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Pound sand all you want haters, the fact remains cyclists don't require registration, because we haven't become totally Communist yet thank goodness, and that's just the way it is.
Keep being jealous, I'm going to keep pedaling--well out of the way, which is more than I can say for certain semi tractor trailers and people in all sorts of different vehicles driving below the speed limit with a parade of cars trapped behind them.
So, it's not Communist to require registration and licensing for automobiles and motorcycles and commercial vehicles but it is Communist to require it for bicycles that want to share the road with them?
To quote a famous Spaniard, I don't think that word means what you think it means.
Exactly why not, if they expect to be given the same privileges and respect as automobiles and motorcycles? Why should they not be held to the same requirements and responsibilities in that case?
Again, if you want to be treated as a child with no responsibility, that includes not being allowed to ride your bicycle on the streets without a parent alongside to take responsibility for you. If you want to ride on the streets with the same privileges as an adult driving a car or riding a motorcycle, you should be held to the same requirements as far as education and proving, by getting a bicycle license, that you at least can pass a test on the rules of the road as they pertain to bicycles. I can't see how anyone could possibly disagree with that.
Here we go again.
1) knock off the child references and stop talking down to people
2) Being in the street is not a privilege. Operating a motor vehicle is a privilege. There is a difference. Why stop at bikes? Let's require everyone in a street to have a license.. including joggers, skateboarders, and horses.
Quote:
Originally Posted by IShootNikon
Cyclists on sidewalks = ticket
Cyclists rolling through red lights = no ticket?
Sure, why not?
How are tickets given to jaywalking pedestrians? (hint: it can be done the same way with bicycles)
Quote:
Originally Posted by IShootNikon
Don't you think they should designate space on sidewalks for bicycles? Shouldn't people who ride on public roads be required to have registration, training, and licensing.
No. Registration and licensing is for operating motor vehicles, not "road use." Roads are public infrastructure.
For sidewalks, you are referring to protected bike lanes. Most cyclists will gladly use them if counties decide to put them in! Are you willing to have your tax dollars fund these?
Quote:
Originally Posted by IShootNikon
If cyclists are exempt from these, than maybe they should ride on the sidewalk with pedestrians and leave the public roads to just licensed, registered, and insured modes-of-transportation.
No. Bicycles on sidewalks are dangerous to pedestrians and bicycles. I already explained why.
Quote:
Originally Posted by IShootNikon
Surely cyclists are skilled and trained enough that they would serve no harm or danger to pedestrians on sidewalks.
Maybe we should have two classes:
Licensed/Insured Cyclists = ride and share roads with vehicles
Unlicensed = ride on sidewalks with pedestrians
So now people have to designate themselves as "skilled" and "unskilled" cyclists? There really is no practical use for this idea.
Like I said about the selfishness. "Wait your turn" Um, no. When one person going slowly causes a mile of backup (this happens all the time in downtown areas), it's a major problem and a very selfish person not even considering the impact they are having on others. A biker has no concept of the impact they are having on dozens or even hundreds of cars, they simply ride as if the road was designed for them. It wasn't. The road was designed for cars. If your vehicle can't go the speed limit of a street, you shouldn't be on that street. Bikes are meant for the suburbs, wilderness and recreational activities, not for commuting in American metropolises.
You will get over it. The roads are for everyone. Replace bicycle with public bus and your issue is the same. The law says you are completely wrong.
Bikes are meant for commuting. They are more efficient at commuting in metropolises to begin with. It takes me 25 minutes to drive my 8 mile commute to work. It takes 30 minutes to ride my bike. Why waste all my gas, wear, and tear on my car to save five minutes? That time is negated by searching for parking anyway!
Quote:
Originally Posted by HedgeYourInvestments
At my old job I commuted about 30 blocks in a congested downtown area. Most mornings it would take me just 10 minutes to get to work, but occasionally a biker would be on the road and my trip time would DOUBLE. I'd get stuck at every light and be forced to go 15 instead of 25 because they would just ride in the middle of the freaking lane. Seeing as I was PAID BY THE MINUTE at that job, those jerks were costing me money. I patiently waited for them to realize they were backing up me and the dozens of cars behind me, but they'd just ride alone oblivious to the problems they'd cause. Hence my dislike for bikers.
Maybe you should have left earlier. Because you didn't prepare adequately, you ended up losing money. That is no one's fault but your own.
You can act all high and mighty if you want and think rules don't apply to you...what is the reason for that? Is it because you think that you can't do no damage? You couldn't possibly kill someone other than yourself? Think again!
My son was almost ran over by a bicyclists who just ran through a red light in full speed. We saw him coming up behind the cars and stupid me thinking he would stop like everybody else. As we are crossing my son is about 2 steps ahead of me. I yanked him back grabbing the hold of his jacket. All I hear from the bicyclists was " oh...sorry....". He didn't even slow down.
I see this crap all the time. If you are rolling through a stop sign, then what about the car who was there before you? Now he has to wait for you and if he doesn't , if he assumes that you are stopping,end up hitting you, then what? If you are ok with it I guess I am too.
Selfish!
Clearly you didn't read the post you are responding to. Your irrational anger allowed you to completely gloss over it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Opin_Yunated
Ahhh, the truth finally comes out.
Here is an example of a driver enraged that bicycles upset the moral order of the road. You want bicyclists to be punished for things you can't do.
I don't disobey laws nor do I advocate for other cyclists that do so. However, this primative response to something as minor as a cyclist rolling through a stop sign is just irrational misplaced anger.
One difference. Those are all licensed, registered, and insured. Except the cyclists. You want to ride in the road, play by the same rules
That's not a prerequisite for using public roads.
