I just don't fucking get it.

[mangosteen]

To the bicyclist that I almost ran over on the way home a few minutes ago:

Wearing dark clothing
on a dark bicycle
at night
making a wide turn
onto a dimly-lit street
WITH NO REFLECTORS
AND NO LIGHTS
IS NOT OKAY!!!!

NOT FUCKING OKAY AT ALL!!!!!

GOT IT?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?

Comments

[jbsegal.livejournal.com]

In order:
-Ignore traffic signals? Bad. Perhaps do the jaywalking equivalent of "it's safe to go", not so bad, ESPECIALLY if it will get the bike out of the way of a tight intersection when the light changes. But yes, many exhibit poor judgment on this. Usually, I go on the walk signal around here - most of which turn 2-3 seconds before the light goes green. It means I can get up to speed and be less of a hazard to everyone else.

-Bad

-Bad

-Bad

-Enh. I just discovered, in researching this item that what I thought I knew ("Bikes (around here, at least) are legally entitled to use a full lane of traffic.") is wrong. There's nothing I can find in the laws (http://massbike.org/bikelaw/mass.htm or a summary at http://massbike.org/bikelaw/lawlegis.htm ) that says anything about that one way or the other. It DOES say that riding single file is mandated unless passing. Personally, I disagree with that. While I try to move over and let cars by, there are many places where it's not possible, due to the conditions of the road and/or the WIDTH of the road. Most cars think nothing of pushing a bike as close to the edge/gutter/parking lane as they can. There are times that I feel riding defensively is appropriate - even 2 abreast. That said, again, it shouldn't be abused.

- Riding on sidewalks is legal, except in 'business districts' and where prohibited by statute.
Again, I feel ok about ignoring those exceptions where the traffic or road conditions make the roads hazardous. However, on the sidewalks, one should always behave courteously to pedestrians. Again, many cyclists don't do that last.

[sauergeek.livejournal.com]

Riding on sidewalks is legal, except in 'business districts' and where prohibited by statute.

I've seen some cyclists switching from road to sidewalk and back within a block, for no reason that I could see. (No obvious undodgeable holes or patch mess in the road, no impending flattening of the cyclist, no big clots of pedestrians on the sidewalk.) One I remember appeared to be taking either green lights or walk signals, whichever were more convenient to him. I have no problem with cyclists on sidewalks as long as they behave like pedestrians. I have no problem with them in the street as long as they behave like cars. I just want them to pick one and stay with it.

[srl.livejournal.com]

The "claim a lane" approach is actually legally defensible in MA, despite what the legal code may claim. You're riding in a manner necessary to be safe. So long as you're not, say, blasting down Broadway in the middle of the lane, you're fine. (Think Centre Street in JP here, for why you'd rather block traffic in some cases. It's that or the trolley tracks.)

Mangosteen: I suggest you call the municipality you were in when that happened. Talk to the police, and ask them to enforce traffic law more aggressively on bicyclists. They need to be doing it anyway. Write the City Council too, for that matter.