I saw 9 riders this morning. 3-4 were actual commuters and the others were just out turning the pedals over.
Rant Warning:
One older guy (late 50’s?) was riding in the same direction as me. I almost caught him at Alluvial and Millbrook before I saw him ride right through the red light like it was not even there. I slowly rode behind him and caught him right at Alluvial and First street. The light was red. He slowed and then started to ride through the red light. I barked at him “Don’t do it!”
He wobbled and stopped, turned around and scowled at me. I asked “What makes you think you can just ride through red lights?” He didn’t have an answer. He just shook his head and turned back around as the light turned green. I stood on the pedals and sprinted through the light past him.
How somebody has lived as long as he has and runs red lights like they don’t even matter, I will never know.
These people who ride bikes and run reds, stop signs, do stupid things are giving us courteous riders a bad name.
Grrrrr Rant Over
This guy wins the fashion award this morning:
28 users commented in " Lots Of Riders This Morning "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackWell, there are stupid bikers just as there are supid car drivers.
Question: Do you stop at all stop signs when on your bike?
I do not. I slow way down though, long enough to look both ways, I also take my turn at a 4 way stop.
I don’t stop for the stop signs either… red lights of course.
On a 4 way I would take my turn .. after cruising to the front of the line of course.
Same here I stop for the lights and cruise up to the signs. Though drivers usually throw a 4 way out of whack for me and I have to stop.
I’m pretty bad about sneaking through red lights. Especially the T-intersections we have a ton of up here in Madera. I have no explanation for this behavior.
I’m usually a pretty law abiding citizen, I stop and wait at reds, but recently, when I’m in a left lane with a red arrow and a green light, I’ll go when it’s clear. About half of these won’t give you a green arrow anyways if there’s not a car on the sensor.
I will start by saying this site has encouraged me to start bike commuting and I have been doing 2 to 3 days per week for the last few months. With that said I just lost a lot of respect for you. I run lights that are safe to run. Why make it your business to lecture an old man, after all he has made it to 50+. My guess is he is a better and more experienced rider than you.
Sinclair,
I’m glad you started bike commuting and I hope you continue to enjoy it.
With that said I want to make a clarification:
My red light policy is not a blanket policy.
There is an intersection on my route where the red turn arrow seldom turns green for my bike. I do go through that light when it is safe to do so after waiting one cycle to be sure that the light is malfunctioning. The best part is that I am completely within the law to do so.
My main issue is with riders who come to a red light and without hesitation ride through it. Would you do this in your car? If you said yes then keep on trucking man. I ride my bike to respect my rights to ride my bike. Running red lights because they are red and you are on a bicycle is stupid. If the light is on a sensor and it does not recognize you then that is a different matter.
And by the way, maybe I’ll keep my mouth shut next time an old man decides to run a red light. Besides hes older than me right? So he makes the rules? NO! His age does not justify his reckless behavior and also does not mean he is more experienced or “Better” than me.
Meet me at Alluvial and First Street at 7 am, run the red light and see what happens. You might make it, you might not. I will still say I told you so. Do that in your car too. See what happens. Maybe you’ll live long enough to hurt or kill an innocent person.
Some rules are there to protect you not just be annoying.
Don’t be an idiot.
Zak
Riding through a red light and driving through are two completely different things. The obvious would be a $500 ticket vs. a $25 fine. All the cops that have seen me ride through red lights on palm have never wasted there time to lecture or ticket me.
I guess what it comes down to is if its safe go through if its not safe then wait.
That sounds like a good solution.
Humor me and explain how riding through with a car and riding through with a bike is so different?
I would have to say there is very little similarities between driving and riding. If you want to make a comparison then walking and riding would be more appropriate.
Would you walk through a red light? I would
You do realize that riding through a red light unlawfully will eventually get you the same up to $408 dollar ticket as a car.
Do what you want but don’t complain about getting the same fines as a car. By running reds you exhibit a double standard between cars and bikes.
We, as in myself and my peers here are trying to eliminate the double standard between cars and bikes to create a safer and more bike friendly environment.
I don’t know if you were under the impression that I was going to complain to you about my jaywalking ticket but it never crossed my mind. My only reason for responding to your article was the idea that you have some sort of authority over other cyclist.
