Bikes...

[Slytovhand]

I used that term for both motorbikes and also bicycles...

The motorbike riders who think it's perfectly alright to weave in and out of traffic...mate - if you get hit doing that, it's your own fault! You ride like a moron, you get taken down like one.

Now - I know a few bike riders (including my brother) and there are smart ways to ride - and really dumb ones.. this is about the latter! (yep - you bike riders - go start your thread about people never seeing you... it's well deserved!)

Secondly - pushy riders...who think that since they're not motorised, and not walking - then they don't have to obey either set of laws/rules. You know the ones... running the red light, crossing in the pedestrian crossing bit, cutting through traffic. Even worse if the road doesn't exist, and they go completely cross country...but in between the traffic. Again...you get hit, it's your own damn fault!


/rant......

[AFPheonix]

Shitty motorbike riders are referred to as squids on this side of the Atlantic. They can be identified by their unique plumage: usually a wifebeater, perhaps topped with an open button-down shirt, cargo shorts, tennis shoes, a full-faced helmet, and riding usually a crotch-rocket. (VFRs or other large-cc bikes with lots of pretty plastic on them)
You'll rarely see these guys on a cruiser or sport-tourer. Sometimes they have their squiddy girlfriends riding on the back, usually falling out of their tube tops and flashing you with their ill-chosen miniskirt.
Sooner or later they end up either wising up and properly outfitting themselves or mangled or dead.

[powerboy]

See with me, I plan on taking classes with the police force. And I would be a good driver. I want to actually live.

[AFPheonix]

Me too. This is why I got my endorsement through MSF and have proper riding apparel.

[Shangri-laschild]

It ticks me off that some motorcyclists drive like they do. It makes the idea that everyone on a motorcycle is a crazy daredevil worse. I don't see what the need to weave in and out like that is. I to some extent get the whole wanting to go fast but you can go fast and still be safe.

As far as the bikes, luckily I haven't actually really encountered many who are like that (not being safe)

[protege]

Around here though, it seems the vast majority of people on bicycles are freaking idiots. I can't count the number of times that traffic is stopped, and some idiot on a bike will ride between the lanes, and then right through the red light. No stopping at all! It's like they *want* to get hit!

Then there are the ones that ride along the curb, and then suddenly turn left in front of me! No hand signals, no flashing light, nothing! Um, are you fucking kidding? My car weighs about 10 or more times more than you do. If I hit you (or you hit me) at most I'll get a broken window or a dented door--you'll get seriously fucked up. So why do they do it?

They simply can't figure out why drivers hate them!

On the other hand, most people on motorcycles do not ride like that. Idiots on 'cycles seem to be *exception* rather than the rule. Except for a few idiots on sport bikes, they don't weave in and out of traffic, and take their time. However, the idiots on sport bikes usually aren't around very long--sooner or later, they'll either hit someone, or wrap themselves around a light pole.

[Giggle Goose]

In California it's legal to ride between lanes of traffic. I was so freaked out when I went there! A lot of people use this to cut back on the ridiculous commute times there. Somehow I don't think it would work over here.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Over here, it's mostly cyclists who do that; the "lycra louts" as I and a few other people refer to them as, who ride in the centre of the lane and disregard such trifling things as red lights.

I see very few stupid bikers; it's mostly stupid brats on tiny 30mph pee shooters who do that kind of thing; usually decked out in sweater and joggers, with no gloves. -.-

[BlaqueKatt]

crossing in the pedestrian crossing bit

ok I'll admit I am guilty of this however-I'm not on my bicycle when I do this-I was taught in my bicycle safety course back in middle school to ALWAYS dismount and walk my bike across/through an intersection(obeying the walk lights of course). As it was unsafe to ride through; reason given was intersections are more dangerous, if someone runs a red light/stop sign when you're your bike riding, you have no chance, however off it you can ditch the bike and leap to relative safety.

[blas87]

Still on my tangent about not having a car and having to walk...

Around here, for whatever reason, bicycles aren't allowed on the sidewalks. Which, when I'm the pedestrian, is fine with me. When I'm the motorist, it pisses me off to no end, when some random Snausage thinks he's the next Lance Armstrong and holds up blocks of traffic by peddling at 15 mph on a 35 mph road.....insisting on driving in the middle of traffic and not off to the side where we can pass them safely. In fact, this morning one idiot on a bicycle was in front of several vehicles and traffic was blocked for several blocks.

Some cyclists still use the sidewalk. I've counted 5 times already walking to the tanning salon that I've almost been smacked by some stupid kid on a bicycle...they just don't care.

[LewisLegion]

As a cyclist, let me apologize on behalf of the doofus ducktards. I assure you, I have the utmost desire to continue living and cause neither myself nor anyone else any damage. Fortunately around here are a lot of bicycle lanes and where there aren't, it is frowned upon but not actually illegal to ride on sidewalks. In fact, in some places (on bridges or narrow road ways) there are signs ordering cyclists off the road and onto the sidewalk.

I dislike riding on roads in general because I feel like a bug about to get smacked on a windscreen. If I do, I don't hog the lane, I ALWAYS signal, and while I may weave through STOPPED traffic to get to the turn lane so I can turn on a red light I ONLY do this if I absolutely have to (no crosswalks) and always while making sure traffic is both stopped and sees me.

If I had my way I would never ride in a car lane. Bike lane, sidewalk, or on an alternate bike path avoiding the road altogether if I can help it.

*Edited to clarify* I don't actually turn ON the red light...that would be stupid. I simply do that to get to the intersection so that when the light turns green I can go and get out of the way of the cars before they get up to speed.