Is this Cyclist a Jerk?

Captain

Captain

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So, I'm driving my truck down the road. F-250 with dual vertical exhaust with NASCAR stickers on the back window. I'm driving with my buddy and we see a bicycle rider on the shoulder of the road.

Not a huge deal as traffic is light...but there is a side walk RIGHT THERE! Why should this guy be in the road. There wasn't any on coming traffic....but there COULD have been.

I slow down and pull along side him. My buddy riding shotgun rolled down his window and shouted at the guy. Told him to 'get off the road'. Of course the little bicycle man had headphones in and didn't say a word back. Probably oblivious to the fact he was on a road made for cars and trucks anyway.

Why can't bikes stay on the sidewalks where they belong?

So, was this bicycle guy a Jerk?
 
Captain said:
So, I'm driving my truck down the road. F-250 with dual vertical exhaust with NASCAR stickers on the back window. I'm driving with my buddy and we see a bicycle rider on the shoulder of the road.

Not a huge deal as traffic is light...but there is a side walk RIGHT THERE! Why should this guy be in the road. There wasn't any on coming traffic....but there COULD have been.

I slow down and pull along side him. My buddy riding shotgun rolled down his window and shouted at the guy. Told him to 'get off the road'. Of course the little bicycle man had headphones in and didn't say a word back. Probably oblivious to the fact he was on a road made for cars and trucks anyway.

Why can't bikes stay on the sidewalks where they belong?

So, was this bicycle guy a Jerk?
Click to expand...

Actually in Florida bikes are not suppossed to be on the sidewalks. Not saying I agree with that but it is what it is.
 
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IMHO the cyclist was an idiot for riding in traffic wearing headphones that interfered with situational awareness*. But I agree with Bill S., you and your passenger were the jerks for yelling at him. Ditto the many drivers who yell "sidewalk!" at bicyclists riding in the bike lane.

Sometimes, there is even NO sidewalk to ride on and these folks still yell "sidewalk!" :dunno:

*edit: That's IF the headphones were of the type that put you in your private world. It's also possible the cyclist didn't answer because, well, he's a cyclist, 150-whatever lbs of meat on an alloy frame, and you're driving a 2.5-ton pickup. I would probably have done the same.
 
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Other than the laws concerning riding bicycles on sidewalks, observing the rules of the roads(and in most places riding a vehicle on the road while wearing head phones IS illegal), and "road rage"(and in some places yelling at someone while driving IS considered road rage, and I know of a few instances where the act of yelling at someone or even honking at them because of their stupid operator tricks lead to physical attacks and on occasion death), bicyclists often see the road from a very different perspective than a motorists. That small hole in the road, glass in the road, or even garbage left on the road that you may not even notice as a driver, may be the possible cause of wiping out while biking. So if you see a bike on the road please give them a little more space than you think they need.
 
Being a long time cyclist, I have seen it all. Spit on, change thrown at me, beeping their horns, yelling, crowding me off of the road, passing on blind curves and even tagging me with their truck mirror -- I saw the guy swerve towards me at the last second. In fact my wife was hit by kid who made a left turn into her. Major leg reconstruction and two years of rehab. And to her credit she got back on the bike - but her heart monitor goes off everytime a car gets close to us.

As was mentioned previously, most states require cyclists follow the same laws as motorists. I follow the laws of the road that pertain to me just as much as a vehicle.
 
No, but the driver of the truck is a chocolate starfish. Then again, not surprising considering who was driving.

And for the moron in the truck - they are called sideWALKs, not siderides. Pinhead.
 
EdFred said:
No, but the driver of the truck is a chocolate starfish. Then again, not surprising considering who was driving.

And for the moron in the truck - they are called sideWALKs, not siderides. Pinhead.
Click to expand...

Settle down. No need to get emotional.

(Don't think anyone's ever called me a 'chocolate starfish' before). Is that bad? Sounds bad in a sexual way. R u repressed?
 
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Considering the other sociopathic episodes you and your "friend" seem to stumble into, I forsee a YouTube video one of these days of a certain two folks getting whooped on after one of these interactions.

