Do you drive? Come meet the people who bike!
February 12, 2021 3:08 PM Subscribe
This is a post for connecting people who drive with people who bike. Tell us about your first bike ride. Tell us about your scariest bike ride. Tell us how it makes you feel to ride a bike.
Dehumanization of cyclists predicts self-reported aggressive behaviour toward them: A pilot study (abstract).
Dehumanization of cyclists predicts self-reported aggressive behaviour toward them: A pilot study (abstract).
My bike (chauvinist?) first reaction is who can remember a first bike ride, or much of any detail at 4 or 5 years of age? I'm not a serious biker by any means but I don't remember ever not having some kind of bike, just around. As for scariest, I guess on a rainy day, then seeing some woman looking down at me in the emergency room, but I really don't remember anything between being annoyed at traffic and the drizzle. So again a hard question to actually answer.
posted by sammyo at 4:11 PM on February 12, 2021
posted by sammyo at 4:11 PM on February 12, 2021
Londoner here. I neither drive nor bike: I walk everywhere. I understand there are many positive aspects to bike culture, but get the impression that some cyclists regard me in the same contemptuous way that some drivers regard them. I'm thinking of the ones who casually use the pavements or ignore red lights at pedestrian crossings.
A cyclist colliding with me would certainly injure me far less than a car doing so, but it's also cyclists who produce all the near misses I experience while making my way around. I offer this simply to add a city pedestrian's perspective to the conversation.
posted by Paul Slade at 4:13 PM on February 12, 2021 [22 favorites]
A cyclist colliding with me would certainly injure me far less than a car doing so, but it's also cyclists who produce all the near misses I experience while making my way around. I offer this simply to add a city pedestrian's perspective to the conversation.
posted by Paul Slade at 4:13 PM on February 12, 2021 [22 favorites]
I purchased an electric bike in 2019 and it is the only thing that kept me sane in 2020. Without a doubt it is the best purchase I have made in my adult life. I would love to ride it everywhere, but I have limited myself to doing endless circles of a loop in the park that doesn't allow cars and in a nearby cemetery where car traffic is limited. The mayor of my city is pro-bike and has added bike lines, though it's not nearly enough. The problem is, the general population seems to think he is an asshole for doing so. At least, that's the impression I get from the multitude of comments about bike lines in NextDoor. It's truly frightening! People HATE that a biker is slowing them down for 2 minutes. And if they are willing to take the time to rant about it on NextDoor, I can only imagine how angry they are when they are behind the wheel. And as far as the linked study -- is it not true that "dehumanization" of ANY body can predict aggressive behavior? Seems that dehumanization of others is 98% of what lies at the heart of most of the world's problems right now. (Cool post, thank you)
posted by pjsky at 4:22 PM on February 12, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by pjsky at 4:22 PM on February 12, 2021 [5 favorites]
There's a tendency to turn the confirmation bias of observing a member of the "other" group do something unsavory into a wholesale condemnation of all members of the group.
posted by tigrrrlily at 4:23 PM on February 12, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by tigrrrlily at 4:23 PM on February 12, 2021 [2 favorites]
A few years ago, I got t-boned by a guy making an illegal u-turn [content warning: video of it] who fled the scene of the accident. Toronto police declined to attend the scene. I brought pictures of the car and the video of the collision reporting center, and dutifully filed my report; their system didn't even have "bikes" on their list of vehicles that might have been involved in the accident. Neither I nor the witness whose name I provided have ever been contacted about it.
Even better, the police budget was increased so that a collision reporting center could be opened downtown, so cyclists didn't need to wander out to the sticks to report accidents that happened in the core. That new reporting center never opened, and in Ontario a car remains a get-out-of-jail free card when it comes to murder.
Kill somebody with a knife, a gun, a bat? That's definitely manslaughter. Kill someone with a car, by law that's a $500 fine you don't even need to show up to court to pay.
If I'd gone under the wheels instead of over that guy's hood, the fine for killing me would have been about a fifth the cost of the bike I was riding when he did it.
So... we know, OK? We know drivers see cyclists as less than human. We know the police don't care. We know.
posted by mhoye at 4:26 PM on February 12, 2021 [30 favorites]
Even better, the police budget was increased so that a collision reporting center could be opened downtown, so cyclists didn't need to wander out to the sticks to report accidents that happened in the core. That new reporting center never opened, and in Ontario a car remains a get-out-of-jail free card when it comes to murder.
Kill somebody with a knife, a gun, a bat? That's definitely manslaughter. Kill someone with a car, by law that's a $500 fine you don't even need to show up to court to pay.
If I'd gone under the wheels instead of over that guy's hood, the fine for killing me would have been about a fifth the cost of the bike I was riding when he did it.
So... we know, OK? We know drivers see cyclists as less than human. We know the police don't care. We know.
posted by mhoye at 4:26 PM on February 12, 2021 [30 favorites]
> some cyclists regard me in the same contemptuous way that some drivers regard them
Monkey Dust - Cyclists (SLYT)
Re: scariest bike rides, I've found near misses involving vehicles when cycling near traffic much scarier than my actual bike crashes.
Scariest near miss where I was at fault as a cyclist: riding bike in city with trams before i'd learned to treat tram tracks as an existential threat against cycling life. I was slowing down to halt at intersection and wait for oncoming traffic to pass before turning off across traffic. I stupidly let both wheels of bike slot into the groove of a tram track. Lost control of bike. Complete luck that wheels shuddered and jumped back out of tram track groove. Bike was fishtailing, somehow I managed not to fall off, very lucky not to launch myself over handlebars head first into the oncoming SUV.
Scariest near misses I've seen where cyclists weren't at fault: (i) riding fairly slowly in straight line in bike lane on dead straight road in daylight with perfect visibility in light suburban traffic when I have right of way, SUV coming the other way without right of way tries to turn off onto side road right through me. (ii) big pedestrian/cyclist intersection across 6 lane highway. All vehicle traffic halted with red light for cyclist/pedestrian traffic to cross. About 20 cyclist commuters start crossing when they get green light after vehicle traffic halted. Car sails straight through intersection through red light going about 40 kmh about 1 second (meter or two) in front of cyclist pack.
posted by are-coral-made at 4:42 PM on February 12, 2021 [2 favorites]
Monkey Dust - Cyclists (SLYT)
Re: scariest bike rides, I've found near misses involving vehicles when cycling near traffic much scarier than my actual bike crashes.
Scariest near miss where I was at fault as a cyclist: riding bike in city with trams before i'd learned to treat tram tracks as an existential threat against cycling life. I was slowing down to halt at intersection and wait for oncoming traffic to pass before turning off across traffic. I stupidly let both wheels of bike slot into the groove of a tram track. Lost control of bike. Complete luck that wheels shuddered and jumped back out of tram track groove. Bike was fishtailing, somehow I managed not to fall off, very lucky not to launch myself over handlebars head first into the oncoming SUV.
Scariest near misses I've seen where cyclists weren't at fault: (i) riding fairly slowly in straight line in bike lane on dead straight road in daylight with perfect visibility in light suburban traffic when I have right of way, SUV coming the other way without right of way tries to turn off onto side road right through me. (ii) big pedestrian/cyclist intersection across 6 lane highway. All vehicle traffic halted with red light for cyclist/pedestrian traffic to cross. About 20 cyclist commuters start crossing when they get green light after vehicle traffic halted. Car sails straight through intersection through red light going about 40 kmh about 1 second (meter or two) in front of cyclist pack.
posted by are-coral-made at 4:42 PM on February 12, 2021 [2 favorites]
In conclusion, my bike commute profoundly informs my politics and my understanding of the nature of power. If you look at the incredible imbalance of power and vulnerability involved when a cyclist gets cut off by an F-150 and your first reaction is to talk about how important the rules are I know everything I will ever need to know about you.
And it's crystal clear to me how sanctimonious and ultimately irrelevant these "let's all try to understand each other" exercises in performative sympathy are, when those imbalances of power and vulnerability are unchanged at the end of the day.
posted by mhoye at 4:51 PM on February 12, 2021 [30 favorites]
And it's crystal clear to me how sanctimonious and ultimately irrelevant these "let's all try to understand each other" exercises in performative sympathy are, when those imbalances of power and vulnerability are unchanged at the end of the day.
posted by mhoye at 4:51 PM on February 12, 2021 [30 favorites]
I have many. My scariest recent ride:
I forgot my headlamp strap and normal bike light, but I did have another flashlight and some zip ties in my handle bar bag, so I strapped my flashlight to the front rack.
I was pushing about about 25 MPH on one of the darkest parts of my local dirt/gravel type trail and the light I strapped to the front rack apparently didn't like the rain, mud and vibrations very much and it kept flickering, switching modes and being weird.
And then it cut out completely and suddenly I was hurtling through pitch black space with no frame of reference, started braking, ended up panic braking a bit too hard and lost the front wheel and any sense of gravity in about 1.5 seconds between the light going out and me going splat on the muddy trail and sliding for a good 10 feet.
It was probably a good thing it was wet and muddy and I was wearing my rain suit and plenty of layers. My only real injury was banging my ankle pretty good. I was wearing my helmet but I kept my head and face off the ground as I usually do.
I did end up bending my derailleur and hanger, but it was long overdue to be replaced anyway.
In 30+ years of riding I've never had a light turn off like that at that kind of speed in that kind of darkness and it was appalling how fast I lost my balance without being able to see anything. Which makes sense because you don't really feel much gravity when you're riding a bike normally because you're balancing and technically always in about a normal G of force unless you're banking a turn really hard.
There's a reason I usually run two lights.
posted by loquacious at 5:00 PM on February 12, 2021 [1 favorite]
I forgot my headlamp strap and normal bike light, but I did have another flashlight and some zip ties in my handle bar bag, so I strapped my flashlight to the front rack.
I was pushing about about 25 MPH on one of the darkest parts of my local dirt/gravel type trail and the light I strapped to the front rack apparently didn't like the rain, mud and vibrations very much and it kept flickering, switching modes and being weird.
And then it cut out completely and suddenly I was hurtling through pitch black space with no frame of reference, started braking, ended up panic braking a bit too hard and lost the front wheel and any sense of gravity in about 1.5 seconds between the light going out and me going splat on the muddy trail and sliding for a good 10 feet.
It was probably a good thing it was wet and muddy and I was wearing my rain suit and plenty of layers. My only real injury was banging my ankle pretty good. I was wearing my helmet but I kept my head and face off the ground as I usually do.
I did end up bending my derailleur and hanger, but it was long overdue to be replaced anyway.
In 30+ years of riding I've never had a light turn off like that at that kind of speed in that kind of darkness and it was appalling how fast I lost my balance without being able to see anything. Which makes sense because you don't really feel much gravity when you're riding a bike normally because you're balancing and technically always in about a normal G of force unless you're banking a turn really hard.
There's a reason I usually run two lights.
posted by loquacious at 5:00 PM on February 12, 2021 [1 favorite]
I drive a car, I ride motorcycles, I ride a bike, I walk. I don't dehumanize those using a different form of transportation, but I fear that there are some people out there you just can't reach (to paraphrase a line from "Cool Hand Luke").
