Crazy cyclists giving crazy cyclists a worse name

[smurfalicious]

Ugh. All I can say is ugh. Glad I broke the window regulators on my truck, keeps me from saying stuff to idiots who give the rest of us a bad rap.

http://blog.oregonlive.com/breakingnews/2008/07/angry_bicyclists_gang_up_on_th.html

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Well you don't see that every day! Drunk though, that explains it.

[Boise Birder]

Bikers, drunk, beating on someone in an automobile

But it can happen.

This reflects poorly on all bicyclists.

We all have a responsibility for behaving respectfully and responsibly.

That said, the auto still has the advantage. Auto rage = dead or maimed cyclist.

Be aware, protect yourself - confrontation isn't worth it. Live to fight (change attitudes) another day.

Confront in the public hearings that address bicycle rights.

However, wear a disguise!!!

[mimitabby]

oh geez, and read the comments after the story.

[LainiePants]

The bikePortland coverage of this story is pretty good. Over 200 (less hostile) comments last time i checked: http://bikeportland.org/2008/07/10/road-rage-incident-sparks-media-frenzy-spurs-us-them-mentality/

What's so unusual about this is that the 'motorist' is actually an avid cyclist and long-time bike mechanic at a LBS.

[Mr. Bloom]

oh geez, and read the comments after the story.

You know, I could see myself doing exactly what Yates did under certain circumstances...:rolleyes:

I liked this comment:

Posted by jdmd on 07/10/08 at 12:08AM
It is the same everywhere... bicyclists tend to look at traffic laws like it is "Calvin Ball" (remember Calvin and Hobbs... the ball rules change constantly...) The convienence of being a "car" when the light is green and then being a "pedistrian" at a STOP sign is overwhelming... If bikes and cars must share the road then the bike has to be held to an equal standard of safe operation as a car: the laws of physics demand it. Unsafe operation of a bike should result in temporary seizure of the bike at the scene. Serious repeat offence would result in auction by the police; this would be the equivalent to license restriction or suspension for a driver.

[Tuckervill]

But why take the bike? Motorists don't lose their cars "temporarily" when they run a stop sign. They get a ticket, and lose some cash.

That comment was not very well thought out.

Karen

[7rider]

oh geez, and read the comments after the story.

I get depressed reading the venom from folks (primarily motorists) after articles such as this.

Yeah. Some cyclists suck. Some motorists suck, too. We're all members of the community and there are bad apples in every bunch. Deal with it. Move on.

Until every motorist obeys every letter of the law themselves (every day), I really wish they would temper their hypocritical rants.

[Flur]

I have to agree with Mr. Silver and the commenter he posted, although I think the biker should get the same ticket a car would (not bicycle seizure). Here in Minneapolis we have a huge cycling community and a large number of the cyclists are doing dangerous things, like ignoring lights and stop signs, riding the wrong way down the street, turning without signaling or getting into the correct lane, failing to yield right-of-way, cutting off cars that are going much faster than they are, etc. These cyclists give other cyclists a bad name and they make it unsafe for cyclists in general. I wouldn't complain if there was a crackdown here - I'm scared that one day one of these crazy cyclists is going to jump out in front of MY car, and what if I can't stop in time? Or what if a driver gets fed up and decides to take out the next cyclist he sees, and that's me?

[GLC1968]

I think it's interesting that people ask the cyclists who follow the rules to reign in those who don't...and then berate the guy in the car for saying anything to the cyclist who was braking the law! Hello people..make up your mind?!

Honestly, lately, I've been yelling things at other cyclists, too. :o I can't help it...when other bike riders barely miss running into me (while I'm also on a bike) because I stop for a red light and they don't, they deserve to be yelled after. Same for the guy today who was riding on the sidewalk, the wrong direction, with his helmet undone, and through an intersection when he did not have a 'walk' signal. I stopped short for a car and he didn't - almost getting hit by the car AND running head first into me. He needed to be told that what he was doing is wrong. Funny thing is, normally I'm not confrontational at all. There are just way too many people out there on bikes who have no idea what they are doing these days. They are truly making it hard on the rest of us.

[pll]

For a different spin on the crazy cyclist issue: I was reading a UK newspaper a couple of days ago and they had a note about a cyclist who hit a pedestrian and killed her (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1032894/Parents-anguish-killer-cyclist-walks-away-just-fine.html). I could not believe a cyclist would not do his/her best to avoid a collision -- just found the case appalling.