What is Digg?366 Comments
- blogkitten, on 11/07/2007, -7/+119I'll admit - I've biked through red lights when there was no traffic coming. But I also ride with the mindset that every car on the road that I'm on can't see me. I anticipate the car making the right turn in front of me, I anticipate the jerk in the SUV not giving me room to get around that parked car. However, in Downtown Minneapolis, there's designated bike lanes and every cyclist I see downtown obeys the traffic signals - even the messengers - and the auto/bus traffic obeys the cyclist's right of way when it is relevant. I agree that there needs to be more specific laws governing cyclist traffic - but there needs to be education of the automobile drivers who love to yell "get off the road, you hippie!" and swerve into your lane or think that you're less than human because you're on a bicycle.
- SheilaNoya, on 11/07/2007, -16/+97I think riding a bike is great, BUT the people on bikes need to obey the same traffic rules as cars. I've almost slammed into a few of these idiots in Los Angeles as they speed through red lights at intersections, or come speeding up on my right just as I'm about to make a right turn. We have too much traffic here for them to ignore the rules, making people slam their brakes on, or swerve out of the way to avoid them.
- POPULATIONPASTE, on 11/07/2007, -7/+41They can run red lights if they don't mind colliding with 3000 lbs of steel and aluminum.
This reminds me of the perennial digg story about a cyclist who gets hit by a car and ends up getting the ticket. Just because they get hit doesn't mean they are granted immunity to traffic laws. - satanatnmtedu, on 10/26/2007, -5/+31Yes, those drivers need to be educated. But, there are cyclists that do similar things: ride more than two abreast, take the lane when it isn't necessary, run stop lights, run stop signs, ride against traffic, fail to use hand signals, etc. The cyclists that think they can get away with whatever makes things harder on everyone else.
- internetcoward, on 10/26/2007, -2/+25No. My girlfriend run's the bike collective in Greensboro, NC and there has been a big campaign for bikers to be treated as fairly as other modes of transportation. Things like moronic critical masses aren't the way to go, it's to actually teach the general public the bike rules of the road. That is impossible to do when the bikes themselves don't even follow them. If bikes want to be treated fairly and given their fair share of the road then they have to. When I lived in Boston I know a lot of people who were handed citations for breaking laws on their bikes, like running a red. Cops just pulled them over as if they were a car.
- satanatnmtedu, on 11/07/2007, -6/+29The cyclist is likely doing it because of people like you that will pass too close. Taking the lane is the last resort in a dangerous situation.
- inactive, on 11/07/2007, -1/+23They just made it legal in NC for motorcyclists to treat red lights like stop signs. If your bike doesn't trip the light, you'll sit there all damn day and there may not be a car in sight. If my harley won't trip a light, I know a pedal bike sure as hell won't. I'm sure there will be idiots who abuse this but it is a good thing if done by responsible riders.
- CaraM6, on 11/07/2007, -1/+21In Amsterdam is standard feature for bikes to run lights, cars actually expect they do but bikers do anticipate too....
- meruru, on 10/29/2007, -12/+32"Another school of thought says that cyclists should act like motorists and take up entire traffic lanes."
For the love of god please don't do that. I am not an impatient person but it drives me crazy when I'm stuck behind a cyclist riding in the middle of the lane on a 2 lane road. - MaynardJK, on 11/07/2007, -7/+26*****. Either the bicyclists are vehicles that are allowed use of the roads in return for following traffic laws, or they are pedestrians and don't have the rights to use the roads. You can't have it both ways.
- aspec, on 10/28/2007, -0/+18That's a fat biker.
- satanatnmtedu, on 10/25/2007, -5/+23You shouldn't run red lights. If you expect to respected as another vehicle on the road, then you need to obey the traffic laws. If you don't care about being respected, then go ahead. But, you make the roads more dangerous for the rest of the cyclists who follow the laws.
- slothlovechunk, on 11/07/2007, -3/+20People ride bicycles in downtown minneapolis? Do you have a street sweeper come through and get all of the frozen testicles that have fallen off?
- AndrewDB, on 01/10/2008, -6/+22I'm all for Cyclists running red lights as long as they accept that they may be Gone with the Schwinn, when someone doesn't stop at a green light.
- totorototoro, on 10/29/2007, -1/+17Like anything else, its 10% of the ***** casting a poor light on the 90% of decent cyclists.
- freehunter, on 10/26/2007, -2/+18I know a guy who rides a bike where his feet are strapped in to the pedals for one reason or another (he's not a champion rider by any means). He takes this as reason to not stop at lights or stop signs, simply because it takes time to unstrap his feet. I'm waiting for him to be creamed one day.
- teadrinker, on 10/25/2007, -4/+19It is illegal to ride a bike on the sidewalk. Furthermore, on the intersections it is even more dangerous to try to cross the street while on the sidewalk due to right turning traffic.
- orvtech, on 10/26/2007, -3/+18I am a cyclist and the answer is NO.
- ChuckIT, on 10/25/2007, -6/+20you are a vehicle. all vehicles need to abide by rules of the road, in Richmond, Va.