Having said that, a short biking story:
I hadn't ridden a bike in years, and bought a relatively cheap "mountain bike" to get back into it. I rode it enough to decide I had to change from the semi-knobby tires to something smoother for commuting, to reduce rolling resistance. The difference was like night and day. Then, on a visit to my father-in-law, he loaned me a road bike. He had done long distance bicycle touring on this thing, so it was not a racer, but; when we got on the bike trail, it felt like even the tiniest bit of effort on my part was being translated directly into SPEED! I felt like a kid again. I couldn't resist seeing how fast I could go. I couldn't sprint endlessly, but we rode about 25 miles, and it was fantastic. It made my mountain bike feel like a slug.
posted by coppertop at 5:05 PM on February 12, 2021 [4 favorites]
Having said that, a short biking story:
I hadn't ridden a bike in years, and bought a relatively cheap "mountain bike" to get back into it. I rode it enough to decide I had to change from the semi-knobby tires to something smoother for commuting, to reduce rolling resistance. The difference was like night and day. Then, on a visit to my father-in-law, he loaned me a road bike. He had done long distance bicycle touring on this thing, so it was not a racer, but; when we got on the bike trail, it felt like even the tiniest bit of effort on my part was being translated directly into SPEED! I felt like a kid again. I couldn't resist seeing how fast I could go. I couldn't sprint endlessly, but we rode about 25 miles, and it was fantastic. It made my mountain bike feel like a slug.
posted by coppertop at 5:05 PM on February 12, 2021 [4 favorites]
I distinctly remember my first ride on a two-wheeler because I got a BRAND NEW bike and it was pink with unicorn stickers and it had little plastic doohickeys on the spokes that were bright green and pink and blue AND it had rainbow streamers on the handles. I named it Oatbags and pretended it was a horse and no bike has ever lived up to how glorious Oatbags was since.
posted by ChuraChura at 5:15 PM on February 12, 2021 [22 favorites]
posted by ChuraChura at 5:15 PM on February 12, 2021 [22 favorites]
I forgot my headlamp strap and normal bike light, but I did have another flashlight and some zip ties in my handle bar bag, so I strapped my flashlight to the front rack
If you do enough poorly-lit riding/nighttime riding to make it worthwhile I would suggest getting a dynamo hub. I never forget my lights because they're always attached to the bike and never need a battery change or recharge. A built wheel with a Shimano Nexus dynamo in 700c or 26" starts around US$200 or so.
posted by Pseudonymous Cognomen at 5:19 PM on February 12, 2021
If you do enough poorly-lit riding/nighttime riding to make it worthwhile I would suggest getting a dynamo hub. I never forget my lights because they're always attached to the bike and never need a battery change or recharge. A built wheel with a Shimano Nexus dynamo in 700c or 26" starts around US$200 or so.
posted by Pseudonymous Cognomen at 5:19 PM on February 12, 2021
First bike ride (in which I discover geography, around age 12): I'd just learned to ride a bike and I wasn't very good at working out routes. I could go one way to get to my friend Peter's house, and go another to get to my friend Graham's house. If I wanted to go from Peter's to Graham's, I'd go most of the way home until I got to the road I knew went to Graham's. Then one day I was out on my own on a hill I thought was in a completely different direction, but I looked down and saw both Peter's and Graham's houses, not that far apart. Whoah! Who knew that there were sometimes other roads that joined up neighbourhoods that you didn't know about? (I was not a very advanced child when it came to practical matters).
Scariest: a few, all from cycle commuting. Can't pick just one:
Scariest: a few, all from cycle commuting. Can't pick just one:
- A803, Kirkintilloch, near the old football ground: the road had traffic islands and went down to one lane, too narrow to pass. Didn't stop a Peugeot driver driving into me and pushing me along the road
- A803, just east of Cadder: bombing down the hill on my racing recumbent, just shy of 60 km/h, and my front tyre blew out. Slid/rolled for a good long way, ended up sliding on my knees along the road to avoid rolling under oncoming cars
- A803 (again), Springburn Road at Fountainwell Rd. A very rare (for Scotland) case of freezing rain turned the road to glass going downhill towards the lights. Choice: fall off sooner, and perhaps get run over by cars on Springburn Rd, or fall off nearer the lights and perhaps slide under cars coming along Fountainwell? I chose the latter, skidded through the lights and fell off just shy of the cross traffic. Limped the 6 km remaining to work pushing the bike. (I can't believe I used to cycle through the Townhead Interchange twice a day. Just say no to vehicular cycling!).
- Toronto, different recumbent, a more visible one. Heading down Birchmount south of Lawrence, became aware that a semi truck was getting very close on the left side. When I realised my shoulder was under the edge of the trailer and the truck was accelerating, had to bail onto the sidewalk or I'd have been hamburger for sure.
Even when I was a daily bike commuter, my family members would make aggressive comments about bicyclists when I was in the car with them. I always pushed back hard ("do you want someone thinking that about me?") and that sort of comment has thankfully stopped.
worst ride: hit and run when I was in middle school
best ride: riding to the eclipse zone of totality in 2017.
posted by vespabelle at 5:42 PM on February 12, 2021 [4 favorites]
worst ride: hit and run when I was in middle school
best ride: riding to the eclipse zone of totality in 2017.
posted by vespabelle at 5:42 PM on February 12, 2021 [4 favorites]
When you're a kid riding a bike is freedom because that's the only way you can travel distances quickly but even as an adult I still get that feeling even if I'm just riding to work. Biking does so many things at once, it's a means of transportation, it's exercise, it's meditative when you're just focusing on the road and your bike, it gives you space to let your mind wander over anything and everything, it's energizing but it's also calming. Even after riding in crap weather or being dead tired and thinking "I probably shouldn't have gone for a ride today" I never actually regret the ride itself.
I don't think I've had a "scary" near miss. About once a month or so I'll find myself invisible to some car that wants to make a turn at an intersection but I've already anticipated that possibility so I just glare, or shout, or raise my hands to the heavens, while they turn through the space I would have been in. But a car doing something that puts your life at risk is a daily occurrence no matter how you get around in Toronto so it doesn't feel particularly scary. On my ride to and from work there's one section where I'm going down a steep hill (obviously not the same section each way) and it's nice to go fast but I'm always wondering "what if my tire gives out or something gets stuck in my spokes?" as I'm flying down the hill. I don't remember having those thoughts when I was younger.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 5:44 PM on February 12, 2021 [6 favorites]
I don't think I've had a "scary" near miss. About once a month or so I'll find myself invisible to some car that wants to make a turn at an intersection but I've already anticipated that possibility so I just glare, or shout, or raise my hands to the heavens, while they turn through the space I would have been in. But a car doing something that puts your life at risk is a daily occurrence no matter how you get around in Toronto so it doesn't feel particularly scary. On my ride to and from work there's one section where I'm going down a steep hill (obviously not the same section each way) and it's nice to go fast but I'm always wondering "what if my tire gives out or something gets stuck in my spokes?" as I'm flying down the hill. I don't remember having those thoughts when I was younger.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 5:44 PM on February 12, 2021 [6 favorites]
mhoye sums up all my feelings about bike commuting. There's so much I love about the feeling of rolling under my own power, but boy howdy can it come with a psychic cost.
The most damage I've done to myself while on my bike was getting a wheel caught on some tram tracks and chipping a tooth when I came off. Luckily, I wasn't moving quickly, and luckily, there were some kind pedestrians who stopped to see if I was OK.
The most damage that's been done to me was a slow-motion dooring a few weeks ago. An SUV squeezed past me in the opposite direction, and as soon as it had cleared, the driver of the parked car on my right opened his door. Into my hip. I came off the saddle but otherwise stayed upright, so I yelled at him to look next time and continued on my way. A few days later I noticed a huge bruise had developed where I'd been hit. Should I have stayed and reported him for opening his door when it was unsafe? At the time, I didn't give it any thought.
I love going places on my bike. I love how well I get to know the city. I love sneaking peeks at everyone else's bikes. I love that it's one way I can hang out with a friend and be sure to keep distance. I just wish there wasn't a small part of me that felt like I was gambling my life every time I pushed off on the pedals.
posted by invokeuse at 6:43 PM on February 12, 2021 [2 favorites]
The most damage I've done to myself while on my bike was getting a wheel caught on some tram tracks and chipping a tooth when I came off. Luckily, I wasn't moving quickly, and luckily, there were some kind pedestrians who stopped to see if I was OK.
The most damage that's been done to me was a slow-motion dooring a few weeks ago. An SUV squeezed past me in the opposite direction, and as soon as it had cleared, the driver of the parked car on my right opened his door. Into my hip. I came off the saddle but otherwise stayed upright, so I yelled at him to look next time and continued on my way. A few days later I noticed a huge bruise had developed where I'd been hit. Should I have stayed and reported him for opening his door when it was unsafe? At the time, I didn't give it any thought.
I love going places on my bike. I love how well I get to know the city. I love sneaking peeks at everyone else's bikes. I love that it's one way I can hang out with a friend and be sure to keep distance. I just wish there wasn't a small part of me that felt like I was gambling my life every time I pushed off on the pedals.
posted by invokeuse at 6:43 PM on February 12, 2021 [2 favorites]
My worst bike accident was simply due to stupid road infrastructure: a drainage grate made of long parallel slats, which it turns out handily fit half a bike wheel. I was going slowly, but still pitched over the handlebars.
I hit my head.
Growing up I had never worn a bike helmet. But after college I figured, well, that was a big investment, maybe I should protect my brain a bit better. So I ordered a helmet online. It arrived while I was in the hospital getting an MRI for my concussion.
~~~
People on a bicycle are insanely vulnerable not just to The Main Thing on the Road but also to themselves and innumerable other things in the environment. Three recent(ish) injuries/accidents that come to mind: my chain slipped off when I was getting on my bike and I just fell straight over, bending the wheel beyond repair; I glanced over for a split second to see if it was safe to change lanes when the truck in front of me stopped due to construction and I "rear ended" them at about 3mph, again enough to bend the wheel out beyond repair; and once my foot slipped off the pedal in the middle of the intersection and I simply flopped onto the road. It ruined a pair of pants and scraped me up nicely.
~~~
I love riding my bike.
~~~
I generally find drivers to be pretty nice. Frankly driving in the city terrifies me, or at least stresses me out extremely, and I don't think anyone should get used to it. Most people are just trying to do the best they can, but it's really easy to fall into a routine and forget you're operating a vehicle that can easily kill other people.
The drivers that are frustrating are the ones that don't treat you like an equal on road and feel entitled to operate their deadly vehicle in ways that are infinitesimally more convenient for them at the expense of my safety and sanity. Just fuck off and drive slightly below the speed limit until it's safe to pass me, you asshole--I'm not letting you pass because there is no room for you to do it safely.
I could write a few more pages about various altercations with drivers but I can't really dwell on them, I just get worked up and stay worked up. In fact there are few things that will obsess me for days more thoroughly than a yelling match with a driver. (it doesn't help that there's a bunch of race and class issues wrapped up in most of the confrontations)
But most drivers are nice. Just make sure you are visible to them (it's hard to imagine how difficult it can be for other people to see you!) and stay away from their doors.
posted by ropeladder at 6:43 PM on February 12, 2021 [2 favorites]
I hit my head.
Growing up I had never worn a bike helmet. But after college I figured, well, that was a big investment, maybe I should protect my brain a bit better. So I ordered a helmet online. It arrived while I was in the hospital getting an MRI for my concussion.
~~~
People on a bicycle are insanely vulnerable not just to The Main Thing on the Road but also to themselves and innumerable other things in the environment. Three recent(ish) injuries/accidents that come to mind: my chain slipped off when I was getting on my bike and I just fell straight over, bending the wheel beyond repair; I glanced over for a split second to see if it was safe to change lanes when the truck in front of me stopped due to construction and I "rear ended" them at about 3mph, again enough to bend the wheel out beyond repair; and once my foot slipped off the pedal in the middle of the intersection and I simply flopped onto the road. It ruined a pair of pants and scraped me up nicely.
~~~
I love riding my bike.
~~~
I generally find drivers to be pretty nice. Frankly driving in the city terrifies me, or at least stresses me out extremely, and I don't think anyone should get used to it. Most people are just trying to do the best they can, but it's really easy to fall into a routine and forget you're operating a vehicle that can easily kill other people.
The drivers that are frustrating are the ones that don't treat you like an equal on road and feel entitled to operate their deadly vehicle in ways that are infinitesimally more convenient for them at the expense of my safety and sanity. Just fuck off and drive slightly below the speed limit until it's safe to pass me, you asshole--I'm not letting you pass because there is no room for you to do it safely.
I could write a few more pages about various altercations with drivers but I can't really dwell on them, I just get worked up and stay worked up. In fact there are few things that will obsess me for days more thoroughly than a yelling match with a driver. (it doesn't help that there's a bunch of race and class issues wrapped up in most of the confrontations)
But most drivers are nice. Just make sure you are visible to them (it's hard to imagine how difficult it can be for other people to see you!) and stay away from their doors.
posted by ropeladder at 6:43 PM on February 12, 2021 [2 favorites]
I don't drive; it's not just that I don't like it very much but a medical condition put it out of hand nearly two decades ago. Transit has been (often) unreliable and walking is rarely fast enough. So I've done a lot of city cycling.
