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They should at least have some type of insurance. They can add it to their car insurance. If I run over a cyclist, and it is the cyclists fault, I want their insurance to pay to repair my scratches on my bumper.
There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch! (With thanks to Robert Heinlein)
From some of the posts in this thread, it would appear there are still some folks who are not aware of that simple truth!
It also seems that there are people who think bike infrastructure is extremely expensive when it is actually a very cheap thing to do when it comes to all infrastructure.
They should at least have some type of insurance. They can add it to their car insurance. If I run over a cyclist, and it is the cyclists fault, I want their insurance to pay to repair my scratches on my bumper.
I've heard the lifted truck people say the same about small cars.
Lets see the reason for a bike in the city.
1. No expenses very low cost if any.
2. You can get around traffic jams
3. Personal exercise and in theory your being green :-)
4. You don't really have to "obey" traffic laws they are for motor vehicles.
5. You dont have to pay a gas tax, get bike insurance and don't have to get a bike inspection
6. You are free
Since all 6 of these items do not really need a government to operate or function the government needs to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!
A tax is another example of the government finding ways to do fund another program that services the government and to shutdown the concept of all the 6 reasons I listed. Once you tax it, you will be regulated, and even maybe ask the government to give you carbon tax credits for using your bike and then it goes on and on from there.
#1 I agree on
#2 A bicyclist should follow the rules of the road and safely circumvent traffic.
#3 would be great for everyone, help to lose weight and increase ones cardio.
#4 completely wrong, in every DMV handbook it says that all vehicles, including bicyclists must obey all traffic laws, look it up.
#5 true, but a license for ones bike, its chassis number registered for theft reasons and a class to improve bicycle safety as part of the fee would improve conditions on the road for both cars and bikes.
#6 I absolutely agree, I feel wonderful when on my bike, I used to not wear my helmet, but now at 54, my head is too precious to risk damaging and my sense of vanity does not hinder me from wearing my helmet all the time while on my bike.
I am one of those rare vehicle/bicycle driver/riders that actually, really obeys the rules of the road. I completely stop my truck and my bike at stop signs. But I honestly see that it is more prevalent among bicylists to disobey the road rules and to flaunt their arrogance and freedom. That freedom comes at a price and when I see share the road signs, I see it as a reminder to bicyclist that they too share the road with vehicles, that they too have to obey the rules. If one does not believe me, just try running a stop sign, while on your bike, in front of a police officer, you will get a ticket just like any vehicle operator.
I 100% support your idea. I am a hiker and a bicyclist that also shares the road when I am doing my garden service during the weekdays in my truck. I live adjacent to a Coastal trail that runs from one end of the state of California to the other. On busy Saturdays there could be as many as a couple hundred or more bicyclists crossing the intersection in the morning and seldom if ever does a single one use the stop signs and in a six mile stretch there are only two, but still they do not stop and I was even on a bicycle team training for a charity bike ride and those people had a difficult time getting used to stopping. The rules of the 7 day bike ride from San Francisco to Santa Monica require that all bicyclists obey all laws that all cars, trucks and vehicles on California highways must follow. I started driving in 1977 at 17 and have always obeyed all the traffic laws, including coming to a complete stop at stop signs, even when on my bicycle, I have never had any accidents or tickets and only one incident on my bike when a car ran me off the side of the road for kicks and I hit the gravel sideways. In our intersection on the coastal Hammond Trail, before we had stop signs installed to stop cars, there were on average 7 accidents over 2 years and of those, six were bicyclists involved accidents. That motivated the county to put in stop signs for the cars, we already had stop signs for the bikes, but it was the bikes ignoring their stop signs. Now that we have signs for both cars and bikes, there have been zero accidents in going on 8 years now. But still, very few bicyclists ever stop at the sign, even parents with kids run the signs. The other intersection with a cross street on this stretch of the trail crosses a street with 35 mph speed limit, that intersection has stop sign for bikes only and none of them stop. I honestly feel that most bicyclists are at fault in bicyclist auto accidents and bicyclist should be paying a license fee and take a class as should vehicle drivers. There are too many accidents and the problems is that very few auto drivers or bike riders follow the rules of the road or properly learn how to drive or ride. Share the road, share it safely wether you be a car, bike or pedestrian.
Well, if a car runs a light the driver may or may not be injured or die. If a cyclist runs one they are going to be jacked up bad if they make contact. Dumb riders don't live long.
It also seems that there are people who think bike infrastructure is extremely expensive when it is actually a very cheap thing to do when it comes to all infrastructure.
And improved bike infrastructure makes the road wider and safer for cars. The town I live in has a great network of bike and pedestrian trails also accessable for horses. It gets a lot of cars off the road and improves the health of the population, less pollution, more exercise.
"So here’s my proposal: Every time you get on a bike, from this moment forward, obey the letter of the law in every traffic exchange everywhere to help drivers (and police officers) view cyclists as predictable users of the road who deserve respect. And every time you get behind the wheel, remember that even the slightest inattention can maim or kill a human being enjoying a legitimate form of transportation."
Words of wisdom, for sure!
Yes, but what bike riders hear is
"So here’s my proposal: blah blah blah blah blah blah bike, blah blah blah blah, blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah (blah blah blah) blah cyclists blah blah users of the road who deserve respect. And every time you get behind the wheel, remember that even the slightest inattention can maim or kill a human being enjoying a legitimate form of transportation."
And the ones that don't should receive a HEFTY tax break on property taxes/etc that are used to pay for vehicle infrastructure that they aren't fully enjoying. Fair is fair.
How are they not fully enjoying the vehicle infrastructure while obstructing traffic on their bikes? God forbid a bike rider actually use a bike lane.
Remember "you didn't build that", without everyone paying for the roads you wouldn't have roads to bike on.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2tall
Bicycles are traffic. And reduce congestion. Yet, they are subject to health issues from the fumes/exhaust of cars. Therefore, people who drive cars should pay higher into ACA, and cyclists should receive a significant reduction in medical costs.
Bicycles create congestion by obstructing traffic when they 'take the lane' going 1/4 the speed limit.
Of course, the liberal solution - someone ELSE should pay.
When I finially get around a bike doing 10MPH in a 35 zone, then catch the redlight at the next intersection, I pull to the right within inches of the curb. If you don't the biker will pass on the right, run the redlight, and now I have to find a break in traffic to get around the jerk again.
Last time one of these bikers has been given a redlight ticket? Never
When I finially get around a bike doing 10MPH in a 35 zone, then catch the redlight at the next intersection, I pull to the right within inches of the curb. If you don't the biker will pass on the right, run the redlight, and now I have to find a break in traffic to get around the jerk again.
Last time one of these bikers has been given a redlight ticket? Never
It sounds to me your best solution is to get a bike and ride it.
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