- jfowler27, on 10/26/2007, -3/+17I honestly don't mind stopping at traffic light unless there's an ***** bus driver (most of them aren't) who tries to run me over while I'm stopped there. Sometimes I will be a more aggressive rider and ignore lights and whatnot if it is safe enough to. Just ride as though those 2 ton vehicles can't see you. If they hit you it's going to hurt you more than them (at least physically).
- DivisibleByZero, on 11/07/2007, -0/+12Generally the only time I'll run a red is if it's a left turn at one of those where there's a detector that only turns it green if there's a car waiting. Bike doesn't have enough metail to trigger the sensor so I have no real choice.
- vocalyouth, on 10/25/2007, -1/+12As a cyclist who rides a road bike at least a couple times a week in a city, I can say that I do stop at red lights and basically act like a car on main roads (unless i can't keep up, then i will move off to the right), however on side streets where it isn't as busy I usually will yield and cautiously make my way through stop signs. In my city (pittsburgh) the terrain is too hilly to be able to realistically make it up some of the large hills when stopping every single block for stop signs. It totally kills your momentum. There should be some sort of a better system for cyclists to have their own lanes and rules. The city here has made leaps and bounds in doing this over the past couple of years, but there are still a lot of areas that are absolutely frightening to ride. However, I do play it safe. I rarely ride without a helmet or blinkers. Dorky, yes, but I want to be as visible as possible to motorists. I know way too many people who have been hit here and I don't want to be next. Everyone should replace at least one or two small trips a week with a bike ride. It changes your entire perspective on driving with cyclists and quite possibly your own dependency on 4 wheels and gasoline.
- TheHayze, on 10/25/2007, -1/+12When I ride my bike, I try to be as curtious as I can to the motorists around me. Why? Because I don't want them to freakin hit me, and A. either break my bones when I crash, or B. kill me. I personally think many bikers out there are crazy people, with a convultued sense of rightiousness. Yes, all bikers should have a sense of rspect, and demand respect. But don't be crazy. Picking a fight, even with the smallest cars, is a bad idea.
- tzugidan, on 10/25/2007, -0/+11I'm a mountain biker, so I rarely ride on the road for all the reasons you all have stated above...motorists hate cyclists (generally) and the roads are too crowded..and mountain biking is just so much more FUN! However...when I DO ride the road I obey red lights....UNLESS there are no cars at the intersection to set off the sensors. It's rare, but on a few occassions I knew I'd sit there forever, so I cautiosly went on through... Regarding hogging the road... Cyclists that do this, do it for one of two reasons...1) to piss you off or 2) because they are going to make a left turn ahead, and it's VERY dangerous to do from the right side of the road...
It is a shame so many cyclists play games with cars, and their drivers... but try to remember gang...that not all cyclists are evil doers...most are trying to do the right thing...so if you find one trying to give some way...return the favor and cut em some slack..ok?
Peace - dupeduperson, on 11/07/2007, -2/+12Another problem is that I encounter is when I come to a red light with no cars. My bike does not have enough mass or metal to set off the car detector to change the light. I could be stuck waiting for a year for the light to change.
- Daiken, on 10/28/2007, -1/+11I'd really prefer if bicyclists obeyed the traffic lights. As a frequent pedestrian in a big city, I can't even tell you how many times I've almost been run into or forced to stop (when it's my right of way) because a person on a bike wants to go through a crowd of people walking.
- dykemoney, on 11/07/2007, -1/+10The only reason I ever run a red on my bike is this: THE DAMN LIGHTS DON'T CHANGE! You aren't big enough - or heavy enough - to activate the sensors in the pavement and allow the light to change. If your at an intersection and there's noone going the same direction as you, you don't get a green. It just stays red. Though, I'm in semi-rural desert part of California not a city, so maybe I'm allowed to get away this.
- paulmetzger, on 10/30/2007, -0/+9In these parts (at least according to the Mayor's spring newsletter), bicycles have some different traffic rules than motorists. Most notably, in relation to the linked story, bicyclists are not required to stop at stop signs, but are required to yield to cross traffic. A bicyclist may proceed through a red light at an intersection after coming to a stop and determining that it is safe to cross.
That said, when I have momentum and it's clear, I just keep going. You also have to assume that every car out there is driven by a clueless idiot who doesn't care if they hit you. And what is it about people making right turns only looking to their left and starting to go without looking in front of them? I've had many a close call in that situation (and the driver is almost always on a cell phone -- go figure).
While I tend not to wear it for leisurely trips around the neighborhood, I do strap on the helmet when I know I'm going to have to deal with any traffic. I used to think helmets were for the overprotected children of yuppies, but shortly after I moved here a friend of a friend was struck by a vehicle while on his bike. He ended up needing some major knee surgery, and the doctor noted that the way he smacked his head on the ground during the accident he would have had major head trauma had he not been wearing the old noodle-protector.
We spent under $30 putting gas in our car all summer long, and most of that was going camping. I love my bicycle. It's cheap, non-polluting, good exercise, and just plain fun! - krnldmp, on 10/25/2007, -3/+12Not unless you wanna get that run-down feeling.