I do remember learning to ride my bike after my dad decided that the training wheels were coming off. I was turning 4. It's a weird thing because, as mentioned above, what do you remember from when you're 4? It turns out I remember really weird things, like I can draw a floor plan of the house we moved out of that summer. Including the lamps that didn't move with us.
Anyway significant cycling memories:
Given the radical asymmetry in consequences I have absolutely zero empathy or patience for those who think that failing to signal, speeding, passing on the right are all reasonable things to do because everyone does them and they're a good driver and for-fucks-sake-can't-you-see-I'm-in-a-rush-here?
I'm not big on single issue voting but I do declare that any party with a platform that includes mandatory road testing on licence renewal, insurance fees & traffic fines tied to income and mandatory comprehensive criminal charges (charges under both the motor vehicle act as well as assault and battery charges as a vehicle is a motorized blunt weapon).
Double plus good for functioning transit funding and incentives for voluntarily giving up a licence.
Most excellent for permanent licensing bans for DUIs or multiple licence suspensions. Because listen to people when their repeated actions tell you how bad their judgement is. It has to be at least as important as the inevitable story about how they "saw a crackhead riding a bike the wrong way down Main Street once and if that isn't a reason to kill em all I don't know what is".
posted by mce at 6:56 PM on February 12, 2021 [5 favorites]
I do remember learning to ride my bike after my dad decided that the training wheels were coming off. I was turning 4. It's a weird thing because, as mentioned above, what do you remember from when you're 4? It turns out I remember really weird things, like I can draw a floor plan of the house we moved out of that summer. Including the lamps that didn't move with us.
Anyway significant cycling memories:
- leaving work and cycling to workout I got t-boned by a pickup that blew a stop sign. Hit the passenger side front wheel well and ended up in the truck bed. The anger the driver had for the fact that I bothered to exist is still gob smacking. Luckily this was literally at the back of the hospital and Emergency was just up the hill and around the corner. Waiting in emergency all evening wasn't pleasant, finding that the broken bike had also been stolen was also unpleasant. The inability to make any kind of police complaint might have been the most unpleasant.
- years later I worked in a Vancouver suburb; Surrey. Here begins the Surrey trilogy. Riding home at the end of the day I detoured because of construction discovering a new-to-me bike lane. Coming down a hill pretty fast (bike computer reported speeds in excess of 55km/hr) I discovered that the bike lane narrowed to nothing in the middle of the block at the bottom of the hill. Oh and the end of the mysteriously disappearing bike lane was a recessed manhole. This bike wasn't stolen but it was also destroyed. As were a couple of ribs and a knee that still bothers me when I get out of bed in the mornings.
- about 2 years later I was cycling home from work in the morning (the job had me working mornings & evenings) and caught rush hour. Waiting at a stop sign I was the 4th vehicle waiting for an eventual merge. The SUV in front of me decided not to wait for the left-turn-into-a-merge and backed up in order to use the adjacent lawn to make a right turn instead. Yes. Lawfully stopped at a stop sign I got back over while straddling my bike. By an RCMP officer. Don't ask how following that up went; just assume it went badly. This bike also got written off but at least the RCMP eventually stopped harassing me when I stopped asking what they were going to do about it. Pro tip: GoPro footage proving he didn't have his lights on, didn't signal his unpredictable movement and showing that I was at least 3 meters behind him and could have been observed in his mirrors was not (as I'd hoped) helpful - presenting it just meant that I got shouted at more. To be fair the officer at the scene was much more pleasant to deal with (at least he was apologetic if still a god awful driver & at fault) and he was the one who actually drove over me. If you ever need to make such a complaint send a lawyer, do not show up in person. Trust me on this.
- 2.5 years later it was an early friday summer. For this (and other reasons) I stopped riding to work on fridays as the traffic heading out of town was stupid-bad. Anywho; traffic was nearly stopped as parks had decided to close a lane of the highway in order to facilitate landscaping the meridian. The bike lan was pretty free and clear. Coming down a hill (again, I think the lesson here is to outlaw hills?) I ran into a car. Well, ok, the driver had decided to pull into the bike lane in order to try and use a parking lot to escape the highway onto a residential street. Failed to clear the bike lane and I promptly ran into them. having learned from my previous RCMP experience I decided to get licence & insurance information (yay cameras) and get to work. I was rather injured, had another destroyed bike and incandescent with rage. But I worked at a pool, there'd be lifeguards so first aid, my boss who could get me home and as stress is a significant seizure trigger for me it would also be a safe place to be comatose for a bit. In B.C. It turns out that this is a case where I should have called the police. What you don't do is what I did - go get first aid, let people know I wasn't missing just injured, have 2 seizures and then call the police. Because what happens if you do that is a really rude operator tells you that you need to call ICBC (the monopoly insurance provider) as that was obviously the place to report a traffic accident and it's not possible to call being hit with a car assault. Calling ICBC gives you a phone tree wanting to walk path towards reporting the correct desk to report your specific kind of property damage. So yeah this doesn't go well either. Eventually by calling support I get a person who is angry that I've called them without a damaged car. Patronizing doesn't begin to cover it. At great length a file is opened. A month later I will get a call from an 'investigator' who tells me "well the driver is insured in Ontario and you're not a customer so we don't have any skin in this game. Have you tried calling the RCMP?". At this point, trust me, the RCMP will not be of any assistance and there will be more shouting. This never gets better and I won't bore you with the details of trying and failing to find a lawyer prepared to be of affordable assistance.
Given the radical asymmetry in consequences I have absolutely zero empathy or patience for those who think that failing to signal, speeding, passing on the right are all reasonable things to do because everyone does them and they're a good driver and for-fucks-sake-can't-you-see-I'm-in-a-rush-here?
I'm not big on single issue voting but I do declare that any party with a platform that includes mandatory road testing on licence renewal, insurance fees & traffic fines tied to income and mandatory comprehensive criminal charges (charges under both the motor vehicle act as well as assault and battery charges as a vehicle is a motorized blunt weapon).
Double plus good for functioning transit funding and incentives for voluntarily giving up a licence.
Most excellent for permanent licensing bans for DUIs or multiple licence suspensions. Because listen to people when their repeated actions tell you how bad their judgement is. It has to be at least as important as the inevitable story about how they "saw a crackhead riding a bike the wrong way down Main Street once and if that isn't a reason to kill em all I don't know what is".
posted by mce at 6:56 PM on February 12, 2021 [5 favorites]
I had my first bike accident in several years, just last week. As a regular daily bike commuter now doing 8 miles each way, that’s not so bad.
I wiped out on wet ice, but landed pretty much perfectly, I caught it on the meaty part of my shoulder, and my buttock and thigh, and slid to an ungraceful but unharmed stop.
No pain at all day-of, and only a mild ache in my shoulder the next day. I joked that I had vaccinated myself against bike accidents. Which in a certain sense is true- one doesn’t normally get such a gentle reminder of mortality.
Apart from the weather (and hence the ice) Chicago is a good biking city, and I have an excellent biking commute route. And even still, I avoided a severe accident only by luck. Be careful out there.
posted by notoriety public at 7:54 PM on February 12, 2021 [1 favorite]
I wiped out on wet ice, but landed pretty much perfectly, I caught it on the meaty part of my shoulder, and my buttock and thigh, and slid to an ungraceful but unharmed stop.
No pain at all day-of, and only a mild ache in my shoulder the next day. I joked that I had vaccinated myself against bike accidents. Which in a certain sense is true- one doesn’t normally get such a gentle reminder of mortality.
Apart from the weather (and hence the ice) Chicago is a good biking city, and I have an excellent biking commute route. And even still, I avoided a severe accident only by luck. Be careful out there.
posted by notoriety public at 7:54 PM on February 12, 2021 [1 favorite]
I am mostly a car person who rides sporadically for exercise and recreation in New York City. Now that I've moved "uptown" to Northern Manhattan the scary aspect is that some drivers get openly hostile if you slow them down even for a few seconds. It's so dumb - there's traffic. There's a light up ahead. Soon the traffic will be backed up and I'll have to wait for YOU.
What disappoints me the most is that our largely ineffective mayor invested a lot in "Vision Zero," which is supposed to reduce traffic deaths, and yet they ran zero ads that addressed bike safety. No tips telling cyclists how to ride (since many clearly don't know simple things like don't "salmon") and no advice for drivers on giving cyclists room, checking your mirror before you open your door, etc.
I grew up in semi-rural CT, and I loved my bikes. Would frequently do long rides to neighboring towns. Getting back into it in middle age in the city definitely has a different feel to it but it's still the only kind of exercise I enjoy.
posted by anhedonic at 8:38 PM on February 12, 2021 [1 favorite]
What disappoints me the most is that our largely ineffective mayor invested a lot in "Vision Zero," which is supposed to reduce traffic deaths, and yet they ran zero ads that addressed bike safety. No tips telling cyclists how to ride (since many clearly don't know simple things like don't "salmon") and no advice for drivers on giving cyclists room, checking your mirror before you open your door, etc.
I grew up in semi-rural CT, and I loved my bikes. Would frequently do long rides to neighboring towns. Getting back into it in middle age in the city definitely has a different feel to it but it's still the only kind of exercise I enjoy.
posted by anhedonic at 8:38 PM on February 12, 2021 [1 favorite]
Hello, I ride bicycles recreationally a lot, and (aside from pandemic times) have been a daily bicycle commuter for years. I'm lucky to have never been really hit by a car (I got a minor tap once, but didn't even fall over). If you are a driver that is sometimes annoyed by bicyclists, please know that I am aware of this and doing my best to strike a balance of safety and not inconveniencing others. In return, all I ask is that you never ever text or be distracted by your phone while driving. It's such an easy thing to not do. If you're around my age or older (which I would guess most of metafilter is), you probably have spent a lot of your driving life not even having goofing on your phone as an option, and you got along fine then!
posted by ghharr at 8:42 PM on February 12, 2021
posted by ghharr at 8:42 PM on February 12, 2021
I offer this simply to add a city pedestrian's perspective to the conversation.
The transportation equivalent of mansplaining: one who admittedly neither drives nor cycles offers their "perspective" to cyclists who are almost universally both drivers and pedestrians.
posted by klanawa at 8:50 PM on February 12, 2021 [7 favorites]
The transportation equivalent of mansplaining: one who admittedly neither drives nor cycles offers their "perspective" to cyclists who are almost universally both drivers and pedestrians.
posted by klanawa at 8:50 PM on February 12, 2021 [7 favorites]
And it's crystal clear to me how sanctimonious and ultimately irrelevant these "let's all try to understand each other" exercises in performative sympathy are, when those imbalances of power and vulnerability are unchanged at the end of the day.
If even a single driver reads this thread and then performs some sympathy while driving, I'll call it a win.
If nothing else, I'm really enjoying the company in this thread. It makes me feel less alone.
posted by aniola at 10:28 PM on February 12, 2021 [5 favorites]
If even a single driver reads this thread and then performs some sympathy while driving, I'll call it a win.
If nothing else, I'm really enjoying the company in this thread. It makes me feel less alone.
posted by aniola at 10:28 PM on February 12, 2021 [5 favorites]
I’ve had three major collisions with cars. Two were accidents, but in one the driver deliberately rammed me from behind. My bike was crushed under the car while I rolled over it: hood, windshield, top, trunk (don’t remember hitting the rear windshield), then miraculously landing on my feet with one hand on the ground and looking right at the license plate as the car drove away. The driver was never prosecuted, but he was deported back to Jamaica. I had a very sore right hip for a few days where my bike's seat had been driven into it when the car made contact, but I was otherwise OK.
