So, on the way to work today I pulled up to university on shattuck, waited until the light turned green, then went. Fortunately, I heard the rumbling noise that warned me of a multiple ton truck hurtling through the intersection after the light turned red. And the asshat had the nerve to glare at for having started into the intersection. Anyone who wishes to lecture me about how cyclists disobey traffic laws can shove it. =)
that sucks. glad you’re still alive. this week has been going down in history as one of the worst cycling weeks in berkeley.
AAHH!
I’m glad you survived! I just got a bicycle and a trailer for DT this Christmas, so we are learning the ways and dangers of cycling. My parents are scared spitless at the idea of their precious angels riding on the road. I can understand their concern, but it’s so much fun and such a nice way to get around. I have no idea how you do all the hills in Berkeley, though. At least Pasadena is relatively flat! I guess that attests to my out-of-shapeness.
Any hints for newbie road cyclists?
Re: AAHH!
My only hint would be to stick to any well paved, but less trafficed roads you can find. It’s great that you’re doing this.
Most of berkeley is relatively flat. The only major hill I deal with regularly is the one I live on 😉
Anyone who wishes to lecture me about how cyclists disobey traffic laws can shove it.
I don’t see why I should have to shove my complaints about cyclists who selectively obey the traffic laws just because a truck almost ran you over. Frankly, I am irritated by all the assholes on the roads that ignore right-of-way and stop signs, whether they are powered by pedals or diesal fuel.
I’m glad you haven’t been seriously ingured while biking. So far as I know you are a safe cyclist, and I wish the drivers around you were as safe. I’ll shut up now.
Urg! Stop signs affect bicyclists very differently than how they affect gas-powered vehicles. Gaining momentum to move from zero is just a push of the foot for most vehicles; for bicyclists, it’s tough if you have to start and stop every single intersection. I almost always stop at stop signs, but sometimes it’s just very difficult to do so.
I don’t get why Berkeley’s Bike Boulevard down Milvia has loads of stop signs.
I had a driver honk at me cuz we were on a one-lane street (construction) and I was on the street on my bike. Naturally, I gave him the finger.
But the sign doesn’t say “STOP, unless you are on a bicycle,” it just instructs you to stop. Cars can’t stop nearly as quickly as bicycles, they have too much mass. Yet, I’ve seen cyclists darting around as if cars could stop on a dime, it is a stupid assumption and will get someone killed. If you want to share the road, obey the rules, if starting is too hard for you get in better shape. (That last bit sounds weird coming from me.)
I can’t speak to Berkeley’s city planning, I’m from Colorado.
Surue, but like what I said to Josh, I wasn’t telling you to shove all complaints about cyclists ever. I was telling those who wanted to lecture me on selective obedience at the time to shove it. I am selectively obedient when I travel the backstreets where cars rarely go. When it comes to barreling through one of the busiest intersections in town, after my light has turned red, well, that’s just not something I do. Unlike the aforementioned truck driver.
I bitch at reckless/obnoxious cyclists too. =) I just see alot more reckless/obnoxious drivers.
Idiots.
ANYONE running a light or a stop sign gets my ire, doesn’t matter what they’re driving.
sharing the road
First off, I’m glad you’re not street pizza.
But I’m also uncomfortbale having shoved my ire over bicyclists who disobey traffic laws. Last year a cyclist did $1500 of damage to my car. He had been riding on the sidewalk and ran into me from the right when I was turning. Of course it’s impossible to collect anything from a cyclist so my insurace company caved and I had to eat the deductible. Where’s the justice in that? And two years ago I got hurt riding my scooter when I got hit by a cyclist going the wrong way on a one-way street and zipping out of a blind alley and running right into me – and then the asshole yelled at me for getting in his way.
I both drive and ride. As a cyclist it’s much scarier because drivers of cars and trucks aren’t nearly as observant as they should be and getting hit by a car can cause serious damage. As a driver it’s far more annoying, because cyclists are like moving landmines, disrupting traffic pattners and acting like they can do whatever they want just because they aren’t polluting and the traffic laws aren’t “fair”. As a cyclist I’m atypical – I actually obey traffic laws. And you know, it’s not that bad. (Once in Santa Cruz I got a ticket for riding my bike the wrong way on a one-way street. Since then I don’t mess around.)
And don’t get me started about cyclists on sidewalks. If you can’t ride your bike on the road and must be on the sidewalk, you should be walking your bike.
I’d love to see more bike lanes, and more sensible laws for bikes on the road. But until then, bikes doing whatever the hell they want are a big problem. If you can’t share the road responsibly, get a car like everyone else who can’t.
Re: sharing the road
I wasn’t clear, but I wasn’t asking you to shove all frustration you might have with any cyclist. I was asking you to shove any particular venting of frustration with cyclists’ selective obedience of traffic laws at that time.
I tend to keep my illegalities down to careful rolling stops (which I do while driving, too). I find cyclists doing whatever the hell they please frustrating as well. Especially when they choose to go the wrong way in the bike lane I’m using at the time. But overall, I’d prefer that incompetents cycle rather than drive. Lower both the damage they cause and their survival rates. =)