- teadrinker, on 11/07/2007, -1/+9That is correct, but you missed the point. The point is: should the rules be changed?
- aspec, on 10/26/2007, -2/+10Can you do me a favor, since we're in the same city? Stop touching my car. I really hate it when you people do that.
- teadrinker, on 10/25/2007, -0/+8It is not. There are exceptions for slow moving traffic, such as tractors.
- Firehed, on 10/26/2007, -1/+9It's cyclists of all people in vehicles that shouldn't run red lights, considering that there's no way they'll win a fight with even the smallest car. Forget the laws of the government here - run a red light on a bike and you'll end up fighting the laws of physics. And you'll lose.
- Angostura, on 11/03/2007, -1/+9I cycle to work every day into the centre of London, its about 11 miles. I have old fashioned toe straps. I always stop at the red and it all it takes is a little anticipation. You don't need the straps tightened right up either, so it is fairly easy to slip them in and out.
I get very annoyed at idiot cyclists who go through reds. - Jayaych, on 10/30/2007, -1/+9A lot of times if I'm the only one stopped at a traffic light the sensors won't turn the light green for me, therefor forcing me to run through the light. That is a huge design problem. Also, unclipping at every stop light is a huge hassle and most times if your not centered in the lane some gas guzzler is going to come up next to you and race you through the intersection. But with anything awareness is key in fixing this problem.
- wild, on 11/07/2007, -0/+8Actually Andy, if a cyclist is in the bike lane, you don't have a right to cut over in front of them.
And I live in Chicago, commute to work by bike everyday. - blatantninja, on 10/25/2007, -0/+7In most states, you are required to pass them the same way as you would pass a car (IE change an entire lane). They are as much in traffic as any car.
- dext3r, on 10/26/2007, -1/+8My friend is in the ICU as I'm typing this due to a vehicle/bike collision. :(
- lostarchitect, on 11/07/2007, -0/+7The bike lanes in NYC are on the left, which is the proper place for them (on a one way street) because while all cars have someone in the driver's seat, many don't have someone in the passenger. This makes it less likely that you will get "doored".
- seanhive, on 10/25/2007, -1/+8Hell no, I ride my bike more than a mile every day to the train station. If I ran red lights I'd get hit. It doesn't matter if I see them or if they see me. They can't be slowing down in the middle of the intersection, and I can't count on there being no speeders.
- lofilotek, on 10/25/2007, -1/+8Ya but in Amsterdam there are designated lanes for bikes all over the city and through the canal system. Bike lanes, although nice, are not every where in American cities. Also unrelated, I thought it was interesting in Amsterdam there are more bikes then people.
- mikewhite314, on 10/26/2007, -2/+9yes, but you must dismount
- milohoss, on 11/07/2007, -3/+10Here is how it should work, both legally and in practice: Red Lights should be treated by cyclilsts as STOP SIGNS. In other words they should stop, if no one is coming, then they should go. Stop Signs should be treated as Yeild Signs by cyclists. In the state of Idaho, this is in fact the way the law is written, and the rest of the country should do well to go with this plan.
- metateck, on 10/25/2007, -0/+7The only real problem is bike lanes that go straight are on the right side of the lane where cars turn right from at my campus (University of Florida) and cars rarely look right to see if they will hit something when turning right at a green light. My friend got run over and shattered his hand like this.
- sacherjj, on 10/26/2007, -0/+6The thing that ticks me off is the cyclists that run red lights are passing cars that will then have to slow down and pass them again. That makes drivers pissed at cyclists in general and take it out on "sane" cyclists. This comes from a cyclist that rode a bicycle for 70 days from Virgina to Wyoming. I've done my road time and unless I couldn't trip the red light, I haven't run one. Of course, riding a recumbent possibly makes me feel and act more like a car.
- NeoCortex, on 10/29/2007, -6/+12Feel free to go ahead and run that red light. I'll be sure to pass the bill for my scratched fender onto your next of kin.
- ericdano, on 10/25/2007, -0/+6Depends on the intersection. I peddle through one or two, but only after I am SURE there are no cars coming, but this is only at ONE intersection which never seems to have cars going in my outbound direction.
Other than that, I obey the light - Hosalabad, on 10/25/2007, -2/+8I agree here too. I like to see the packs of riders that take up a full road because they think that their evening exercise is supposed to be carried out like the tour de france that they watched on tv the night before. Riders like that always lead to the one poor sap who gets hit in the country while riding alone.
- teeheehee, on 10/26/2007, -3/+9Riding a bicycle on a sidewalk is illegal everywhere I know. Most bicycle paths around me are in worse condition than the roads, so maybe if they were a little better maintained....
Oh, and I pay my dues to use the road as much as my motor vehicular friends. I have a right to ride on the street, why shouldn't I do so? - ChoiceMad, on 10/25/2007, -0/+6What about the people that inadvertantly swerve into pedestrians to attempt avoiding your poor choices?
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