One of the others was head on and much worse. I hit and shattered the rounded corner of the swept-back windshield left shoulder first where it began to wrap around on the driver's side and was thrown high into the air (I clutched spasmodically at the ground as it was rushing up toward me three separate times before I hit, the way you sometimes do just before sleep, the last right as I hit) and came down on a parking strip more than 20 feet back along the way I’d been heading. I walked the six blocks home from that one too against the advice of the Fire Captain who’d shown up with a fire engine and a full crew because all the ambulances were busy, carrying the sad remains of my bike on my right shoulder, intact real wheel clicking despondently along as it rolled over the sidewalks, but I barely got out of bed over the next three days.
posted by jamjam at 11:12 PM on February 12, 2021 [2 favorites]
One of the others was head on and much worse. I hit and shattered the rounded corner of the swept-back windshield left shoulder first where it began to wrap around on the driver's side and was thrown high into the air (I clutched spasmodically at the ground as it was rushing up toward me three separate times before I hit, the way you sometimes do just before sleep, the last right as I hit) and came down on a parking strip more than 20 feet back along the way I’d been heading. I walked the six blocks home from that one too against the advice of the Fire Captain who’d shown up with a fire engine and a full crew because all the ambulances were busy, carrying the sad remains of my bike on my right shoulder, intact real wheel clicking despondently along as it rolled over the sidewalks, but I barely got out of bed over the next three days.
posted by jamjam at 11:12 PM on February 12, 2021 [2 favorites]
The presumption that it is up to cyclists to stay out of the way of cars as opposed to cars having a duty of care to not injure them is omnipresent and tiring.
I remember way back in the day an otherwise completely reasonable seeming man said, during a discussion on child rearing and corporal punishment, that he would only ever hit his kids to teach them not to wander out into the road.
And I thought "That seems reasonable given the risk".
Over time though the comment has haunted me. I've gradually come to see it as a "I beat my children so they will respect the designated murder ways and that horror begets horror and that the exalted status of automobile transportation has poisoned almost every outdoor moment of the majority of peoples lives with a rarely acknowledged or even noticed background behavior shaping terror that some people will go so far as to even beat the fear into their children "for their own good". It feels kind of like an M. Knight Shyamalan movie when you view it from a somewhat removed perspective.
posted by srboisvert at 2:09 AM on February 13, 2021 [4 favorites]
I remember way back in the day an otherwise completely reasonable seeming man said, during a discussion on child rearing and corporal punishment, that he would only ever hit his kids to teach them not to wander out into the road.
And I thought "That seems reasonable given the risk".
Over time though the comment has haunted me. I've gradually come to see it as a "I beat my children so they will respect the designated murder ways and that horror begets horror and that the exalted status of automobile transportation has poisoned almost every outdoor moment of the majority of peoples lives with a rarely acknowledged or even noticed background behavior shaping terror that some people will go so far as to even beat the fear into their children "for their own good". It feels kind of like an M. Knight Shyamalan movie when you view it from a somewhat removed perspective.
posted by srboisvert at 2:09 AM on February 13, 2021 [4 favorites]
I've been hit by cars three times, twice seriously, and had one very close call that miraculously ended with me in a ditch mostly unharmed. Each time involved some sort of crossing: most generally in a seperated bike path that was crossed by the entrance to a parking area. Crossings of one sort or another represent the lion's share of bicycle/car incidents; particularly dangerous are right-turning motor vehicles (especially trucks) that don't notice slow-moving traffic to the right of them. The least-serious incident I have experienced was at low speed in a European city, and the driver was distracted by, uh, a certain passerby's hemline.
That being said, it's not these situations that scare me when riding. I get scared when I'm on the wrong side of a mountain pass with a 1/3 filled bottle, or riding in a paceline with strangers in the rain, because then you have the time to think about the situation and the consequences. Interactions with cars happen so fast you don't have time to get scared.
posted by St. Oops at 2:19 AM on February 13, 2021
That being said, it's not these situations that scare me when riding. I get scared when I'm on the wrong side of a mountain pass with a 1/3 filled bottle, or riding in a paceline with strangers in the rain, because then you have the time to think about the situation and the consequences. Interactions with cars happen so fast you don't have time to get scared.
posted by St. Oops at 2:19 AM on February 13, 2021
Londoner here. I neither drive nor bike: I walk everywhere. I understand there are many positive aspects to bike culture, but get the impression that some cyclists regard me in the same contemptuous way that some drivers regard them. I'm thinking of the ones who casually use the pavements or ignore red lights at pedestrian crossings.I disagree with comment pretty hard. I am a Londoner who walks, cycles and drives at different points, I love cycling but about once a week I feel like there is an occurance when I'm a few seconds away from a major accident. This never happens when I'm walking or driving. Whilst I'm on my bike I feel like I have to be concentrating fully and continuously trying to predict any erratic beviour by other vehicles (... is that car slowing because they're about to make a left turn without indicating ... is anyone in that line of cars going to open their door into me ... has that driver who looks like he wants to change lanes seen I'm here ... is that car going to pull out in front of me ... ). Again, this does not happen when I'm driving or walking.
A cyclist colliding with me would certainly injure me far less than a car doing so, but it's also cyclists who produce all the near misses I experience while making my way around. I offer this simply to add a city pedestrian's perspective to the conversation.
The statistics back this up, in the UK, erery year there are approximately:
- 500 cyclist-pedestrian collisions causing 100 serious injuries and a couple of deaths
- 17500 car-cyclist collisions causing 4000 serious injuries and 100 deaths
To finish this I'd like to examine the behaviour that you describe as contemptuous. I'm not going to pretend that every cyclist makes great decisions all the time. However, lots of those decisions come from trying to exist in a system that's not designed for them, and feels like it's actively trying to injure them. If you try to see the actions in that context, maybe it will help? Or even better, try cycling a mile in their shoes first.
posted by Ned G at 2:37 AM on February 13, 2021 [7 favorites]
By any reasonable standard I ride bikes a lot and have a lot of bikes. I’ve been a bike commuter in London long before it got all the bike lanes it has now, and I’ve been a commuter through the local Fife countryside. I’ve raced bikes, I’ve done some gentle touring and in recent times I’ve even used Zwift. And almost all of it has been glorious.
I’ve had dawn laps in 24 hour bike races, ridden through mist filled hollows the sun hasn’t got to, struggled though fresh snow, ridden I don’t know how many trails in a “I wonder where this goes” manner, been soaked to the skin and blown along by winds strong enough you barely need to pedal. It’s rare that I don’t enjoy a bike ride and that it doesn’t make me feel better.
If you do it enough it becomes something you can do without thinking and it leaves you time to see things, while still moving fast enough to cover quite a bit of ground. Equally you can bury yourself in it, either off road on trails where you have to concentrate on what you are doing, or though sheer force of exertion.
On a good day it can feel almost effortless and the sheer joy of sweeping though bends or getting a section of trail just right is what I imagine flying to feel like.
So yeah, there’s some suckyness with cars and bad infrastructure, but it is nothing compared to the amount of pleasure it brings me.
posted by mr_stru at 3:02 AM on February 13, 2021 [4 favorites]
I’ve had dawn laps in 24 hour bike races, ridden through mist filled hollows the sun hasn’t got to, struggled though fresh snow, ridden I don’t know how many trails in a “I wonder where this goes” manner, been soaked to the skin and blown along by winds strong enough you barely need to pedal. It’s rare that I don’t enjoy a bike ride and that it doesn’t make me feel better.
If you do it enough it becomes something you can do without thinking and it leaves you time to see things, while still moving fast enough to cover quite a bit of ground. Equally you can bury yourself in it, either off road on trails where you have to concentrate on what you are doing, or though sheer force of exertion.
On a good day it can feel almost effortless and the sheer joy of sweeping though bends or getting a section of trail just right is what I imagine flying to feel like.
So yeah, there’s some suckyness with cars and bad infrastructure, but it is nothing compared to the amount of pleasure it brings me.
posted by mr_stru at 3:02 AM on February 13, 2021 [4 favorites]
I started cycling again during our hard lockdown last year (I'm in South Africa).I used to cycle all the time when I was a child and a teenager. Like churachura, my bicycle was my imaginary horse. I even used to do the excited commentary of the announcer of the imaginary horse race I was riding in, while riding around.
I got myself a bicycle again during lockdown and it has been utter joy. I cycle every day, just for fun and exercise, and also for getting groceries and library trips.
It's been a great way to spend time with my husband, who commutes to work on his bicycle every day.
Getting brave enough to ride in traffic after my accident (the reason I stopped cycling) has done a lot for my self confidence. And cycling has helped me deal with the anxiety I've been struggling with during this time. It's been an absolute pleasure and a blessing.
posted by Zumbador at 3:41 AM on February 13, 2021 [4 favorites]
I got myself a bicycle again during lockdown and it has been utter joy. I cycle every day, just for fun and exercise, and also for getting groceries and library trips.
It's been a great way to spend time with my husband, who commutes to work on his bicycle every day.
Getting brave enough to ride in traffic after my accident (the reason I stopped cycling) has done a lot for my self confidence. And cycling has helped me deal with the anxiety I've been struggling with during this time. It's been an absolute pleasure and a blessing.
posted by Zumbador at 3:41 AM on February 13, 2021 [4 favorites]
The only unalloyed good that has come out of the pandemic for me, personally, is that it has gotten me out of public transit (I live in Toronto, where decades of terrible decisions by voters and politicians have permanently - at least in my lifetime - crippled it) and onto my bike for my commute to work throughout the entire winter, which in that narrow regard has improved my life immeasurably because the TTC sucks, costs a ton of money to use and I hate it. I have a friend who, pre-pandemic, had been winter bike commuting for years, and he coached me through the process of buying all the winter gear I'd need and the process of taking care of your bike when you're riding it through a Canadian winter, and it's been great so far; the bike maintenance has been much more of a challenge than keeping warm and dry has. Now that I know I can do it, God willing I'll never have to buy a TTC metropass again. The only real downsides are that Toronto's bicycle infrastructure also sucks (although it is slowly improving) and the seemingly-universal hatred many drivers have for anyone on a bike.
I'm 47 years old and I've never really enjoyed driving; I grew up in a relatively small town which is very flat (the only real hills are overpasses), which makes it ideal for cycling, so by the age of 12 or so I pretty much had the run of the city by bike, and I've never lost the feeling of freedom that comes from riding a bicycle. The best bike story I have is that when I was seven or eight I received a banana-seat bike for my birthday from my parents; it was too big for me at the time (the idea was that I'd grow into it), but I begged them to let me ride it around the block on the sidewalk. They relented, but I had to stretch my arms so far out to reach the handlebars I had limited ability to turn and I took the last corner wide, hit a tree and fell off in full view of everyone at my birthday party.
posted by The Card Cheat at 4:13 AM on February 13, 2021 [6 favorites]
I'm 47 years old and I've never really enjoyed driving; I grew up in a relatively small town which is very flat (the only real hills are overpasses), which makes it ideal for cycling, so by the age of 12 or so I pretty much had the run of the city by bike, and I've never lost the feeling of freedom that comes from riding a bicycle. The best bike story I have is that when I was seven or eight I received a banana-seat bike for my birthday from my parents; it was too big for me at the time (the idea was that I'd grow into it), but I begged them to let me ride it around the block on the sidewalk. They relented, but I had to stretch my arms so far out to reach the handlebars I had limited ability to turn and I took the last corner wide, hit a tree and fell off in full view of everyone at my birthday party.
posted by The Card Cheat at 4:13 AM on February 13, 2021 [6 favorites]
My favorite youtube channel had a video on exactly this topic: I am not a "Cyclist" (and most Dutch people aren't either).
Having grown up in the American suburbs, lived all over the country, and now living in Amsterdam, I wish I could give every American a ticket to the Netherlands to just experience cycling with the infrastructure here (or using a mobility vehicle on the infrastructure for those who can't cycle). Because it makes plain how silly all of these arguments over who is rightfully or not rightfully demonized are. It is entirely possible to create infrastructure in cities, suburbs, and rural areas that prevent conflict between people on bikes and people in cars and make biking safe enough that children bike to school during rush hour here and parents bike with infants regularly, and everyone's grandparents bike to get around. The vast majority of Americans just have never seen this kind of infrastructure so they don't know it's possible. I didn't.
posted by antinomia at 6:54 AM on February 13, 2021 [7 favorites]
Having grown up in the American suburbs, lived all over the country, and now living in Amsterdam, I wish I could give every American a ticket to the Netherlands to just experience cycling with the infrastructure here (or using a mobility vehicle on the infrastructure for those who can't cycle). Because it makes plain how silly all of these arguments over who is rightfully or not rightfully demonized are. It is entirely possible to create infrastructure in cities, suburbs, and rural areas that prevent conflict between people on bikes and people in cars and make biking safe enough that children bike to school during rush hour here and parents bike with infants regularly, and everyone's grandparents bike to get around. The vast majority of Americans just have never seen this kind of infrastructure so they don't know it's possible. I didn't.
posted by antinomia at 6:54 AM on February 13, 2021 [7 favorites]
> What disappoints me the most is that our largely ineffective mayor invested a lot in "Vision Zero," which is supposed to reduce traffic deaths, and yet they ran zero ads that addressed bike safety. No tips telling cyclists how to ride (since many clearly don't know simple things like don't "salmon") and no advice for drivers on giving cyclists room, checking your mirror before you open your door, etc.
