Undercover sting underway to catch motorists violating the 3 foot law (Dallas: safe, transport)

[texsn95]

Originally Posted by vegankris

This is awesome!

Cycling Police Sting Drivers | The Hub | Bicycling.com

How's that face healing up?

[astrohip]

First, I love bikes, and would ride to work in a split second if... Houston wasn't 98 degrees/humidity in the summer. And I could avoid some of the roads I would have to take (because I know there are drivers that will run me down). But what we have in this conversation is a lack of common sense and common courtesy by some of the repliers. On both sides.

One thing I noticed on the TV report of this. It showed the guy with the 3 foot flag. Then it split to a scene of riders testing the 3' rule. And it showed them (3 of them) riding in a clump. Bikers--you can't ride down a street that has traffic in a group! When you do, you're not a single bike to be passed; you're an entire lane that has to be bypassed.

And they were doing this on camera.

[vegankris]

Originally Posted by astrohip

First, I love bikes, and would ride to work in a split second if... Houston wasn't 98 degrees/humidity in the summer. And I could avoid some of the roads I would have to take (because I know there are drivers that will run me down). But what we have in this conversation is a lack of common sense and common courtesy by some of the repliers. On both sides.

One thing I noticed on the TV report of this. It showed the guy with the 3 foot flag. Then it split to a scene of riders testing the 3' rule. And it showed them (3 of them) riding in a clump. Bikers--you can't ride down a street that has traffic in a group! When you do, you're not a single bike to be passed; you're an entire lane that has to be bypassed.

And they were doing this on camera.

Uh....if you had paid attention you would have heard that the video you saw of the group of cyclists was from a PSA (public service announcement) made by the mayor's office to show that cyclists have the right to be on the road and that you MUST give them three feet.

[dendrotriton]

I've got a solution for everyone. Ban parking in the street, parallel parking, whatever call it. In my home town we call it ghetto parking or trailer trash parking. The street is for transportation. Ban parking in the street so a shoulder can be used for bikes. I see empty parking lots all over town, everywhere, empty because businesses have their people using a public street as their own personal parking lot. It would increase visibility for traffic as well making the roads safer and be more aesthetically pleasing for who it matters.

[menacide]

Originally Posted by dendrotriton

I've got a solution for everyone. Ban parking in the street, parallel parking, whatever call it. In my home town we call it ghetto parking or trailer trash parking. The street is for transportation. Ban parking in the street so a shoulder can be used for bikes. I see empty parking lots all over town, everywhere, empty because businesses have their people using a public street as their own personal parking lot. It would increase visibility for traffic as well making the roads safer and be more aesthetically pleasing for who it matters.

...is this post a joke or some type of troll post?

What do people with a shorter driveway do when they invite someone over to their home? Park in the front yard grass? In my hometown we call that trailer trash parking.

[BayouM5]

Some cyclists in my area hog the right lane on the I45 feeder south of League City. This started happening after a cyclist was struck and killed by some idiot again in League City. The clubs started riding in larger groups and have been taking up the entire right lane instead of sticking to a single file formation.

Riding on the shoulder (where available) isn't really a good idea in this area as anyone who has ridden here knows that the shoulder contains enough debris that a flat or two are guaranteed.

I really don't blame them. I was out riding alone during the midday on a weekday and a lady pulled alongside me cursing, shooting the bird, and then trying to run me off the road. I did nothing to upset her other than ride on a four lane road keeping about two feel away from the curb.
I have been buzzed by asshats in trucks, had train horns blown at me, and have had morons in duallies roll coal on me. I started to carry a hydration pack and within it I also carry my pistol. So if someone really wants to try and kill me I at the very least as a last resort can fire back.

It's sad that this is what it has come to, but I have found most Texans in pickups have southern hospitality when it comes to anything out of the norm for them. And cycling on a roadway is something out of the norm for them.

BTW I think I pay enough taxes. I am but one man who enjoys all forms of vehicles. Currently I have 2 cars, 1 truck, 3 motorcycles, and 5 bicycles.

[ethanw]

F that. I need to get my donkey outta the garage and ride around. One thing for sure I will stop at all stop signs just like all the cyclists religiosity do....

[dendrotriton]

Originally Posted by menacide

...is this post a joke or some type of troll post?

What do people with a shorter driveway do when they invite someone over to their home? Park in the front yard grass? In my hometown we call that trailer trash parking.

I could give you an answer to the specific question but it would be irrelevant. I'm not complaining about the occasional guest car parked in front of a home on someone's residential suburban street, because people aren't complaining about bikers on these kind of roads as a general rule. Some of these streets you would think every house and every business has 4 guests by how many cars are always parked in the street... In downtown there is no houses but there's cars parked all over the street even though there is plenty of lots and empty floors on parking garages. Throughout business areas on busy roads from midtown past the inner loop people are using the street as a parking lot regardless of the fact that they don't have to. Solving parking problems if they exist isn't rocket science, the streets need to be clear for transportation and safety.

One of the things that shocked me when I first moved here was the lack of sidewalks / wide bike trails. What sidewalks were there were narrow, broken up, poorly maintained like many things around here. I considered it suicidal to ride my bike in the narrow texas streets so I gave up cycling. Simply painting lines on the road and calling it a bike lane isn't going to make it any safer either.

[LocalPlanner]

Completely wrong on the on-street parking, we need MORE of it - priced appropriately of course (generally, more expensive than off-street lots). On-street parking protects/buffers pedestrians using the sidewalk (which, as you noted, need a lot of help in Houston). Your criticism on the visual aspect is purely subjective, and cities all over the world have on-street parking in commercial areas, and aren't any less attractive. How do we expect sidewalk-fronting retail without on-street parking? Answer: you don't.

[Hamous]

Every Sunday morning there is always at least one group of cyclists taking the Elysian viaduct into downtown. Every Sunday morning they violate numerous traffic laws. And every Sunday morning they ride abreast through downtown taking up all three traffic lanes. I am more than happy to share the road with cyclists. I wish they would extend the same courtesy.