Any of these traits seem familiar?

http://www.mcafee.cc/Bin/sb.html

Captain said:
So, I'm jogging with a friend in a surban area. We get to a cross walk and we have the green light and a little white 'WALK' symbol so we proceed into the intersection.

There is cross traffic stopped at the light and one of the cars has stopped WAY into the cross walk to the point where the crosswalk is completely covered. I arc to go around the front of said car but my friend leaps onto the hood, stops and faces the driver (middle aged woman) and says, "This is a Crosswalk!".

He then jumps off and continues to jog like nothing happened.

So, is my friend a jerk or is that funny as he was within his right to be annoyed.
Click to expand...

Captain said:
So I'm driving with a friend (acquaintance really) last summer. The windows are down and we pull up to an intersection. We are in the right lane and as we roll to a stop we are next to a car in the left lane with two teenage males. Their windows are down and rap music is BLASTING out of their car.

The base is full up and the beat is going through us...shaking everything in our car and making conversation impossible while we wait for the red light. Time dragged on. Finally, when the light turns green and we both start rolling forward my friend throws a crumpled up fast food bag full of wrappers into their car and makes a hard right turn. They continue straight never to be seen again.

I said, "OMG" to which he replied, "Hey, they littered in my car first!"

So...is this driver a jerk?
Click to expand...
 
Captain said:
So, I'm driving my truck down the road. F-250 with dual vertical exhaust with NASCAR stickers on the back window. I'm driving with my buddy and we see a bicycle rider on the shoulder of the road.

Not a huge deal as traffic is light...but there is a side walk RIGHT THERE! Why should this guy be in the road. There wasn't any on coming traffic....but there COULD have been.

I slow down and pull along side him. My buddy riding shotgun rolled down his window and shouted at the guy. Told him to 'get off the road'. Of course the little bicycle man had headphones in and didn't say a word back. Probably oblivious to the fact he was on a road made for cars and trucks anyway.

Why can't bikes stay on the sidewalks where they belong?

So, was this bicycle guy a Jerk?
Click to expand...
Bikes don't belong on the sidewalk. That is for pedestrians. Check your rules of the road, the cyclist was entitled to the entire lane most likely and you guys were the jerks
 
wsuffa said:
1) In most places, cyclists have to obey the traffic laws. That means "no riding on sidewalks".
2) In many places, they have the right to occupy the full lane.
3) In some places, harassment of cyclists is a crime (or at least a traffic violation).

http://www.vabike.org/another-city-passes-bike-harassment-ordinance/

http://www.bikingbis.com/2012/04/01...ts-give-3-feet-or-more-when-passing-cyclists/

Basically, you were wrong. And yes, you and your passenger were jerks.
Click to expand...

I'd like to see a bike occupy a full lane, the rider would have to be large.
They do have all the rights of a car (not saying I agree) but typically that includes not impeding traffic.
 
ElPaso Pilot said:
Considering the other sociopathic episodes you and your "friend" seem to stumble into, I forsee a YouTube video one of these days of a certain two folks getting whooped on after one of these interactions.

Any of these traits seem familiar?

http://www.mcafee.cc/Bin/sb.html
Click to expand...

After these replies, this is what I'm envisioning:

poor-and-stupid-season-14-episode-8-full-episode-player-south-park-studios_1286478113460.jpeg
 
Marauder said:
Being a long time cyclist, I have seen it all.
Click to expand...

No, you haven't.

Many moons ago I was riding in a rural setting. I was going downhill at probably 30 mph. There were no cars in my lane, but there was a long line of traffic heading the opposite direction, climbing the long straight hill.

As I approached the line of vehicles, a frickin' dump truck pulled out to pass the line of cars. Yes, me and a frickin' dump truck head-on at a closing speed of 80-90 mph. Lovely.

I hugged the white stripe on my side of the road and the truck's mirror missed my head by a foot or two.

MOFO...
 
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Personally I would never ride my bicycle in the road even if I had right-of-way because I've seen how bad people drive and I don't want to place my life in the hands of some moron that's is texting or on their cellphone.

The law does allow cyclists to ride in the road but I've seen way to many accidents where the biggest vehicle always wins regardless of who had the right to be there.