Vision Zero is supposed to change road and intersection design such that dangerous encounters between drivers and cyclists/pedestrians cannot occur, for example by adding road features that make it impossible to drive dangerous speeds and providing physical separation between transit modes. It is not about running ads to try to encourage drivers to stop killing us. This idea that if we put a billboard up drivers will stop punishment passing cyclists and then claiming "I didn't see them" when someone dies is a large part of why cyclists keep dying, especially in NYC, where I ride every day. Bill de Blasio's approach to bike infrastructure sucks ass and his complete misunderstanding of Vision Zero (like the idea that it's about ads and more policing) is a big part of why.
Favourite biking experiences: I rode my bicycle from Brooklyn to Montreal and saw Lake Champlain shining in the evening sun at the end of an 80 mile day. My friends and I rode to the beach and the city was all lit up under the pink sky when we crossed back over the Marine Parkway Bridge. We rode all night through the city for the Warriors Ride and stopped with the other teams at 2am in Union Square to get ready for the Brooklyn tasks, then all collapsed asleep on the Coney Island Boardwalk with our bikes at 6am. Rolling down the bike lane past a 30 car deep line waiting behind the garbage truck and then sailing right on by as the sanitation guys say good morning and I say good morning back.
Least favourite: Probably the time a cab driver tried to ram me because he imagined I said something to him. When a woman on her phone stepped into the bike lane with no warning and I had to swerve into a trash pile to avoid hitting her, then she acted like it was my fault for riding in the PBL.
posted by threementholsandafuneral at 6:58 AM on February 13, 2021 [3 favorites]
Vision Zero is supposed to change road and intersection design such that dangerous encounters between drivers and cyclists/pedestrians cannot occur, for example by adding road features that make it impossible to drive dangerous speeds and providing physical separation between transit modes. It is not about running ads to try to encourage drivers to stop killing us. This idea that if we put a billboard up drivers will stop punishment passing cyclists and then claiming "I didn't see them" when someone dies is a large part of why cyclists keep dying, especially in NYC, where I ride every day. Bill de Blasio's approach to bike infrastructure sucks ass and his complete misunderstanding of Vision Zero (like the idea that it's about ads and more policing) is a big part of why.
Favourite biking experiences: I rode my bicycle from Brooklyn to Montreal and saw Lake Champlain shining in the evening sun at the end of an 80 mile day. My friends and I rode to the beach and the city was all lit up under the pink sky when we crossed back over the Marine Parkway Bridge. We rode all night through the city for the Warriors Ride and stopped with the other teams at 2am in Union Square to get ready for the Brooklyn tasks, then all collapsed asleep on the Coney Island Boardwalk with our bikes at 6am. Rolling down the bike lane past a 30 car deep line waiting behind the garbage truck and then sailing right on by as the sanitation guys say good morning and I say good morning back.
Least favourite: Probably the time a cab driver tried to ram me because he imagined I said something to him. When a woman on her phone stepped into the bike lane with no warning and I had to swerve into a trash pile to avoid hitting her, then she acted like it was my fault for riding in the PBL.
posted by threementholsandafuneral at 6:58 AM on February 13, 2021 [3 favorites]
I started cycling to work because of covid, so I wouldn't have to take the bus. It's glorious and it does so much for my mood in the mornings. My blood pressure has gone down. I lost all my lockdown weight gain.
BUT it's only possible for me because most of my route is bike paths. The little bit of road I have to go on is stressful. Some of the edges of the road are in poor repair, in a way that's negligible to cars but risks skidding out on a bike, so I can't hug the curb and that pisses cars off and they pass me way too close, deliberately. My husband was nearly hit by a car that just drove through a red light. I've seen other cyclists nearly pushed off their bikes by cars.
Riding a bike on the road is basically like choosing to walk in the road. You have to trust the cars to notice you, and then make active choices to avoid injuring you, and you actually can't trust them to do that.. There are always bad drivers who will kill you, through malice or negligence. I will never cycle past a car that wants to pull out without making eye contact and getting a nod or something from the driver, even if slowing down annoys the cars behind me, because assuming people will just see me and obey the rules of the road is a risk to my life. I am aware of that, constantly. Bikes do not belong on the road any more than pedestrians do and should get their own path.
I also walk everywhere, and there are many, many cyclists who ride on the pavement and are too fast and inconsiderate. I've also seen bad cyclists on the road. But the key is that they're highly unlikely to kill anyone but themselves. Bad cyclists are not a threat the way cars are. Giving over all our road and city travel space to cars was a huge mistake that we should rectify. We need more walking space and dedicated bike space, lots of it.
posted by stillnocturnal at 7:21 AM on February 13, 2021 [3 favorites]
BUT it's only possible for me because most of my route is bike paths. The little bit of road I have to go on is stressful. Some of the edges of the road are in poor repair, in a way that's negligible to cars but risks skidding out on a bike, so I can't hug the curb and that pisses cars off and they pass me way too close, deliberately. My husband was nearly hit by a car that just drove through a red light. I've seen other cyclists nearly pushed off their bikes by cars.
Riding a bike on the road is basically like choosing to walk in the road. You have to trust the cars to notice you, and then make active choices to avoid injuring you, and you actually can't trust them to do that.. There are always bad drivers who will kill you, through malice or negligence. I will never cycle past a car that wants to pull out without making eye contact and getting a nod or something from the driver, even if slowing down annoys the cars behind me, because assuming people will just see me and obey the rules of the road is a risk to my life. I am aware of that, constantly. Bikes do not belong on the road any more than pedestrians do and should get their own path.
I also walk everywhere, and there are many, many cyclists who ride on the pavement and are too fast and inconsiderate. I've also seen bad cyclists on the road. But the key is that they're highly unlikely to kill anyone but themselves. Bad cyclists are not a threat the way cars are. Giving over all our road and city travel space to cars was a huge mistake that we should rectify. We need more walking space and dedicated bike space, lots of it.
posted by stillnocturnal at 7:21 AM on February 13, 2021 [3 favorites]
I ride. I have been a League of American Bicyclists safety instructor. I have not commuted but have ridden and even led group recreational and charity rides involving tens to hundreds of people. I have helped lead silent rides to honor riders killed while cycling.
I have yet to be struck by a car. Right now, though, a friend is recovering at home from being struck from behind by a hit and run driver. His back and arm were broken. His son, who was riding with him, was more fortunate but still injured. The driver even hit a retaining wall past a sidewalk.
Last year a cyclist was killed and another injured waiting on a light to change at an intersection. A local cycling club, of which I am a member, had previously identified the intersection to the city as dangerous.
The club is fortunate to have several active and former law enforcement and justice members. This has not prevented some of their colleagues from misinforming members of the legality of their riding, forcing them off streets onto sidewalks, telling them where and when they can ride, and possibly even forcing them off the road in rural areas.
A few years ago I was helping lead a daily recreational ride. A faster group was traveling a few minutes ahead along a long, straight street punctuated by a few intersections. Two lanes, divided, with dedicated turn lanes. The lead group was riding at 26+ MPH. A pizza delivery driver was waiting in the opposing left lane to make a turn. The turned into the group right as they reached the intersection on a green light. Five were struck or ran into the vehicle. Three were taken to emergency care. I thought I was watching a friend die.
The driver told police he thought the cyclists would stop.
The police charged him with a minor office. Not five. One. Not striking five other vehicles, which a cyclist is legally considered in my state. To my knowledge he did not lose his license or job.
Those not injured consolidated into a single group and were given a law enforcement supervised exit of the scene.
A police officer later visited one of the injured cyclists to explain how his behavior contributed to the wreck. He also explained how the group departing the scene had violated the law.
posted by grimjeer at 7:41 AM on February 13, 2021 [6 favorites]
I have yet to be struck by a car. Right now, though, a friend is recovering at home from being struck from behind by a hit and run driver. His back and arm were broken. His son, who was riding with him, was more fortunate but still injured. The driver even hit a retaining wall past a sidewalk.
Last year a cyclist was killed and another injured waiting on a light to change at an intersection. A local cycling club, of which I am a member, had previously identified the intersection to the city as dangerous.
The club is fortunate to have several active and former law enforcement and justice members. This has not prevented some of their colleagues from misinforming members of the legality of their riding, forcing them off streets onto sidewalks, telling them where and when they can ride, and possibly even forcing them off the road in rural areas.
A few years ago I was helping lead a daily recreational ride. A faster group was traveling a few minutes ahead along a long, straight street punctuated by a few intersections. Two lanes, divided, with dedicated turn lanes. The lead group was riding at 26+ MPH. A pizza delivery driver was waiting in the opposing left lane to make a turn. The turned into the group right as they reached the intersection on a green light. Five were struck or ran into the vehicle. Three were taken to emergency care. I thought I was watching a friend die.
The driver told police he thought the cyclists would stop.
The police charged him with a minor office. Not five. One. Not striking five other vehicles, which a cyclist is legally considered in my state. To my knowledge he did not lose his license or job.
Those not injured consolidated into a single group and were given a law enforcement supervised exit of the scene.
A police officer later visited one of the injured cyclists to explain how his behavior contributed to the wreck. He also explained how the group departing the scene had violated the law.
posted by grimjeer at 7:41 AM on February 13, 2021 [6 favorites]
I don't remember my first bike ride, but I do remember re-discovering cycling as an adult. I hadn't had a bike for years, and bought a bike for what I thought would just be recreational rides on the lakefront path. But I didn't live far from that path, and that path took me downtown where my office was, so it wasn't long before I was a bike commuter.
I wish I could describe how restorative and relaxing an off-street bike commute is. It's just a wonderful way to start the day, sun rising over the lake to the east of you, downtown skyline coming into view in front of you. Riding home was more fraught because the mixed use path would get crowded with walkers and runners and cyclists and tourists on those pedal car things, but still a nice way to spend some time decompressing and not staring at a screen.
I haven't lived near the lake front in quite some time, and although I still (in non wfh times) bike commute at least some of the time, it's a very different experience when you're riding on city streets. There is no question once wfh ends and I get back to riding that there will be a significant adjustment period as my brain gets used to the constant stress and vigilance required to ride on the streets, even when there are bike lanes.
This is going to sound bad, and probably is, but the happiest I am riding my bike on city streets is late at night coming home from a bar. I'm not a heavy drinker but a couple beers over the course of an evening combined with the quiet streets always, always brings back that "wheee, this is fun!" feeling that's pretty hard to get during rush hour.
I've only been hit by a driver once (pulling a surprise u-turn from the parking space to my right) and it was in slow motion because something told me to be careful about that car on the side of the road so I had already slowed down. The driver drove off, but luckily I was fine.
The near misses are innumerable. They happen so frequently that often I'll forget they happened by the time I arrive at my destination; a commute/trip where I'm NOT almost killed is more remarkable than one where I am. I have to say, drivers, my number one request is to put down your damn phones. The thing about riding during rush hour is often the traffic is really backed up - stopped or moving slower than I am - so I'm passing a lot of cars. And drivers seem to think that there's a speed below which it is completely okay to be looking at your phone while driving. I'm not talking about a driver here and there - it is by far the majority of drivers looking down. It's terrifying, because you know they don't put down the phone mid-facebook post when the traffic gets going again.
