->This blog is just like every other blog. It is uninteresting, lame, and serves absolutely no purpose other than to let me vent my frustrations and put my thoughts in writing, which can sometimes be deemed as harsh, rude, or insensitive. There is no specific subject of my blog. I simply write what's on my mind. These are my thoughts, not my actions; they are what I would normally keep to myself in person. They are subject to contradiction or unexpected changes. There are no refunds on minutes wasted while reading my crap. I shouldn't have to remind you, reading stuff I've wrote is a choice, not an obligation. tl;dr: Go away. You're not welcome.
I’ll share the road when you go the speed limit.
Ignorant bicyclists piss me off but before I continue, I would like to carefully approach this subject. I’d hate to sound like a stereotypical, fat, lazy American who thinks the road is only for me. I own a bike and I ride where I can as long as I can do so safely. If riding on the road I always yield to oncoming traffic. Example: If one car is coming, I switch to the opposite side of the road so it can pass safely. If two cars are coming, I completely get off the road. Most of the time, I ride on a sidewalk or bike path when one is available. Now, to get down to the issues.
Problem:
Bicyclists want drivers to share the road.
Why it’s a problem:
- Roads are built for vehicles, not bikes. Taxes from vehicle owners pay for these roads. With this argument, bike owners will usually state that they too own a car and already pay taxes. Well, you’re paying taxes for your car, not your bike. And while it’s true that bikes do not cause damage to roads and do not pollute, the road would not be there if people didn’t fund it. If avid bicyclists got their wish of ceasing the existence of cars, they would also cease the existence of well maintained streets and roads. So pretty much, if you use it, you should be paying for it.
- Bicyclists do not meet the needs of speed limits. Of course, speed limits are supposed to be the maximum speed you can travel on roads, not the minimum (although some roads do have minimum speed limits). But chances are, cars will be going the speed limit of that road which makes it unsafe for bikes and even vehicles. Just because you may have the right of way, don’t expect everyone to conveniently be able to see you and slow down.
- Roads are for getting places faster. People drive cars to get places faster. If you’re not in a hurry and want to take your time getting to your destination, that’s great, but there’s no reason you should hold up others. Not everyone has a schedule that can allow them to take their time getting to work or school. “Just wait to pass!” In a lot of cases, it may not be safe for a vehicle to pass a bicycle.
- Most bicyclists don’t obey traffic laws. If you’re going to share the road, that means you should get a fine or citation for not obeying the laws of the road. I’ve seen many bicyclists disregard stop signs, run red lights, and even go the wrong way on one way streets. Most of them do it because these laws are not enforced. This is unsafe and unfair.
Solution: Build more bike paths and fund them by making regular bike users pay a small tax once a year just like car owners. The more cyclists in a certain area means that there will be more funds for paths. I believe this will make everyone happy. The tree hugging bicyclists get their own little road and the asshole, road raging drivers get theirs. Perhaps someday we will be able to rely on using only bicycles and mass transit to travel, but until then we’ll have to find middle ground. So basically, if you’re a bicyclist, stop being a self righteous, rule breaking, dick and try sharing the road yourself and if you’re a road raging, asshole driver, just chill the fuck out when you come across a biker.