Quote:
Originally Posted by IShootNikon
Ok. Sounds like cyclists just want special treatment. Maybe skateboarders and roller skaters should have same access to the roads as cyclists. Wonder how cyclists would feel if they had to share the road with skateboarders and roller skaters.
Skaters and roller skaters pay taxes like everyone else. How come they aren't afforded the same privileges as cyclists
It isn't a privilege. I've seen roller skaters on the street I commute on. I see them in the bike lanes all the time. Why would I have an issue with that?
Quote:
Originally Posted by NoNansea
I would like to see separate bike trails that are away from the roads traveled by autos. Even though I think taxation is out of control, Cyclists & bicycles could be taxed similarly to vehicles to provide such trails. I've never understood why it is assumed that bicycles should be on the same roads as vehicles. The two don't belong together.
I already pay vehicle tax, gas tax, property tax, sales tax, and income tax. Why do I need to fund the roads anymore when my bicycle causes negative road damage (one less car on the road, less parking, less pollution)?
Thanks. That's all I needed to know. As long as you think it's ok that cyclists follow different rules on the road than motor vehicles we will just have to agree to disagree. No more arguing. As long as you think a red light is just a "suggestion" for cyclists than we have different mind sets and no point discussing this further. Than you for your time.
Thanks. That's all I needed to know. As long as you think it's ok that cyclists follow different rules on the road than motor vehicles we will just have to agree to disagree. No more arguing. As long as you think a red light is just a "suggestion" for cyclists than we have different mind sets and no point discussing this further. Than you for your time.
We are going to have an issue in here if you continue to deliberate take my posts out of context.
Recap:
Quote:
Originally Posted by IShootNikon
Cyclists on sidewalks = ticket
Cyclists rolling through red lights = no ticket?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Opin_Yunated
Sure, why not?
How are tickets given to jaywalking pedestrians? (hint: it can be done the same way with bicycles)
Clearly your irrational obsession with law-breaking cyclists prevented you from answering the question. "Sure, why not?" is agreeing with you that cyclists should be issued violations as I explicitly stated in a previous post that cyclists should be ticketed for such violations. As it turns out, jaywalking pedestrians can be issued violations (which you conveniently deflected the question because it didn't fit your narrative). Do pedestrians need registration to walk across the street? No.
If a cyclist is bold enough to run through a redlight and an officer sees it, the cyclist should absolutely be issued a violation just like any other infraction. The difference between a cyclist running a redlight and a car running a redlight is the potential damage done to other parties as well. Registration is to operate a motor vehicle on public roads; not to enter public roads. The worst scenario for a cyclist running a redlight illegally is a dead cyclist (with possibly a small dent on the conflicting vehicle).
I read your post. You obey all the traffic laws and bla bla bla bla.
So you are confirming I am not a law-breaking cyclist? Got it. Let's proceed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by glass_of_merlot
You also said :
'However, this primative response to something as minor as a cyclist rolling through a stop sign is just
irrational misplaced anger."
Because it is. The only time cyclists roll through a stop is at a four-way stop sign. All parties at a stop sign are supposed to stop. If you see a cyclist roll through a stop sign, the conflicting motor vehicle will either stop, not accelerate, or hit the cyclist. You are supposed to be checking for someone rolling through an all-way stop regardless, so this irrational response to a rolling-stop violation (hardly exclusive to cyclists) is misplaced anger.
You will probably never see a cyclist run a stop sign that enters a high-density street. While some cyclists are selfish and self-obssessed, they aren't going to cheat certain death. That makes the "stop sign" debate pretty moot.
Quote:
Originally Posted by glass_of_merlot
If a driver rolls through a stop sign/light that's ok with you? Because again, you are sharing the road so
the same rules apply.
No. I prefaced your post by saying I don't condone breaking traffic rules. The reason why I call it minor is because a 200 lb cyclist + bicycle going at 15 mph is not the same impact on other parties as a 4000 lb vehicle + driver going 30 mph. I already detailed out to you the situation that involves a cyclist rolling through a four-way stop. Since other parties usually stopped to begin with, it is a moot point. Whether the offender is in a car or bicycle makes no difference because both classes of road users do it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by glass_of_merlot
If a car ever, god forbids, hits you for doing just that I hope you remember that.
It's really a minor issue after all.
If a car ever, god forbids, is a great way to allude to a death threat on someone. What is the point of prefacing the post as such?
If a driver rolls through a stop sign/light that's ok with you?
I'm not who you were addressing, but yes, I'm with that, provided it's done so with an abundance of caution in a situation where clearly no one is being endangered. I think people get too caught in legalisms. Few people should have a problem with a cyclist who doesn't stop and put their feet down at every stop sign, provided they aren't causing anyone any danger. What people have a problem with are those who undertake risky behaviors and cause problems for other road users, and getting mad about "following rules" is misplaced anger. Similarly, drivers who roll through stop signs or drive 60 in 55 in good weather on an open road but otherwise drive safely are not menaces.
What I find interesting is the psychology of the matter. Most cities in the US have pretty poor, inconsistent bike infrastructure. Even on my own bike commute that involves many bike lanes, there are areas where the lane abruptly ends, sending the cyclist to compete with traffic. As such, most of the people who cycle are inherently more confident and undertake more risk-taking behavior than the average person, because it's not appealing to other people. So you have a huge selection bias towards the type of people who are more likely to bristle at rules and/or ride in ways that are occasionally unsafe. Having MORE bike infrastructure would get more law-obeying cyclists on the road, particularly women, who are currently far less likely to cycle in the US than men. Having more cyclists on the road actually makes EVERYONE better actors because there's an element of peer pressure (there was actually a study on this, but I can't locate it).
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(hint: it can be done the same way with bicycles)