When I'm walking my dogs in early morning in my neighborhood, drivers treat the four-way stops as if they are optional, especially early in the morning. The lighter pandemic traffic has made it worse. Multiple times I've seen drivers going through stop signs at nearly full speed while ALSO looking down at their phones.
I own a car and drive it at least once a week to get groceries. I take public transit. I walk a lot. And I ride a bike. Riding my bike is my favorite scale/speed at which to travel through the city. Driving is too fast; you can't really observe your surroundings even at the slow city grandma speeds I drive. Walking is slow. Cycling is the goldilocks way to experience living in a city. All the things that make it kind of dangerous - you're not enclosed, you're at this in-between speed that isn't as fast as vehicles but isn't as slow as pedestrians, you can see all around you and feel the wind and the sun and the rain and the snow - are the same things that make it feel so wonderful and connected.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I miss my bike commute.
posted by misskaz at 7:50 AM on February 13, 2021 [4 favorites]
I wish I could describe how restorative and relaxing an off-street bike commute is. It's just a wonderful way to start the day, sun rising over the lake to the east of you, downtown skyline coming into view in front of you. Riding home was more fraught because the mixed use path would get crowded with walkers and runners and cyclists and tourists on those pedal car things, but still a nice way to spend some time decompressing and not staring at a screen.
I haven't lived near the lake front in quite some time, and although I still (in non wfh times) bike commute at least some of the time, it's a very different experience when you're riding on city streets. There is no question once wfh ends and I get back to riding that there will be a significant adjustment period as my brain gets used to the constant stress and vigilance required to ride on the streets, even when there are bike lanes.
This is going to sound bad, and probably is, but the happiest I am riding my bike on city streets is late at night coming home from a bar. I'm not a heavy drinker but a couple beers over the course of an evening combined with the quiet streets always, always brings back that "wheee, this is fun!" feeling that's pretty hard to get during rush hour.
I've only been hit by a driver once (pulling a surprise u-turn from the parking space to my right) and it was in slow motion because something told me to be careful about that car on the side of the road so I had already slowed down. The driver drove off, but luckily I was fine.
The near misses are innumerable. They happen so frequently that often I'll forget they happened by the time I arrive at my destination; a commute/trip where I'm NOT almost killed is more remarkable than one where I am. I have to say, drivers, my number one request is to put down your damn phones. The thing about riding during rush hour is often the traffic is really backed up - stopped or moving slower than I am - so I'm passing a lot of cars. And drivers seem to think that there's a speed below which it is completely okay to be looking at your phone while driving. I'm not talking about a driver here and there - it is by far the majority of drivers looking down. It's terrifying, because you know they don't put down the phone mid-facebook post when the traffic gets going again.
When I'm walking my dogs in early morning in my neighborhood, drivers treat the four-way stops as if they are optional, especially early in the morning. The lighter pandemic traffic has made it worse. Multiple times I've seen drivers going through stop signs at nearly full speed while ALSO looking down at their phones.
I own a car and drive it at least once a week to get groceries. I take public transit. I walk a lot. And I ride a bike. Riding my bike is my favorite scale/speed at which to travel through the city. Driving is too fast; you can't really observe your surroundings even at the slow city grandma speeds I drive. Walking is slow. Cycling is the goldilocks way to experience living in a city. All the things that make it kind of dangerous - you're not enclosed, you're at this in-between speed that isn't as fast as vehicles but isn't as slow as pedestrians, you can see all around you and feel the wind and the sun and the rain and the snow - are the same things that make it feel so wonderful and connected.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I miss my bike commute.
posted by misskaz at 7:50 AM on February 13, 2021 [4 favorites]
I can remember learning to ride one day when I was about 4. I got the concept of balancing and pedaling on the first try, but learning to stop without crashing took a while. Before that, I have memories of riding in a bike seat on the back of my father's ten speed.
It's been a few years now since I've bicycled at all. If I had a place to ride with the right infrastructure to be separated from cars, I would buy a bicycle on the spot. But I just had too many close calls, and riding here, even on the protected bike paths, means dealing with cars at countless intersections and when the bike paths merge onto and off of roads.
posted by Dip Flash at 7:51 AM on February 13, 2021 [1 favorite]
It's been a few years now since I've bicycled at all. If I had a place to ride with the right infrastructure to be separated from cars, I would buy a bicycle on the spot. But I just had too many close calls, and riding here, even on the protected bike paths, means dealing with cars at countless intersections and when the bike paths merge onto and off of roads.
posted by Dip Flash at 7:51 AM on February 13, 2021 [1 favorite]
When I'm flying down a quite-steep hill and there are no cars anywhere to be found, my stomach unfurls. Like I'm holding stress all the rest of the time, and then it all just disappears.
posted by aniola at 8:38 AM on February 13, 2021
posted by aniola at 8:38 AM on February 13, 2021
There is no question once wfh ends and I get back to riding that there will be a significant adjustment period as my brain gets used to the constant stress and vigilance required to ride on the streets, even when there are bike lanes.
I learned that biking on multi-use paths (the ones no motor vehicles allowed), it feels like I've gone half as far as traveling that same distance through a city.
The near misses are innumerable. They happen so frequently that often I'll forget they happened by the time I arrive at my destination; a commute/trip where I'm NOT almost killed is more remarkable than one where I am.
This is identical to my experience.
posted by aniola at 8:46 AM on February 13, 2021 [3 favorites]
I learned that biking on multi-use paths (the ones no motor vehicles allowed), it feels like I've gone half as far as traveling that same distance through a city.
The near misses are innumerable. They happen so frequently that often I'll forget they happened by the time I arrive at my destination; a commute/trip where I'm NOT almost killed is more remarkable than one where I am.
This is identical to my experience.
posted by aniola at 8:46 AM on February 13, 2021 [3 favorites]
I don't think I remember the first time riding a tricycle or a bike with training wheels as a kid, but I certainly remember that golden shady afternoon when dad had removed the training wheels, promised he was going to hold on, then sent me sailing down a soft grassy slope in our backyard.
The betrayal was short lived; the freedom of riding remains.
I commuted by bike a few times when I was living in LA and there was infrastructure, lots of good weather (steel rims), and I lived relatively close to my office places. Tried to use streets and trails as much as possible, but there was a maybe 1 mile stretch between the safety of my block and this really wonderful multi purpose trail that wracked my nerves everytime.
It consisted of a 6 lane divided highway equipped with right turn lanes that doubled as bus stops, so it was very intimidating to ride in the street (although I tried once or twice). Unfortunately the sidewalk was just as bad, a narrow strip of concrete separating the street from the retaining wall above the parking lot of a large mall, complete with trees, lights and maybe other utility poles embedded in the center of the sidewalk. That was the worst .1 miles of the whole journey.
I'm sure there are vets that can put this route to shame, and my helmet's off to them. The truth is that it took me an incredible amount of effort and determination to make this work, and I'm proud that I was able to accomplish it.
I live in northwest arkansas now, and it's bike friendly... Mountain bike friendly... On trails. Also a bit hillier than LA was. And wet. I've eked a few journeys out of my Raleigh Sports when I lived on the flat side of town, but it'll be a while before I can go anywhere useful again. But my office is now a few feet from my bed, so at least I'm not burning too much fossil fuel to get there.
posted by rubah at 9:11 AM on February 13, 2021
The betrayal was short lived; the freedom of riding remains.
I commuted by bike a few times when I was living in LA and there was infrastructure, lots of good weather (steel rims), and I lived relatively close to my office places. Tried to use streets and trails as much as possible, but there was a maybe 1 mile stretch between the safety of my block and this really wonderful multi purpose trail that wracked my nerves everytime.
It consisted of a 6 lane divided highway equipped with right turn lanes that doubled as bus stops, so it was very intimidating to ride in the street (although I tried once or twice). Unfortunately the sidewalk was just as bad, a narrow strip of concrete separating the street from the retaining wall above the parking lot of a large mall, complete with trees, lights and maybe other utility poles embedded in the center of the sidewalk. That was the worst .1 miles of the whole journey.
I'm sure there are vets that can put this route to shame, and my helmet's off to them. The truth is that it took me an incredible amount of effort and determination to make this work, and I'm proud that I was able to accomplish it.
I live in northwest arkansas now, and it's bike friendly... Mountain bike friendly... On trails. Also a bit hillier than LA was. And wet. I've eked a few journeys out of my Raleigh Sports when I lived on the flat side of town, but it'll be a while before I can go anywhere useful again. But my office is now a few feet from my bed, so at least I'm not burning too much fossil fuel to get there.
posted by rubah at 9:11 AM on February 13, 2021
Pushing back equally hard on Ned G's comment. As a pedestrian in a major city, I can also report that *all* of my near misses have been with cyclists, all of whom have been flagrantly violating the law: going the wrong way, on the sidewalk, blowing through stop lights at high speed. Especially within systems that are designed with biking in mind, e.g. car-free routes in the park (with stop-signal-enabled pedestrian cross walks). I've experienced numerous incidents of absolute contempt.
Yes, cycling is great. Most cyclists are great. I support efforts to increase biking infrastructure and safety. I empathize with what cyclists have to contend with in terms of cars. Yay bicycles!
But there are many serous cyclists who don't ride responsibly around pedestrians. And it's terrifying sometimes and it sucks. And when it's called out, I rarely see this behavior owned by the cycling community. There's always pushback and equivocation. Partly I think this has to do with cyclists (rightly) feeling embattled/protective, so the instinct is to defend/excuse/minimize.
But it's real. It's scary. It has dangerous consequences. It can't be magicked away with "but cars" or "but less deaths." And improving it starts with the cycling community owning it.
At the very least, please don't "disagree" with someone's lived experience.
posted by Text TK at 9:24 AM on February 13, 2021 [4 favorites]
Yes, cycling is great. Most cyclists are great. I support efforts to increase biking infrastructure and safety. I empathize with what cyclists have to contend with in terms of cars. Yay bicycles!
But there are many serous cyclists who don't ride responsibly around pedestrians. And it's terrifying sometimes and it sucks. And when it's called out, I rarely see this behavior owned by the cycling community. There's always pushback and equivocation. Partly I think this has to do with cyclists (rightly) feeling embattled/protective, so the instinct is to defend/excuse/minimize.
But it's real. It's scary. It has dangerous consequences. It can't be magicked away with "but cars" or "but less deaths." And improving it starts with the cycling community owning it.
At the very least, please don't "disagree" with someone's lived experience.
posted by Text TK at 9:24 AM on February 13, 2021 [4 favorites]
I haven't ridden a bike in many years (no place to store a bike, for starters) but I still remember the daily near terror of having to ride on London main roads without a bike path as a student. Probably the scariest single incident was as a teenager, when my handlebar got clipped by a lorry overtaking me, which sent the front wheel straight into the kerb. I consequently demonstrated Newton's first law independent of the bike. Fortunately, I was going relatively slowly as we were approaching a roundabout and there was a wide grass verge, so I didn't break anything; the bike was a different matter. Nobody stopped, obviously, so I limped home dragging the bike.
As a driver, I always give a bike more space than I'd give a car, especially when overtaking - and I wait until I can see plenty far ahead so I can give them plenty of room before pulling in. It's not like going a bit slower for 5 minutes is going to make a vast difference! My ex-ambulance driver instructor told me to wait until I could completely see the cyclist in my rear view before pulling in, and I still go by that. It's just basic courtesy, FFS. The amount of other cars that double overtake me and the bike on country road blind bends then dive straight in is scary as fuck as a driver, so I feel for the cyclist in those circumstances. Half the time, I end up catching them up at the next junction, so all that risk for nothing...
Also, we really should make all drivers learn the Dutch Reach to open their door. It's safer for bikes, and for avoiding getting run over yourself.
posted by Absolutely No You-Know-What at 9:26 AM on February 13, 2021 [1 favorite]
As a driver, I always give a bike more space than I'd give a car, especially when overtaking - and I wait until I can see plenty far ahead so I can give them plenty of room before pulling in. It's not like going a bit slower for 5 minutes is going to make a vast difference! My ex-ambulance driver instructor told me to wait until I could completely see the cyclist in my rear view before pulling in, and I still go by that. It's just basic courtesy, FFS. The amount of other cars that double overtake me and the bike on country road blind bends then dive straight in is scary as fuck as a driver, so I feel for the cyclist in those circumstances. Half the time, I end up catching them up at the next junction, so all that risk for nothing...