Look at how many cops get killed in the line of duty while performing a legal traffic stop on the side of the road, now imagine if that was a bicycle instead.

 
ebykowsky said:
After these replies, this is what I'm envisioning:

poor-and-stupid-season-14-episode-8-full-episode-player-south-park-studios_1286478113460.jpeg
Click to expand...


Funny...but I'm not quite there yet.

kyleb said:
No, you haven't.

Many moons ago I was riding in a rural setting. I was going downhill at probably 30 mph. There were no cars in my lane, but there was a long line of traffic heading the opposite direction, climibing the long straight hill.

As I approached the line of vehicles, a frickin' dump truck pulled out to pass the line of cars. Yes, me and a frickin' dump truck head-on at a closing speed of 80-90 mph. Lovely.

I hugged the white stripe on my side of the road and the truck's mirror missed my head by a foot or two.

MOFO...
Click to expand...

This was sort of the response I was looking for....



Okay, I'll fess up early. I was going to wait till tomorrow but the responses are getting pretty vicious IMO.

I told the story from the reverse perspective. I was the cyclist. I thought it'd be more entertaining that way, plus...I felt 'the cyclist' would automatically get dumped on if I told the story from my own perspective. Forgive me but this forum sort of has a history of that. Ya'll blow off the AIM to blast me for reverse high speed turn offs and yet quote the AIM chapter and verse when I say 'with you Level at 290, good morning'. Put short this forum loves to criticize me...right or wrong.

Anyway, I recently took up bike riding and I've noticed I've been getting yelled at a lot by motorists. They are always young white males and often in what could be described as 'red neck' vehicles. The truck in question is described exactly as I saw it complete with the NASCAR stickers. I was wearing earphones, but only in one ear because I'm scared to death of cars coming up behind me. When that slowed to match my pace and yelled out the window I was a bit scared. An image of 'Natural Born Killers' came to mind where they shot a cyclist point blank range while driving along side them.

The main point of my post is to spread awareness that cyclists do belong on the road and they have right of way too. Give space please. I'm in Florida.
 
I KNEW we'd been had!

Still an unexpected twist though.:redface:
 
EdFred said:
No, but the driver of the truck is a chocolate starfish. Then again, not surprising considering who was driving.

And for the moron in the truck - they are called sideWALKs, not siderides. Pinhead.
Click to expand...

Many a time on POA I've seen something that I have no clue what it means (usually an acronym) and I've never asked but this is killing me........what's a chocolate starfish??!!!
 
Swampfox201 said:
Many a time on POA I've seen something that I have no clue what it means (usually an acronym) and I've never asked but this is killing me........what's a chocolate starfish??!!!
Click to expand...

An anus.

You should start using Urban Dictionary.
 
Swampfox201 said:
Many a time on POA I've seen something that I have no clue what it means (usually an acronym) and I've never asked but this is killing me........what's a chocolate starfish??!!!
Click to expand...

Its what this deranged man thinks about daily. You should see the PM he sent me! Not fit for hockey players ears!
 
flav8r said:
Personally I would never ride my bicycle in the road even if I had right-of-way because I've seen how bad people drive and I don't want to place my life in the hands of some moron that's is texting or on their cellphone.

The law does allow cyclists to ride in the road but I've seen way to many accidents where the biggest vehicle always wins regardless of who had the right to be there.

Look at how many cops get killed in the line of duty while performing a legal traffic stop on the side of the road, now imagine if that was a bicycle instead.

Click to expand...

Yea, I don't blame you at all. I see them riding around here on very busy roads at 5pm. Probably not the best decision/time to be riding. I always give bicycles/motorcycles their space. Riding a motorcycle in traffic makes someone a much better and more defensive driver when they get in a car.
 
Captain said:
Its what this deranged man thinks about daily. You should see the PM he sent me! Not fit for hockey players ears!
Click to expand...


You mean this one where you had a subject of "WTF" ?
EdFred said:
Captain said:
[redacted, so as not to violate the TOS in posting other people's private messages.]
Click to expand...

I think you're a pretentious self absorbed ********, and have thought that since you showed up on the board. I do give you credit for being double jointed, because I haven't seen anyone pat themselves on their back quite like you do.
Click to expand...
 
bartmc said:
We all won, we learned what a chocolate starfish is and what it means to be double jointed. They won't teach you these things in school.
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And what a p*ssing match is.
 
