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Forum: General Stuff Topic: Grownups who ride bicycles places started by: GORDON Posted by GORDON on Oct. 15 2014,09:54
Are bicyclists required to follow stoplight signals? Drove through a town/suburb on the way to the city today and noticed a middle aged, dude cyclist on the lane they added to the road specifically for bicyclists (specifically, there was a go-straight lane, and a right-turn-only lane, and there was a 2-foot lane in between them for bicycles. Painted blue.). Was the first time I ever saw someone using the special lane, so I found it noteworthy. He and I were going in the same direction. I stopped for the red light, so did he. Then he blew through it.Just wondered if it was legal. Legal or not I still imagined tapping him with my side mirror as I went by him. I imagine bicycle laws are local, though, and you people wouldn't know. Posted by Vince on Oct. 15 2014,09:58
Everywhere I've taken the written driver's test, they were supposed to follow the road rules if they're riding on the road.What you're describing has always been one of my pet peeves. I don't mind sharing the road with the cyclists, but if you're in a city area with slow traffic lights you may end up passing the same cyclist 3 times because he doesn't think the laws apply to him. Posted by Malcolm on Oct. 15 2014,11:03
Bicyclists are supposed to treat their bikes as cars for purposes of traffic signals and signs. The number of times I've seen/heard of a bicyclist getting ticketed for breaking those rules is an amount I can count on one hand.QUOTE I stopped for the red light, so did he. Then he blew through it. That's illegal in pretty much every major town or city in this country. But there's no cop who'll take time out of his day to stop the dude ... unless he's a non-violent drug offender, I assume. Posted by Cakedaddy on Oct. 15 2014,11:21
Mad bros? You want to HIT cyclists because they didn't wait for the light?!"That cyclist is beating me because he's cheating. I'm going to run him over. That will teach him to play fair." Posted by TheCatt on Oct. 15 2014,11:22
Bikes and cars are both vehicles, and should obey the same rules (pretty much). You are right that these laws are state by state, so there may be some variability (Iowa, for example, has pretty progressive bike rules).Generally, what he did is illegal. I run red lights from time to time on my bike, but only in situations where the light will only turn for a car, and not a bike. While on my bike, I've seen a surprising # of cars breaking laws (speeding - pretty much all of them; Running red lights - 3 times the last week I rode alone; illegal u-turns; etc, etc). I assume you feel like going vigilante on speeding cars and other law-breakers too? Posted by Vince on Oct. 15 2014,11:30
I place them in the same category as I place interstate drivers that ride the emergency lane for two miles to get past a traffic back up and to an exit. They're self centered pricks that think they're too special to wait like everyone else and their time is more precious than anyone else's and they're "special" and they need to get colon cancer.
Posted by GORDON on Oct. 15 2014,11:54
(Cakedaddy @ Oct. 15 2014,14:21) QUOTE Mad bros? You want to HIT cyclists because they didn't wait for the light?! "That cyclist is beating me because he's cheating. I'm going to run him over. That will teach him to play fair." I didn't say I wanted to give him a love tap because he ran a red light. Posted by GORDON on Oct. 15 2014,13:54
(GORDON @ Oct. 15 2014,14:54) QUOTE (Cakedaddy @ Oct. 15 2014,14:21) QUOTE Mad bros? You want to HIT cyclists because they didn't wait for the light?! "That cyclist is beating me because he's cheating. I'm going to run him over. That will teach him to play fair." I didn't say I wanted to give him a love tap because he ran a red light. No one is going to follow up? You fucking fuckers. I had something for this all day. Posted by TheCatt on Oct. 15 2014,14:01
Fine, what?
Posted by GORDON on Oct. 15 2014,16:27
(TheCatt @ Oct. 15 2014,17:01) QUOTE Fine, what? Well at first it was just a flippant, button-pushing offhand "cuz bicyclists are annoying huh" knowing there was at least one here, but then people acted irritated about the comment in two different threads so now just forget it. Point was he blew the light and I wondered if it was legal. The fantasy of tapping him with my mirror was just a joke, not because this middle aged dude was dressed like a douche with his douche helmet and douche shirt and tight douche shorts. Posted by TheCatt on Oct. 15 2014,16:29
(GORDON @ Oct. 15 2014,19:27) QUOTE tight douche shorts. Jealous Posted by GORDON on Oct. 15 2014,16:32
Plus he was in a douche part of town near the church I used to get dragged to every week that ended up being full of douches so I probably had some subconscious anger there, somewhere.
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