Also, we really should make all drivers learn the Dutch Reach to open their door. It's safer for bikes, and for avoiding getting run over yourself.
posted by Absolutely No You-Know-What at 9:26 AM on February 13, 2021 [1 favorite]
I think drivers don't realize that they're threatening me with a weapon at me when they threaten me from their cars. If you had a sword in your hand, you would make sure it was in your scabbard, you wouldn't be dangling it idly between us.
Here are a few of the times I have been intentionally threatened by drivers that I can think of offhand:
- Biking home on a bike lane after dark on a very busy road when I was like 21 years old. Get cut off by a car full of drunk men turning into a driveway. They bump me and stop in the middle of the bike lane, cutting off my exit route. The driver gets out and starts yelling at me. I can't get away because there's traffic. Someone else gets out, I think maybe this one will calm the first one down. Instead, now there's two drunk people yelling at me. I'm checking constantly, but there is no break in car traffic. Someone else gets out, I think maybe this one will calm the first two down. Instead, now there's three drunk people yelling at me. There is no break in car traffic. The final passenger gets out, I think maybe this one will calm the others down. Instead, now there's four drunk people yelling at me. There is no break in car traffic. There is finally a break in car traffic.
- ~15 years later, a car full of men turns off a busy road and follows me into a residential neighborhood. It's late out, I'm nearly home (to where I'm petsitting, alone). They creep along behind me in their car. There's plenty of room to pass. They don't. I pull over to let them pass. They pull ahead, and then pull over to wait for me. They start creeping behind me again. I finally see a family getting out of their car, and ask if I can wait with them for a few minutes. They are understandably uncomfortable, but agree. The car passes and doesn't back. I take a circuitous route home.
- A protected bike path went in on a major car street. The local residents were still parking on it. Me and my partner pulled over to call it in, and then went on our way. A little ways ahead, a driver blocked us an an intersection and proceeded to chew us out for calling it in. In this case, I was able to explain that we had no way to safely get away from the situation, and I think the driver may have realized how unintentionally threatening they had been.
- Biking along a bike lane in the middle of the day in a college town. Something hits me like a punch to the head, and then I feel liquid and wonder if I'm bleeding. Turns out it was just a water balloon thrown by a car that had just passed me. I think they may not have studied physics yet.
- Last year in Portland, a driver on a residential road next to a park cut me off and pulled next to me and slowed down to tell me I shouldn't be on the road. I don't remember the details, but there was definitely a death wish explicitly offered from the driver to me. I ride recumbent bicycles and my bike has a big ole garden flag off the back for visibility, so I'm basically like a one-person parade whether I like it or not. I made a point to focus on the positiveness of the several people who excitedly waved at me on the rest of the way home.
I've been in a couple solo crashes where there were witnesses, and the two experiences were like night and day:
- The first one, I took a sharp downhill turn at an intersection too hard and crashed into a deep gutter. Someone ran over and I basically had to take care of their panic and reassure the person that I was ok instead of taking a couple minutes to assess myself and my body and my needs. This is what not to do.
- The second one, for some reason I could never determine, my bike came to a complete stop, and threw me off. I was bleeding. I don't really remember what they did or said, but I remember that they were not in the way. They let me take my time. They encouraged me to sit down for a couple minutes. They wanted me to eat something immediately, so I promised to eat an apple when I got to my destination a few blocks away. They were calm.
posted by aniola at 9:41 AM on February 13, 2021 [3 favorites]
Here are a few of the times I have been intentionally threatened by drivers that I can think of offhand:
- Biking home on a bike lane after dark on a very busy road when I was like 21 years old. Get cut off by a car full of drunk men turning into a driveway. They bump me and stop in the middle of the bike lane, cutting off my exit route. The driver gets out and starts yelling at me. I can't get away because there's traffic. Someone else gets out, I think maybe this one will calm the first one down. Instead, now there's two drunk people yelling at me. I'm checking constantly, but there is no break in car traffic. Someone else gets out, I think maybe this one will calm the first two down. Instead, now there's three drunk people yelling at me. There is no break in car traffic. The final passenger gets out, I think maybe this one will calm the others down. Instead, now there's four drunk people yelling at me. There is no break in car traffic. There is finally a break in car traffic.
- ~15 years later, a car full of men turns off a busy road and follows me into a residential neighborhood. It's late out, I'm nearly home (to where I'm petsitting, alone). They creep along behind me in their car. There's plenty of room to pass. They don't. I pull over to let them pass. They pull ahead, and then pull over to wait for me. They start creeping behind me again. I finally see a family getting out of their car, and ask if I can wait with them for a few minutes. They are understandably uncomfortable, but agree. The car passes and doesn't back. I take a circuitous route home.
- A protected bike path went in on a major car street. The local residents were still parking on it. Me and my partner pulled over to call it in, and then went on our way. A little ways ahead, a driver blocked us an an intersection and proceeded to chew us out for calling it in. In this case, I was able to explain that we had no way to safely get away from the situation, and I think the driver may have realized how unintentionally threatening they had been.
- Biking along a bike lane in the middle of the day in a college town. Something hits me like a punch to the head, and then I feel liquid and wonder if I'm bleeding. Turns out it was just a water balloon thrown by a car that had just passed me. I think they may not have studied physics yet.
- Last year in Portland, a driver on a residential road next to a park cut me off and pulled next to me and slowed down to tell me I shouldn't be on the road. I don't remember the details, but there was definitely a death wish explicitly offered from the driver to me. I ride recumbent bicycles and my bike has a big ole garden flag off the back for visibility, so I'm basically like a one-person parade whether I like it or not. I made a point to focus on the positiveness of the several people who excitedly waved at me on the rest of the way home.
I've been in a couple solo crashes where there were witnesses, and the two experiences were like night and day:
- The first one, I took a sharp downhill turn at an intersection too hard and crashed into a deep gutter. Someone ran over and I basically had to take care of their panic and reassure the person that I was ok instead of taking a couple minutes to assess myself and my body and my needs. This is what not to do.
- The second one, for some reason I could never determine, my bike came to a complete stop, and threw me off. I was bleeding. I don't really remember what they did or said, but I remember that they were not in the way. They let me take my time. They encouraged me to sit down for a couple minutes. They wanted me to eat something immediately, so I promised to eat an apple when I got to my destination a few blocks away. They were calm.
posted by aniola at 9:41 AM on February 13, 2021 [3 favorites]
Not all people who bike stop for pedestrians. I try to always stop for pedestrians.
Sometimes I can get the numerous cars that are illegally whizzing past the pedestrian to stop by stopping myself. Besides, many pedestrians are also drivers. I want to set a good example.
posted by aniola at 9:46 AM on February 13, 2021 [5 favorites]
Sometimes I can get the numerous cars that are illegally whizzing past the pedestrian to stop by stopping myself. Besides, many pedestrians are also drivers. I want to set a good example.
posted by aniola at 9:46 AM on February 13, 2021 [5 favorites]
On my first multi-use path on my first long-distance bike ride, a fellow recumbent rider pulled me over to chat. I was informed that his doctor said he had six months to live if he didn't start exercising. That he had been riding his recumbent for two years now, every single morning, and felt a lot healthier and happier and loved his recumbent bicycle so much. It was just such a happy hopeful love story.
posted by aniola at 10:01 AM on February 13, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by aniola at 10:01 AM on February 13, 2021 [2 favorites]
The most recent scariest bike ride was a couple years ago when we ended up on Mark West Springs Road coming into Santa Rosa, CA. We were both so glad to be on a tandem. I don't remember the details, but there was extensive communication between us, and biking with as much power as we could possibly muster. Commute hour, the road thick with high-speed cars, curvy road, a drop-off, no shoulder.
posted by aniola at 10:18 AM on February 13, 2021
posted by aniola at 10:18 AM on February 13, 2021
It's interesting that the words for "cyclist" and "driver", translated into Dutch, would never be used to describe an affinity group or as part of individual identity. I would associate them with traffic signs giving specific instructions to people temporarily using that form of transport rather than a permanent expression of identity. Of course this is because most Dutch adults have access to and routinely use both bikes and cars.
posted by atrazine at 10:39 AM on February 13, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by atrazine at 10:39 AM on February 13, 2021 [3 favorites]
I absolutely believe that pedestrians have had bad experiences with cyclists. There are a few different flavors of cyclists that do this. There are the middle aged dudes who think getting their training in is more important than the safety of others on the path or street. Stopping or even slowing down would ruin their Strava stats, so they just... don’t. Heck, the last time I rode my bike was out in the suburbs on a bike path and the worst part of it was when a pace line of dudes coming in the opposite direction veered head on into my half of the path to pass someone on their side. When I yelled at them about it I couldn’t hear their full response but it definitely included the word “bitch”. These guys know what they are doing and just don’t care.
Then there are the kind of clueless cyclists who seem more casual about everything and just kind of glide through life/intersections without a care in the world. I honestly don’t know how to get though to this kind of cyclist.
Pedestrians can also do some absolutely boneheaded things, too, though. The worst is how many of them will walk into the bike lane to get further out into the street to get a jump on when their light will turn green, or just veer into the bike lane to diagonally cross a street during a break in car traffic, never looking back to the direction that bike traffic would be coming from. This happens daily in the downtown part of my commute. I don’t say this to start any fights, but just that all modes of travel have some real dumb-dumbs making it worse for everyone.
Back to drivers, though, there’s a story from my ex husband that always stuck with me. He was riding his bike home from work and arrived at an intersection with a red light. The right hand lane was a turn only lane, and lots of drivers would use it to take a right on red at that intersection. So he would wait in the main lane while the light was red. Well, one driver pulled up behind him and just started laying on the horn and yelling at him. Light was still red. The light turned green, my ex started riding, and the driver pulled up alongside him, yelling that he should have been over to the right in the turn lane. When my ex tried to explain that wasn’t true, the driver just screamed “You’re INCONVENIENCING people,” as if that were the worst thing you could possibly do to someone driving a car.
This story always seemed so illustrative of the fundamental conflict - cyclists are, for the most part, constantly evaluating their behavior and doing their best not to get killed in a built environment that encourages conflict with deadly vehicles, while drivers are trying to get somewhere as fast and conveniently as possible and feel entitled to do so with zero unexpected delays or adjustments.
posted by misskaz at 10:49 AM on February 13, 2021 [8 favorites]
Then there are the kind of clueless cyclists who seem more casual about everything and just kind of glide through life/intersections without a care in the world. I honestly don’t know how to get though to this kind of cyclist.
Pedestrians can also do some absolutely boneheaded things, too, though. The worst is how many of them will walk into the bike lane to get further out into the street to get a jump on when their light will turn green, or just veer into the bike lane to diagonally cross a street during a break in car traffic, never looking back to the direction that bike traffic would be coming from. This happens daily in the downtown part of my commute. I don’t say this to start any fights, but just that all modes of travel have some real dumb-dumbs making it worse for everyone.
Back to drivers, though, there’s a story from my ex husband that always stuck with me. He was riding his bike home from work and arrived at an intersection with a red light. The right hand lane was a turn only lane, and lots of drivers would use it to take a right on red at that intersection. So he would wait in the main lane while the light was red. Well, one driver pulled up behind him and just started laying on the horn and yelling at him. Light was still red. The light turned green, my ex started riding, and the driver pulled up alongside him, yelling that he should have been over to the right in the turn lane. When my ex tried to explain that wasn’t true, the driver just screamed “You’re INCONVENIENCING people,” as if that were the worst thing you could possibly do to someone driving a car.
This story always seemed so illustrative of the fundamental conflict - cyclists are, for the most part, constantly evaluating their behavior and doing their best not to get killed in a built environment that encourages conflict with deadly vehicles, while drivers are trying to get somewhere as fast and conveniently as possible and feel entitled to do so with zero unexpected delays or adjustments.
posted by misskaz at 10:49 AM on February 13, 2021 [8 favorites]
I think drivers don't realize that they're threatening me with a weapon at me when they threaten me from their cars.