There's no pjssing match. I made a simple little post (albeit a little misdirected) and some people came off the top rope and posted and PMd what they did.

Im not upset. The thread is good. If anybody going forward sympathisises with bicycle riders and gives them space then IMO 'mission accomplished'. That's the point...
 
Captain said:
Okay, I'll fess up early. I was going to wait till tomorrow but the responses are getting pretty vicious IMO.

I told the story from the reverse perspective. I was the cyclist.
Click to expand...
If that's the truth, then you definitely got me. Nicely played.

Anyway, I recently took up bike riding and I've noticed I've been getting yelled at a lot by motorists. They are always young white males and often in what could be described as 'red neck' vehicles. The truck in question is described exactly as I saw it complete with the NASCAR stickers. I was wearing earphones, but only in one ear because I'm scared to death of cars coming up behind me. When that slowed to match my pace and yelled out the window I was a bit scared. An image of 'Natural Born Killers' came to mind where they shot a cyclist point blank range while driving along side them.
Click to expand...
Now that has the ring of truth! :yes:

The main point of my post is to spread awareness that cyclists do belong on the road and they have right of way too. Give space please.
Click to expand...
+1.
 
Captain said:
There's no pjssing match. I made a simple little post (albeit a little misdirected) and some people came off the top rope and posted and PMd what they did.

Im not upset. The thread is good. If anybody going forward sympathisises with bicycle riders and gives them space then IMO 'mission accomplished'. That's the point...
Click to expand...

Ok, I'll settle and call just consider you the unfortunate urinal here. :yes:

Very good way to "get" us... I considered you to be quite the jerk with your OP, but that's obviously cleared up now. Oh, and don't worry about the other member(s) who has/have sent you PM's... some people's avatars are particularly fitting.
 
Captain said:
So, I'm driving my truck down the road. F-250 with dual vertical exhaust with NASCAR stickers on the back window. I'm driving with my buddy and we see a bicycle rider on the shoulder of the road.

Not a huge deal as traffic is light...but there is a side walk RIGHT THERE! Why should this guy be in the road. There wasn't any on coming traffic....but there COULD have been.

I slow down and pull along side him. My buddy riding shotgun rolled down his window and shouted at the guy. Told him to 'get off the road'. Of course the little bicycle man had headphones in and didn't say a word back. Probably oblivious to the fact he was on a road made for cars and trucks anyway.

Why can't bikes stay on the sidewalks where they belong?

So, was this bicycle guy a Jerk?
Click to expand...


I know you're joking, but I swear the same exact thing you describe played out to me about six months ago. I was on the bike.

I could have easily taken those fat ****ers (their faces were fat, couldn't see the rest) but for the next thirty days I visualized myself hitting the redneck bars in hopes of finding those two *******s.
 
Sac Arrow said:
I know you're joking, but I swear the same exact thing you describe played out to me about six months ago. I was on the bike.

I could have easily taken those fat ****ers (their faces were fat, couldn't see the rest) but for the next thirty days I visualized myself hitting the redneck bars in hopes of finding those two *******s.
Click to expand...

I know, right. Except I'm not joking. That really happened and it happens a lot. The OP described the worst case so far...but people shout and honk a lot. There is an obvious disconnect between cyclists on the road with a right to be there and many motorists who think their job is to 'set them straight' and tell them to get on the sidewalk!
 
Sac Arrow said:
Seriously, you can go **** yourself *******, I have every right to be on the road as you ****head. I try my best to yield to cars, but you try to force me on to the gutter or the sidewalk and we're fighting.
Click to expand...

Um... if you're responding to "Captain," read post #18 first...
 
Sac Arrow said:
Seriously, you can go **** yourself *******, I have every right to be on the road as you ****head. I try my best to yield to cars, but you try to force me on to the gutter or the sidewalk and we're fighting.
Click to expand...
Curse the driver all you want. When I bike I avoid cars. Car versus bicycle... unfortunately car usually wins.

And when I drive I avoid bikes, getting blood does bad things to the paint job, and the scratches takes work to buff out.:wink2:
 
Ok I'm sorry Captain,I didn't read the whole thread.
 
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