The fact is there will always be a double standard between bikes and cars because they are not the same.
Hmmm,
1) There’s this thing called the vehicle code which calls a pedestrian a pedestrian and a bicycle a vehicle.
2) Asking another rider why he did something isn’t really exerting any kind of authority, and
3) Run all the lights you want, I’m all for natural selection, just don’t make me pay higher insurance rates, and don’t complain that cars don’t give you any respect on the road.
I don’t think Zak would want you interfering in his debate. You are not making any points that he didn’t already, so mind your own business.
Hey Fiddy, Sunday at 8am Woodward to Prather group ride.
And thanks for the info Fiddy. I would encourage as many comments as possible regarding this subject.
Sinclair, Google is your friend here. Educate yourself before you go off on a bunch of cycling rights advocates. Of course bikes and cars are not the same mechanically. They are considered the same in the California Vehicle Code CVC 21200. You must be above that though. And they must follow all the same rules. Even stopping at red lights CVC 21453. Its in there, you might want to read it.
And to answer your question no I do not have any authority over other cyclists. I simply helped that old man decide whether or not he was making a mistake. He stopped so he made the right choice.
Sinclair, continue to run red lights as much as you want. In fact maybe you should do the same in a car. That should eventually work itself out and we can all go back to normal where people stop at red lights so other people can go at green lights. By the way I have a big truck so when you choose to run those lights in your car I wont be too worried.
Maybe you should also ride against traffic
Dont even bother with a helmet
Wear dark colors at night too.
Dont even hesitate at those red lights, those cars will stop for you just for you.
I’m glad you brought this up, I knew there were alot of people out there who think that they make the rules and that they are invincible.
BONUS:
Now everybody who ever runs a red light will be refferred to as “Sinclair”
Thanks for that.
“there is very little similarities” ?
Pardon me, I think it’s “there be very little similarities”.
I gotta go figure out what my business is …
I am a cautious and curtius rider. I ride with traffic and I stay off the sidewalk. And believe me when I get to Herndon I stop at the red light.
Why do you people think it is unsafe to ride through a intersection with no traffic? Who an I putting in danger. And more importantly why do you think it is any of your business to tell an old man what the cops should be telling him. If it was enforced that old man (and I) would have a drawer full of tickets.
I see, so it is an issue of whether or not a law is enforced. Well go ahead and keep doing what you are doing.
And by the way if I see you or others doing stupid things in traffic on your bike I will point it out.
I saw a “Sinclair” this morning. He went right through the red light like nobody else mattered.
It seems to me that more people agree with me than you. On my rides I see a lot more people taking advantage of empty intersections.
I am honored that riders with common sense have been dubbed “Sinclair”.
Alright now I come back after being MIA for so long to find this discussion going on. To say the least I am quite frustrated with this string of posts.
1. NEVER tell another commenter to mind their own business!!! This is a public blog that was put together to enable people to state their opinions.
2. Just because one sees others do something doesn’t make it right. The old saying if everyone was jumping off a bridge would you comes to mind. Think for your bloody self.
3. I respect cops and that it is their duty to inform people on the laws and enforce them if needed. BUT if I left it up to them the the spread of cycling rights would spread so slowly. It is up to cyclists to inform your community aka drivers about the laws so that you and your fellow cyclists are safe.
When I tell people the different laws and rights that apply to cyclists it changes the way they think about cyclists and how they treat us on the road.
The one thing that I hear all the time is people complaining about cyclists thinking they are above the law. The more drivers see us breaking these laws the more they hate us and the more crap we have to deal with.
4. A car, truck, motorcycle, and bicycle are all the same they are vehicles. The laws apply to all of us. I am not saying I am perfect I have done stupid stuff before.
The reason that 4-way stops are such a cluster fuck is because cyclists will blow through it and the cars get all confused. So now when I ride up to an intersection everyone does that frustrating stop go shuffle.
5. As for being honored for ignorant fools with no respect for laws being called “Sinclair”. All I can say is get over yourself
I am happy that all of you ride and promote the cycling culture, but a huge part of being part of this culture is the understanding that we have to stick together and promote our rights. Disrespecting this is a slap in the face.
The reason Zak and I built this blog was to promote bike culture, give people a place to come to be among people of the same love (bicycles), to have fun, and to advocate for bicycles.
