I totally understand what you’re trying to say, and I do get out of the way when I can. I also wave to thank drivers who are patient and pass when it’s safe, or who give me extra space by pulling a bit farther to the other side. I try hard to be friendly to drivers and hope that the karma will be returned.
Having said all that, in this specific situation, I would absolutely not be pulling into that horrible side area. That absolutely looks like an accident waiting to happen. Id take the lane because I’d far rather a driver be pissed for 10 seconds and gun it or honk or whatever than have a long line of cars all buzz me. There is a nothing I hate more than the intentional close pass. It scares the absolute shit out of me.
non-cyclists don’t like us not because of our actions, but because they’re stuck in a metal box on wheels, that lost half of its value as soon as they turned the engine on from the dealer, on top of that, insurance, running and fuel costs, and the fact they still have to sit in traffic.
If it wasn’t cyclists in the road, it would be something else, they are just unhappy people, stop victim blaming.
I don’t like drivers for valid reasons. I’ve been bullied and knocked off multiple times by drivers resulting in massive cost and injury, can you guess how many drivers I have injured by my poor cycling skills? How many drivers have been killed by my cycling friends actions?
Imagine posting a picture of photographic evidence of you breaking the law while trying to shame someone for following not only the law but the accepted method of riding to maximize their safety.
Get off your phone while driving your several ton death machine.
“Roadway” means that portion of a highway improved, designed, or ordinarily used for vehicular travel, exclusive of the sidewalk or shoulder. During periods when the commissioner allows the use of dynamic shoulder lanes as defined in subdivision 25, roadway includes that shoulder. In the event a highway includes two or more separate roadways, the term “roadway” as used herein shall refer to any such roadway separately but not to all such roadways collectively.
By definition, roadway does not include the shoulder…
A lot of angry cyclists in this thread who seemingly aren’t aware of how they are perceived or simply don’t care. Which, in my opinion, is a massive disservice to your safety on a bike.
No shaming here, just stating that this is a reason for why drivers dislike cyclists. I have many non-cyclist friends and family that complain to me (a cyclist) about how annoying cyclists are because they ride in the road.
I’m trying to objectively look at why cyclists are getting trashed on by the general population and see it from the driver’s side—and the cyclists, I am a cyclist, I have done enough thinking from that POV—and this was a prime example.
No laws were being broke by the cyclist (I’M NOT DEBATING THAT), but certainly this man was causing a long line of traffic to slow down behind him and forcing cars to enter oncoming traffic to pass. Which no doubt is probably annoying to the vast majority of drivers who are in a hurry to get to work. And IMO this is why people generally hate cyclists.
I’m truly amazed at how many of you look at this shoulder and deem it unrideable and would rather put yourself in a lane of traffic during morning rush hour. I’m trying to see your point, but logically and out of safety I just can’t. If the roads were completely clear I could see your point.
It isn’t the reason they don’t like cyclists - it’s just the excuse. If every cyclist dived entirely off the road every time a car appeared, they would still hate them - they’d just find a different way to ‘justify’ it.
The title of this post is so atrocious this seems simply disingenuous. This guy (however annoying) is not responsible for non-cyclists hating cyclists. Maybe he’s responsible for you hating him.
Never have I encountered as much sucking up to the ugly resentment against cyclists in the cycling community as when I moved to the United States. This is a case in point.
Cyclists get blamed for gentrification by people with 100,000 dollar trucks, get routinely abused, and sometimes attacked by people who hate cyclists. Get a grip.
Secondary position where the nearside wheels of vehicles is, about 0.5 - a meter from the kerb or white line, or…
primary postion in the lane (take the lane, preferred option)
or you ride completely off the road in a cycle lane or shoulder if there is indication it can be used for cycling (I guess this is different in the US.)
In the UK you should not cycle on the shoulder unless the road signs or markings specifically indicate you can.
You should not ride in the gutter or on the white line, UK highways code / cycling federation (British cycling) advice.
Re: Riding the white line, a cyclist in the town I live in sadly died riding the white line when they hit, what I beleive, was a sucken drain (it was a drain anyway) which through them if into the main lane of traffic and a HGV ran over them.
Just stop. You’re breaking the law, playing with a phone, while clearly tailgating a vulnerable cyclist, and then feel the need to complain about the CYCLIST??
“No shaming here” except for the part where you take a picture of someone to post it on the internet to complain about them.
You’re objectively wrong in the legal sense, the safety sense, and now you’re just trying to backpedal and make it seem like it’s about the safety of the rider.
So you were holding the phone in one hand and using the other hand to zoom in by pinching the screen? Sounds very safe to me to be driving with no hands while you fiddle with the phone.
