Sidewalks ..

There is a big difference between 'lay on the horn' and 'a little honk'.

My 'what kind of man you really are' comment was a reference to "Mr. Manly," an ongoing comedy bit they used to play on the radio. Anyone remember that?

 

Sorry, you're not my mother.

 

This is a terrible recommendation and you should never honk at a cyclist, especially if there are kids present. My wife & I have been honked at numerous times and its not a safe option AT ALL! A fella decided to "tap" on his horn while my wife and I were riding, caused my wife lose her concentration and she ran off the road and crashed. Just a slight tap too on the horn.

BTW- The honking isn't from us riding in the middle of the road disobeying the rules of the road. Most of the time, its from some jackhole in a hurry or just trying to screw with us.

 

i disagree- you don't think you should be PREPARED for an unexpected noise or circumdtance when riding a bike?? and i am talking about the mentioned circumstance- riding down the center of the road- not jackholes honking for the heck of it to be stupid.

 

My husband and I were just talking about this yesterday. A tap on the horn and a friendly wave is HIGHLY appropriate. If you are a cyclist (IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD) and you KNOW there is someone behind you, make eye contact or gesture that you know they are there, otherwise- you'll get a little honking action.
Sometimes when a family is meandering down the road all spread out, I follow them quietly and wait for them to move. If they don't look at me, how am I supposed to know that they know I am there? I can't safely maneuver around them if they are not alerted to my presence. How do I know they just didn't hear me pull up and might turn out of nowhere in front of me? I have to eventually give a little tap so that I may proceed at a higher speed than 3 mph.
Eye contact. The lost art of eye contact. Hi!! Hi everyone!! Hello!!! How are you!! Nice weather we're having!! How do you do? Howdy!! Hiya!! Hey!!! ((((wave wave wave wave wave))))

 

:agree:

:signsrockon:

 

I refer everyone to the immortal words of Mr. Miyagi from the 1984 film "The Karate Kid":

"Walk right side -- safe. Walk left side -- safe. Walk middle -- sooner or later, get squish just like grape."

Words to live by, fellow cyclists...words to live by.

 

I don't mind the one side if it stayed on one side. Walking up "upper" Ridgeway the sidewalk changes sides and then at the top is changes again. Why force crossing a street is beyond me!

 

Whether you're on a bike or in a car, safety comes first. However, if you're not concerned about your own safety then neither am I. Isn't it common sense to get out of the street when you see a 2 ton vehicle coming at you? I feel that because the cyclist has more to lose in an accident, he should always be aware of what's going on around him. If a car comes up behind you then just move over to the side so that it can get around you. If you can't hear that car then you're not paying attention. And for the love of Pete keep your kids out of the street because when all is said and done, if something happens to them, whether or not it's your fault, you will always blame yourself.

 

Well said!

 

I agree that everybody on the road should be aware of what goes on around them; meaning no earbuds, headphones, texting, etc. However, I think that many drivers don't traverse the roads with the awareness that they are in control of a 2-ton (on average) killing machine.

If you hit a bicyclist, child, pet or jogger with your car, the damage will most likely be greater to them than to your car, and the seconds saved by swerving around an obstacle need to be weighed against the damage that could be done by an accident.

No matter what a driver may feel about the inconvenience of idling behind a group of bikes, or a jogger, or whatever the annoyance is (somebody going exactly the speed limit on a neighborhood road, for example); the driver of a car needs to keep in mind the possible consequences of their actions. Because you can't take back an injury or death, but if you're a few minutes late to an appointment or whatever your destination may be, it's probably not that earth-shattering....

 

in a nutshell, if everybody makes themselves responsible for their own safety, the risk is lower. if everybody remembers that they aren't the only ones on the road, and is considerate of the other road users, the risk is lower still.

but when a biker meanders through the street without looking behind them, a driver speeds or drives with their head down and texting, a jogger has earbuds in so loudly that they don't realize a bike or car may be approaching, all THREE bear the responsiblity for what could happen to them or what harm THEY could cause.

unfortunately- this is a very self centered society, and while many of us DO take personal responsibility, and don't expect everyone in the world to operate around OUR agend and actions, enough oblivious, selfish, self involved people here make it hard for the rest of us to peacefully ride, drive and jog.

worst of all- the folks who fit that description don't even know it and don't even CARE.... so they won't ever change.

 

I agree with what redon says, but I feel the need to reiterate that automobile drivers need to understand that their machine is bigger than a bicycle, jogger, child, pet, squirrel; whatever. Also, they need to understand that they're not the only legitimate users of the roadway (see OP).

I've encountered drivers pissed off because I have the gall to drive the speed limit on our neighborhood roads, come to a complete stop at a stop sign, allow a pedestrian to cross in a crosswalk, slow down to pass a bicycle, etc.

As a motorcycle/bicycle rider, I've seen people blow through stop signs, turn left in front of me, honk (when I'm on a bicycle) because I use the turn lane instead of the crosswalk, and generally act like they own the road because they're driving a car.

Sorry for the rant, but this is one of my pet peeves, and one I make sure my kids know about. I really try to be a responsible user of the roadway, whether I'm a driver, motorcyclist, bicyclist, or pedestrian...

 

Kudos to you for making sure your kids know about the rules of the road! I'm a walker and a biker and it's a wonder that I'm still alive crossing the streets around here with people not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign or ignoring me when I want to cross. I was recently in Lewes, DE and wow - cars actually come to a full stop when pedestrians are trying to cross...what a delightful and courteous area.

 

I think this also has to do with the fact that law enforcement in that area is VERY visible... and people know not to break the law there. Granted, yes, it's a smaller area but still.

This morning I was on Ashburn Village Blvd turning right on Russell Branch and the jeep in front of me (who had a FD license plate) turned right, and didn't even slow down a little bit, at the red light. You'd think someone who's seen the consequences of so many accidents would know better, but I guess not.

 

here's some food for thought... those same inconsiderate rude drivers who act like they own the road are probably the same oblivious speedbump-wannabe bikers who meander dangerously around like it's their RIGHT to do whatever they want.

yeah.... let that marinate! lol

 

Nope; don't think so. In my opinion bikers/motorcyclists are more aware of the others who share the road with them. I believe that because I used to ride my bicycle to work, and was subjected to the rudeness/stupidness of cars for a while. It really opened my eyes to how the road needs to be shared and how all of us need to drive with an awareness of others.

(Also, my husband has been a motorcyclist for years, and that makes me more aware of them and other denizens of our roadways.)

I think your logic is flawed; there are as many oblivious bikers as motorists, so you can't put all the blame on the bikers

 

"I subscribe to the law of contrary public opinion... If everyone thinks one thing, then I say, bet the other way..."

Roma-Glengarry Glen Ross

I'm going to go with NY's finest on this one. Cyclists suck. I wish they were on the sidewalk. I'm not going to blast my horn on them...but we've got a great cyclist track running through Ashburn...take that if you want extended cycling. Northern VA is no place for bikes on the road.

 

Uhh, where did I ever put all the blame on bikers? I definitely think that more drivers than bikers are the problem on the road! But all bikers aren't courteous and again, SHARE the responsibility for their own safety. . It ain't black n white, I never painted it to be.

 

You know, redon1, the phrase you used ("oblivious speedbump-wannabe bikers who meander dangerously around like it's their RIGHT to do whatever they want"), may have influenced me to infer something you didn't mean to imply about bikers.

I should have ignored what was, to me, an inflammatory statement about bicyclists and understood your completely logical comment on the issue at hand. Sorry...