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Why is it that Bicyclists around here don't think they have to follow the rules of the road? Riding on the wrong side of the road, ignoring red lights, etc. Good for you for getting exercise and being green but you have to follow the same rules as everyone else.
As an active member of a cycling forum I will comment on this unlike most major cities Charlotte is dreadful for cycling, which is why I believe a lot more cyclists here run the red lights and stop signs. To be honest never seen any on the wrong side off the road.
Having said that cyclists must obey the law, I have never ran a red light or a stop sign on the bike and I never will.
I 100% agree with you, but criticizing the cyclists will prove very unpopular.
IMHO if it is allowed on the road, then it should be able to accelerate as a car, be able to travel the speed limit, and pay a road use tax.
While discussing two wheeled topics, let me say that I am both amused & dismayed that I was actually given a warning ticket for not wearing a helmet while riding my mountain bike on a sidewalk. When did we coming such a nanny state? Charlotte has much larger issues than whether or not I choose to wear a helmet while riding 10 mph on a sidewalk. But I guess I am just old school - as a child I rode in VWs without seat belts, never had a car seat or bike helmet, and chewed a crib rails painted with lead paint. Yet I survived.
I figured I was probably asking for trouble talking about bikes. I am sure that there are a lot of cyclists out there with complaints about drivers.
I agree that helmets shouldn't be mandatory, especially for adults. Having said that, I would always wear one even thought I didn't as a kid. Falling on my grape when I weighed 80 lbs is a lot different than falling on it at 260.
Charlotte is one of the most unfriendly bike towns I have ever lived. If I was an avid biker, I would have serious issues. When casually riding in my neighborhood, I don't usually do full stops at stop signs, I stop at red lights, though may jaywalk empty intersections. :O
Was not aware Charlotte has a law requiring Bike helmets.. I need to look that up, because I don't wear one unless I am actually biking somewhere, not tooling around the neighboorhood.
Also, although it says bikes don't have to ride single file , Charlotte has one.
http://www.charmeck.org/NR/rdonlyres/euk6n7ja2jmgcxwuktd27bpe46mx2pt5vj5ynz6x57dtdazfs4 ueecss4gjlzpos2l3ht46qzpu7nihibzfy3qwpsed/CHARLOTTE+CITY+CODE-BIKES.pdf (broken link)
Driving around Charlotte, one will see a lot of cyclists riding about. From my personal experience, I would say about 75% of cyclists go through red lights. Now many times I and other drivers have slowed down when behind a cyclist but ultimately gotten a chance to pass said cyclist and then were able to get back up to the speed limit. Sure, it sucks to have to slow down and wait for a chance to pass the cyclist, but I get over it because I need to be more patient anyway and the cyclist doesn't have a lane dedicated for cyclists. Anyway, I drive up a few blocks and hit a light. A minute later the cyclist I passed has now caught up to me at the light and stops at the light also only when no cars are coming, he goes through the light. Once again, the cyclist is endangering his or herself with the cars that just passed him or her that now have to once again pass him or her again.
Cyclists point out that following the rules of the road will dictate that drivers need to allot for cyclists. Fair enough. I don't want to hit a cyclist and I have no problems riding their bike on the road. It's a free country. However, when they run a red light, don't stop at a stop sign, ride in the middle of a lane well, that is where my support for them drops.
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