Wednesday, February 15, 2006

A Word to Our Cycling Friends

YOU ARE NOT FUCKING PEDESTRIANS. This means you do not get to ride on the sidewalk. The word alone should be enough to clue you fucking hampsters in to the fact. It's a conjunction, from the words side and walk. The first word indicates the object's location, being towards the side or edge of a road. The second word indicates the objects intended purpose, in this case as a place to FUCKING WALK. If you are on a wheeled vehicle of just about any kind, this means you don't get to use a sidewalk for travel.

In case you lemmings don't realize it, let me explain it to you. You are subject to the same laws and regulations as any other motor vehicle. You do not get to use crosswalks. You do not get to ride against traffic on the right side of the street.

And somehow, I'm the one who would get arrested if I ran you over.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

It is a difficult thing to explain the cycling relationship with other modes of transportation. When it comes to a street that is too thin to accomodate both a motor vehicle and bicycle, Arizona state law denotes that the bicycle is not required to ride on the road (sidewalk is an alternative). Bike lanes have been a great help to solving this problem. I will sometimes be riding my bike in the street, as far to the right curb as possible, and idiotic drivers will honk and swear at me to get off the road. I have even seen motorists swerve to scare people on bikes. As a primary mode of transportation for myself, these actionse sometimes encourage me to ride on an empty sidewalk in lieu of being assaulted, or even attacked, by motorists. If there is a person on the sidewalk, I will either give them the right of way, or return to the street. http://www.azbikeclub.com/bikelaw.html offers a great rundown of use of bicycles as well as some interesting provisions such as those in Article 11, 28-818 concerning a bicycle safety fund. Anyway, continue with your hate!

Jimmy The Hutt said...

You know, I don't think University or Apache qualify as too thin. Even if you are allowed to use the sidewalk, which is news to me from when I rode, those are not the fucking places to do it. Also, I do not think you get to use cross walks like a pedestrian, nor ride the wrong way on the street, nor any of the thousands of idiotic things you people think you can get away with because you are on a bike. Make up your fucking mind. If you are a pedestrian, THEN FUCKING WALK. If not, THEN STOP ACTING LIKE YOU ARE.

Seems pretty simple.

Anonymous said...

As far as I know it is legal to ride on sidewalks with a bike (a little conversation with an officer earlier confirmed this) and crosswalks are able to be used as long as you walk your bike on the crosswalk.

That being said - some bikers are idiots. Riding the wrong way as well as not signaling turns are a few things that piss me off about people on bikes. But often as a driver, I wish that some bikers would ride on the sidewalk so I wouldn't have to swerve into another lane in order to drive at a reasonable pace. I think the anonymous poster is right about being concerned about safety while on a bike, but it needs to be consistent. Switching is unacceptable. When it comes to roads being to thin, a three lane street can be too thin if there is not enough room to ride a bike at the same time as cars being able to pass you without switching lanes. It all depends on that far right lane as to whether or not safety is in question on a road. As a general rule, it is acceptable to ride a bike on a sidewalk as long as there is no bike lane, and you yeild to pedestrians (the officer stated that when you cross a pedestrian you should get off your bike and walk it... weird crap...)

Anyway, I think the problem is idiocy to begin with, whether it is the rude drivers or oblivious bikers. The exceptions are astounding. A quick conversation with an officer can explain the flexibility in bicycle laws.

Jimmy The Hutt said...

You know what? I don't give a goddamn what the law is, really. I just find it interesting that biking fucks will feel free to argue the point against two tons of steel that move considerably faster then they do, and then get all butt hurt when they lose the pissing match. If they would just STAY THE FUCK OUT OF MY WAY I wouldn't have an issue. In regards to their safety concerns, they should talk to motorcyclists.

And of course they should walk their bike through the crosswalk. Otherwise, its like me driving my car through it.

John said...

For those interested in FACTS, instead of an opinion of a not-too-damn-bright cop, here are the applicable laws from ARS. (Arizona Revised Statutes).
Riding on the sidewalk is NOT acceptable, riding against traffic is completely illegal, and - in spite of what the newspapers have said - cyclists can NOT ride four abreast.
Links:
http://www.azleg.state.az.us/ars/28/00815.htm
http://www.azleg.state.az.us/ars/28/00817.htm
http://www.azleg.state.az.us/ars/28/00735.htm
http://www.azleg.state.az.us/ars/28/00813.htm
http://www.azleg.state.az.us/ars/28/00812.htm