue of their road hogging and dangerous driving – apparently believe otherwise. c’mon, you know as well as i that when the asphalt hits the road, they are intended for cars/trucks, pretty much exclusively. the cyclist is ‘lucky’ to get a strip of paint a few feet from the curb… on streets that were never designed for slower moving (human-powered) vehicles in the first place.
imo, it’s ridiculous to relegate all ‘non-motorized vehicles’, as you put it, to just the roadways (competing with much faster/heavier cars/trucks for a tiny slice of asphalt), which are usually hostile to just about anything else on the road that is not motorized. and it certainly cannot be said that the roads/streets of halifax are ‘bike friendly’. anyone who thinks so, really has no concept of the term, and is probably not a cyclist either.
perhaps we should also ban mobility scooters and motorized wheelchairs from the sidewalks? technically-speaking, they are not ‘pedestrians’ either (if we are to accept the definition that a pedestrian is a person who travels on foot, hence the ‘ped’).
seems haligonians are not just incessant bitchers, you guys have a love affair with BANNING things too.
so, to all the inane bitches, i salute your trifle whining… with my middle finger!
Oooooh guess we’ve been told. Twit.
Actually tech, lazy fat people/old people mobiles are fine on the sidewalk because they rarely go faster than a walking pace, secondly, they stop quickly, unlike cyclists that usually travel at speeds in excess of 15 KM/H (especially those who do it on a daily basis), and can take one or two meters to stop from that speed. Yes, cyclists need to share the roads that were constructed for motorized vehicles. As you said, cyclists need to compete with larger vehicles, but why should pedestrians compete with vehicles? It’s the same thing, as far as I’m concerned.
Um…lazy, fat people on mobiles, Dr.Fever? You mean the people with disabilities who can barely walk–never mind jog to keep fit?
Each time I see a bike on the road in the lane I am in, the first words out of my mouth are “f_cking bicycles.” Cyclists can’t have it both ways…..either obey the same rules as cars, or get off your saddle and walk the bike.
Mommy won’t let you say the ‘f’ word?