Do what you want but for me I yell at cyclists and cars. If a car is being stupid no matter if I am in a car or on my bike I yell at them. I have gone as far as blocking a car so that a cyclist could have the right away that they were entitled. I honk my horn at people and tell them to get out of the bike lane. When I see cyclist doing stupid stuff yes even running red lights I yell at them even if they are my friends.
Why do I do all that crap above because like Zak we care. We care what happens to people on their bikes and what people think about cyclists. Education is the key, you educate the drivers how to act with bicycles and educate cyclists how to act on the streets.
Only through education and regard for the laws do we move forward otherwise we are just hurting ourselves.
Word son
Bike tough bike smart.
Don’t be a “Sinclair”
1. NEVER tell another commenter to mind their own business!!! This is a public blog that was put together to enable people to state their opinions.
I was only saying that out of respect for Zak so he doesn’t look like he needs someone defending him.
2. Just because one sees others do something doesn’t make it right. The old saying if everyone was jumping off a bridge would you comes to mind. Think for your bloody self.
I do think for myself, that’s why I don’t sit at a red light with no cars in the intersection. You would be tool not to.
4. A car, truck, motorcycle, and bicycle are all the same they are vehicles. The laws apply to all of us. I am not saying I am perfect I have done stupid stuff before.
I would like to see how far you get driving a car on the sidewalk going against traffic (like most of the cyclist I see). They are not the same.
5. As for being honored for ignorant fools with no respect for laws being called “Sinclair”. All I can say is get over yourself.
I am honored that people think for them self and not self righteous douche bags. If you were walking, you would walk through the light if it was safe.
Hey Sinclair, hit the road jack.
Sinclair you are the reason people hate cyclists you refuse to follow the laws put in front of you. For some reason you think its fine to follow the laws only in your car.
So in your opinion you believe its okay to break the LAW on a bicycle but not a car. That is an interesting double standard you got there.
As for thinking for yourself your not. Thinking is an intellectual process. Meaning if you thought about what you were doing actually you would realize that what your saying is ridiculous. When I am sitting at a red light I am not being a tool as you said I am following the laws and showing my fellow travelers be them cars or cyclists that I know the law and I am not above it. Consideration for others and the law is one of the reasons we are a civilized society.
No one likes a double standard. Double standards is what has caused so many disputes and chaos in this world already. It does not matter what the pay grade some one is, the color of their skin, or the size of their vehicle.
I am personally about to close down the post because I hate how this string has gone, bantering about something that should be common sense.
You have not read any of my points, you just latch on to one small part of what I am saying and use that for your counter point. If the only reason you have for not running a red light is the law then you are not thinking intellectually about it, you are a robot that does what he is told. Nobody in a car thinks of a cyclist as an equal, and nobody cares or looks down on you for running a red light. Its the same as jaywalking. Some cops may give you a ticket for jaywalking but that’s the exception.
As far as your double standard point, well that’s a joke. You have no idea what I do in a car.
I believe that we (cyclists) should strive to change the perception that bikes and cars are different. This is the only way that we will receive any respect from drivers. That is why we should follow the law whenever it makes sense to do so.
So the other night, I was riding home from work and I rolled up next to another cyclist who was stopped at a red light. I said to him, “I thought I was the last guy who actually stopped at red lights anymore.” He smiled and said it only took getting plowed by a car once, for him to change his ways, and that had taken place quite a few years ago.
Sinclair, I applaud you for getting out there and riding. I’m glad the Bike4More guys are an encouragement for you as they have been for me. Like I’ve said in a previous post, we’re all out there on the same roads, mixing it up with the same cars, so in a sense, I ride with you. I shouldn’t be snarky or rude, or I will never gain your respect. In fact, I honestly appreciate the discussion that’s begun here with your comment.
On the topic of Drivers vs. Riders, I’d like to suggest to everyone a new book I’ve been reading called Pedal Power. It’s about what it takes to change culture and what it will take to create a more bike-friendly society. I’m only about a third of the way through it, but it hits on some philosophical issues on how a culture develops and defines it’s morals. We’ll always have drivers, but we have a long way to go before most of them understand the perspective we have behind the handlebars.
Be safe everyone. and Zak, I can’t make it this Sunday, but I’ll meet up with you guys sometime.