What's scorching your groove today?

[Aliantha]

A couple of weeks ago, we decided to pull into the local mall on the way back from Dad's place, so after about 2.5 hours on the road, we were looking for a park and finally found one, and just as I pulled over and indicated, someone coming the opposite way did the same.

So anyway, the person pulled out of the park, and I pulled in - and I really was there first anyway - but the other guy (20 something in a sporty number with racing stripes), sat there revving his engine as I was getting out of the car.

So anyway, I said to the boys which included Aden, Mav, Adam and Quinn who all play footy and look pretty imposing all together, to just get out of the car and stand about while I got Max out.

The guy hung around long enough to see Aden standing up and then moved on.

I must admit, I got a nasty sense of satisfaction as I watched him leave.

We got his number plate just in case we came back to find any damage on the car. lol

[Griff]

I'm in a left turn only lane waiting for a break in traffic, I don't see a helmetless teenaged dope with an overstuffed backpack on a bicycle riding illegally on the left side of the road behind me. He turns left across my lane as I make my turn. Instead of braking I should have run the fuck down just so he'd stop making us cyclists look obnoxious. jackass

[wolf]

I grew up in a "ride against traffic" jurisdiction. I never got used to bicycling in the same direction as cars.

[HungLikeJesus]

I didn't know that there were any areas where the rule was to ride against traffic, but I'd recently been thinking that it would make sense here in the mountains.

On curvy mountain roads with no shoulders it's sometimes very difficult for cars to pass bicycles going the same direction, particularly when they're going down hill at 20 mph or more. When the car does go to pass it can take a relatively long distance - often farther than sight distance. Whether you're driving the car or riding the bike, it's a dangerous situation. If the bikes were going against traffic the passing would happen very quickly and you wouldn't have a long line of cars backed up waiting to pass.

[monster]

Originally Posted by HungLikeJesus

If the bikes were going against traffic the passing would happen very quickly and you wouldn't have a long line of cars backed up waiting to pass.

Yebbut, what if they happened to meet at a point where passing wasn't possible/safe? Like a car on the other side?

[HungLikeJesus]

Well, it's still very quick.

[BigV]

I think the best solution is to apply the same logic to bikes that applies to cars in that situation. If a car is obstructing/delaying five or more vehicles, it should pull over, where safe, a shoulder, a slow lane, etc, and let the faster cars pass. It should not be too tough for a bike to yield to stacked up car traffic.

I know giving up that precious momentum is painful, but not as painful as getting run down and crashing by some impatient asshole driver.

[HungLikeJesus]

Quite often the only place to pull over is in the creek or off the edge of a cliff. Other times there's an almost endless line of cars, so you could pull over and never get going again.

[BigV]

Well, of course I wouldn't suggest you pull over into the creek or over the edge of a cliff. I suggested pulling over "where safe", yeah? As for an endless line of cars, well, if there's no place to pull over, I guess they're just gonna whip around you, one at a time, with a minimum of clearance, endangering your life each time, endlessly. Or, maybe I don't have the right mental image.

As a bike rider, what do you do in this situation?

[HungLikeJesus]

Cry.

[Clodfobble]

Ride somewhere else? I'm not saying it's the best situation from a socially conscious inclusion perspective, but sometimes you have to compromise because the world isn't going to.

[BigV]

Lash your bike to your own car, get in line with the other cars behind that fucking biker, and plod up the mountain until you can be right next to the biker huffing up the hill, slow down and run interference for the biker as you switch drivers and hop out and unload your bike and pedal with him! Let the whisper of a headwind gently dry your tears.

Easy!

[wolf]

Bike lanes aside ... it's a ROAD. Made for CARS.

Get off your damn bike and walk it to somewhere safe.


So, anyway ... there I was today, peacefully typing a book review of The Yiddish Policemen's Union (meh. never really went anywhere), and I reached for my big plastic cup of ice tea. Now usually, I'm drinking out of either a proper glass, or some sort of spill proof container, but I'd just started the dishwasher and got one of those Solo party cups, the big ones? Luckily I'd been drinking it for a while and it was only about half full, but in my distracted state I must have misjudged the weight of the cup and ... sploosh. Nine ounces of cold ice tea on my thigh, the carpet, and two shoulder bags that were sitting on the floor next to me.

In between yelling "fuck!" and "now what" I managed to find the box of Shamwows, dampened one, and sucked the stains right out of the carpet, my pants, and the wool shoulder bag.

[Aliantha]

Yeah, I have to say, that cyclist who ride up mountain roads etc are just asking for trouble. Particularly if they choose the ones that're popular for driving up too. It's just plain dangerous and personally I think it's unfair because although they might try hard, they simply can't do a reasonable speed on an uphill climb, and they put a lot of lives at risk.

Even on the winding roads around our place I find cyclists to be a problem, and I've seen more than one (in the 3.5yrs we've lived here) who's been knocked off his/her bike because there's just not enough vision, and it's only one lane each way, and there are all sorts of large trucks and tractors and plenty of cars who have to use the same road.

I respect that cyclists want to ride their bikes and all the other stuff, but seriously, if it's dangerous for you and your fellow road users, why do you do it?

[Aliantha]

good job with the shamwow wolf. lol