Clueless nut on a scooter

So I'm riding down the highway on my bike today, on the shoulder all nice and easy. I come around the turn and there's this 60 year old guy on a motor scooter coming towards me on the very same shoulder. :eek:
So.... you think quickly that maybe we should pass each other by each keeping to the right?....WRONG! The guy doesn't budge and keeps coming straight at me on the shoulder going in the WRONG direction against traffic. There is nothing but ditch and trees to the right of the shoulder, so I had no choice of where to go but left. His scooter was loud so I could not shout anything at him. He's looking right into my eyes and just keeps zooming ahead and so I swing way out into the lane to go around him. (If I didn't swing WAY out there was a chance he'd swing out to go around me at the very same time and then we'd hit head on.) Happily, there were no cars at the critical moment (thank you again, beloved helmet mirror!) and I was able to swing wide around him. As I passed, I made emphatic pointing motions to the other side of the road to hopefully give him a clue. SHEESH!!!! :mad: :mad: :mad:

He probably thinks he's SUPPOSED to ride against traffic, and that you were the one who's wrong. Hopefully somebody sets him straight before he gets somebody killed.

I don't know what I would have done. Probably stop in my tracks and make him go around me.

In my area...there are packs of guys who ride around on ATVs and stuff. Pealing down the road at 50 mph, no helmets (no law in the state of PA), riders hanging off the back, and on concrete no less, so the dag-gon things are bouncing all over the roads...morons!

Here's another good one! Bit of a hijack, sorry.

Picture this...two cyclists, standing behind a row of parked cars, chatting at the end of their ride. Between the cyclists and the street is a bike lane. In front of the cyclists is a stop light. Behind the cyclists is a car who decides to create a third lane of traffic, IN THE BIKE LANE and off the side of the road. Driver becomes angry that cyclists are "in his way" and proceeds, after cyclists begrudgingly move out of the way and yell that he is IN A BIKE LANE, to continue through the light, riding in the bike lane, to the next light where he makes a right hand turn. Please note that the road is ALREADY two lanes wide! Welcome to Philly! :mad:

bus riding adventure: One day as the bus was waiting behind a line of cars at a light TWO cars passed the bus (and line of waiting cars) ON THE RIGHT with one set of tires in the bike lane and one set of tires on the sidewalk!

only saw that happen once. it was stunningly stupid.

Walking adventure: If I catch the early train I exit 3 stops early and walk the lake.

Tuesday one after the other cyclists on the sidewalk. I used the non-yell method; smile, nod, point at bike lane method but very deliberately slowed down and held my ground on the sidewalk.

The third encounter, a gal, just did not know what to do :eek:

I'm real sorry, y'all know I love bikes and cycling and ... but folks have to learn to get off the sidewalk and handle the bike.

Running adventure:

I don't know what it is, but I had the misfortune (3 TIMES NOW) of encountering the same pair of clueless cyclists when I'm out running. It's always the same spot- halfway down the narrow 2-lane, one-sidewalk hill that leads to my street. I run on the sidewalk like any well-behaved runner- THEY ride UP the sidewalk WITH traffic. Which is fine, I suppose, given that it's a narrow road with speedy cars.

Problem? They force ME off the sidewalk every time into traffic. The last time, they stared me down when I pointed at them and then the road (ie get over and let the ped have the sidewalk please!). I don't ride this road because there's not enough room- and there is a back-roads way to get where they need to go that I take when riding.

I think next time I'm going to have to stop in the middle of the sidewalk and tie my shoe next time I see them and force them to stop forcing me off the sidewalk:mad: . It's either that or grab a stick!

^^^Perhaps you could tell them about the alternate way? Or at least as politely as possible explain that pedestrians have the right of way on a sidewalk. They are welcome (well, assuming it's legal in your state/jurisdiction) to ride on the sidewalk as long as it does not interfere with people on foot.

East Hill