Usually, but drivers have verbally threatened to kill me using their cars many many times. For doing things like holding up traffic for a legal left turn or going around a car parked in the bike lane.
Drivers mostly don't intend to use the car as a weapon but we all know it can be.
posted by klanawa at 10:50 AM on February 13, 2021 [5 favorites]
Usually, but drivers have verbally threatened to kill me using their cars many many times. For doing things like holding up traffic for a legal left turn or going around a car parked in the bike lane.
Drivers mostly don't intend to use the car as a weapon but we all know it can be.
posted by klanawa at 10:50 AM on February 13, 2021 [5 favorites]
I absolutely believe that pedestrians have had bad experiences with cyclists.
I've had lots of bad interactions with cyclists while walking. It's never dangerous in the way bad car interactions are, but it's also especially frustrating because it feels like we should be on the same side (as human-powered travelers). It's almost always dudes who are dressed in spandex and wanting to go fast either making bad judgment calls (like zooming straight through a group of people) or getting mad and yelling at other users.
Mostly, though, this comes from poorly designed infrastructure -- too many people sharing a single mixed-use path, say, unlike the dense web of car infrastructure that goes everywhere.
posted by Dip Flash at 11:54 AM on February 13, 2021 [8 favorites]
I've had lots of bad interactions with cyclists while walking. It's never dangerous in the way bad car interactions are, but it's also especially frustrating because it feels like we should be on the same side (as human-powered travelers). It's almost always dudes who are dressed in spandex and wanting to go fast either making bad judgment calls (like zooming straight through a group of people) or getting mad and yelling at other users.
Mostly, though, this comes from poorly designed infrastructure -- too many people sharing a single mixed-use path, say, unlike the dense web of car infrastructure that goes everywhere.
posted by Dip Flash at 11:54 AM on February 13, 2021 [8 favorites]
Speaking as a transportation cyclist who normally gets around by biking, walking, and transit, you can watch pretty much any BicycleDutch or Not Just Bikes video and see exactly what I want for my safety and for the safety of all road users (not just those who can afford an SUV or one of those personal trucks where the hood is over my goddamn head).
Because nearly everyone in the Netherlands walks, bikes, and drives (when they're old enough), they don't think of people using bikes to get around as "other;" they *are* those people, too. You learn how to bike both from your parents and in school. You take a field test at the end of your last year of primary school, when you're about 12, because you're going to have to get yourself to secondary school the next year almost certainly under your own steam; there are fewer secondary schools than primary schools, and they are larger, and likely a bit farther away from your house than your primary school was. And you're not going to be doing this by car - you can't earn a car driving license until you're 18, by which point you'll have graduated or very nearly done so. I don't have the numbers at hand right this second, but IIRC, 2/3 of Dutch primary school children get to school without being driven in a car, and by the time they're in secondary school, 80% are biking themselves up to 15 km to school, and almost all of the remaining 20% are walking or taking transit. There's no "drop off line" of cars spewing gas and creating hazardous situations for children or teens to dodge.
So how do they support this? With infrastructure that forces drivers to SLOW. THE. EFF. DOWN and drive more safely in "mixed" traffic, and that gives people on bikes (and wheelchairs, people in motorized wheelchairs are allowed to use the cycletracks!) and people walking *each* safe, separate space in areas where cars are going to be going faster than ~18 mph to transport themselves to and from desired destinations and their residences.
Honestly, I could probably write a top-level MeFi post about this with a fair fistful of supportive links and stats (but haven't yet because it'd be my first and it sounds like there's a higher barrier to writing one than on Ask.Me) ...
I cannot believe I have not been on public transit in 346 days. Having my bike to run most errands has saved my sanity, but if you told me last February that my world was about to be circumscribed to the radius I could safely bike or walk, I would have put my books in storage, dumped my furniture, and moved heaven and earth to move us to the Netherlands, based on everything I've watched and read and heard about from friends there, and the 60 hours I got to experience Amsterdam bike culture in person.
posted by Pandora Kouti at 12:29 PM on February 13, 2021 [2 favorites]
Because nearly everyone in the Netherlands walks, bikes, and drives (when they're old enough), they don't think of people using bikes to get around as "other;" they *are* those people, too. You learn how to bike both from your parents and in school. You take a field test at the end of your last year of primary school, when you're about 12, because you're going to have to get yourself to secondary school the next year almost certainly under your own steam; there are fewer secondary schools than primary schools, and they are larger, and likely a bit farther away from your house than your primary school was. And you're not going to be doing this by car - you can't earn a car driving license until you're 18, by which point you'll have graduated or very nearly done so. I don't have the numbers at hand right this second, but IIRC, 2/3 of Dutch primary school children get to school without being driven in a car, and by the time they're in secondary school, 80% are biking themselves up to 15 km to school, and almost all of the remaining 20% are walking or taking transit. There's no "drop off line" of cars spewing gas and creating hazardous situations for children or teens to dodge.
So how do they support this? With infrastructure that forces drivers to SLOW. THE. EFF. DOWN and drive more safely in "mixed" traffic, and that gives people on bikes (and wheelchairs, people in motorized wheelchairs are allowed to use the cycletracks!) and people walking *each* safe, separate space in areas where cars are going to be going faster than ~18 mph to transport themselves to and from desired destinations and their residences.
Honestly, I could probably write a top-level MeFi post about this with a fair fistful of supportive links and stats (but haven't yet because it'd be my first and it sounds like there's a higher barrier to writing one than on Ask.Me) ...
I cannot believe I have not been on public transit in 346 days. Having my bike to run most errands has saved my sanity, but if you told me last February that my world was about to be circumscribed to the radius I could safely bike or walk, I would have put my books in storage, dumped my furniture, and moved heaven and earth to move us to the Netherlands, based on everything I've watched and read and heard about from friends there, and the 60 hours I got to experience Amsterdam bike culture in person.
posted by Pandora Kouti at 12:29 PM on February 13, 2021 [2 favorites]
misskaz pretty much said what I wanted to about some of the ways people can ride that are unsafe and/or unpleasant for pedestrians and other cyclists. I tend to be more forgiving of people who are oblivious - I usually figure they're new to cycling, and here in the US we don't get much cyclist education. As for people who are too wrapped up in the speed/thrill to care about their surroundings... I've felt that thrill and I get it, but I've also been the pedestrian or the slower rider and I agree that it's important for cyclists to own the fact that we're not all saints all the time. There's always room for us to do better. (Yes, better infrastructure and fewer cars would go a long way towards eliminating this conflict. We can still be kind and respectful to each other when sharing the crumbs left to us by a car-normative society.)
~~
Speaking of cyclist education: I wish "cyclist ed," including a significant amount of on-the-road riding experience, was a part of driver's ed. So often I think that people just don't get it if they haven't been on the road on a bike.
There are plenty of other people who don't get defensive about it, but they're still out their swinging their swords around obliviously. And there's the people who are intentionally and knowingly saying "I've got a sword, you know. I could kill you, no problem." which is terrifying, since you never know when you're going to meet one of them.
It feels like just a small handful consistently look before they swing, and keep their swings compact, and sometimes choose to leave their sword parked at home for shorter trips. I really appreciate those folks. (-:
posted by sibilatorix at 12:34 PM on February 13, 2021 [4 favorites]
~~
Speaking of cyclist education: I wish "cyclist ed," including a significant amount of on-the-road riding experience, was a part of driver's ed. So often I think that people just don't get it if they haven't been on the road on a bike.
cyclists are, for the most part, constantly evaluating their behavior and doing their best not to get killed in a built environment that encourages conflict with deadly vehicles, while drivers are trying to get somewhere as fast and conveniently as possible and feel entitled to do so with zero unexpected delays or adjustmentsYes, that. Very much that. That plus aniola's sword analogy, except I usually feel like drivers are walking down the street swinging their sword around in big wide circles, and when someone says "hey, could you be careful with that thing" some of them get all "WHAT? I'm just out for a walk with my sword. This is perfectly reasonable, lots of other people do it. You should stay out of the way. And you should wear more yellow and orange and reflective stuff, otherwise I might accidentally hit you with my sword 'cause I can't see you. I mean seriously, just get your own walking sword and you'll have something to parry with. Walking without a sword is so dangerous, I can't believe anyone would do it."
There are plenty of other people who don't get defensive about it, but they're still out their swinging their swords around obliviously. And there's the people who are intentionally and knowingly saying "I've got a sword, you know. I could kill you, no problem." which is terrifying, since you never know when you're going to meet one of them.
It feels like just a small handful consistently look before they swing, and keep their swings compact, and sometimes choose to leave their sword parked at home for shorter trips. I really appreciate those folks. (-:
posted by sibilatorix at 12:34 PM on February 13, 2021 [4 favorites]
I'm pretty sure I terrified a driver last night, and I'm feeling a little conflicted about it. I was making a left turn and wanted to squeeze through the gap between one oncoming car and the next. Usually I'm more cautious, but I decided to go for it and pointed my trike straight at the driver's side door of the oncoming car. It was perfectly timed - by the time I got to where the car had been I was just slipping behind their rear bumper, and got across the lane before the next car reached me. The driver must have just seen me coming straight at them, though, because they laid on the horn pretty hard. Part of me feels bad about it - they were probably scared, and I don't like scaring people. Part of me thinks they would have understood what I was doing if they had actual experience on a bike, and also it would have been a non-issue if there was better bike infrastructure, or if fewer people were driving, or if they were driving slower, or, or...
~~
I feel so, so lucky that I went to UC Davis (a university with a mostly car-free campus, in a town famous for being bike-friendly).
Before Davis I assumed I would get a drivers license and a car and drive everywhere. That's what everyone did, right? I hated driving and was terrified of the harm I could do if I made a mistake, but I had no idea there was any alternative. I grew up in a neighborhood with no transit, where the main connection to town was the statistically most deadly road in the county. I didn't know anyone who biked, walked, or took transit as their primary transportation.
After that, Davis was a revelation. I brought a bike with me because that's what all the freshmen did - the university recommended it, and it was practically impossible to get a car parking space if you lived in the dorms. Suddenly, I could ride everywhere! To all my classes, to the grocery store, to the other side of town, past the farms outside of town, all the way to the next town in any direction, even Sacramento! I got comfortable with my bike, learned to maintain and repair it, eventually worked up to riding 90-ish miles over the hills to Napa Valley and back! (I was so thrilled when I got home from that ride, and then promptly fell asleep on the couch for several hours. My housemate was a little concerned because I NEVER take naps.) I let my learner's permit expire and never did get a driver's license or a car. I walk and bike almost everywhere, including occasional multi-day or -week trips that can span hundreds of miles. Sometimes for fun, sometimes for transportation - often a little of both.
I won't say that I never looked back - I look back on that time frequently and smile, because discovering that I could transport myself was one of best things that's happened to me - but I certainly never regretted it!
posted by sibilatorix at 12:34 PM on February 13, 2021 [1 favorite]
~~
I feel so, so lucky that I went to UC Davis (a university with a mostly car-free campus, in a town famous for being bike-friendly).
Before Davis I assumed I would get a drivers license and a car and drive everywhere. That's what everyone did, right? I hated driving and was terrified of the harm I could do if I made a mistake, but I had no idea there was any alternative. I grew up in a neighborhood with no transit, where the main connection to town was the statistically most deadly road in the county. I didn't know anyone who biked, walked, or took transit as their primary transportation.
After that, Davis was a revelation. I brought a bike with me because that's what all the freshmen did - the university recommended it, and it was practically impossible to get a car parking space if you lived in the dorms. Suddenly, I could ride everywhere! To all my classes, to the grocery store, to the other side of town, past the farms outside of town, all the way to the next town in any direction, even Sacramento! I got comfortable with my bike, learned to maintain and repair it, eventually worked up to riding 90-ish miles over the hills to Napa Valley and back! (I was so thrilled when I got home from that ride, and then promptly fell asleep on the couch for several hours. My housemate was a little concerned because I NEVER take naps.) I let my learner's permit expire and never did get a driver's license or a car. I walk and bike almost everywhere, including occasional multi-day or -week trips that can span hundreds of miles. Sometimes for fun, sometimes for transportation - often a little of both.
I won't say that I never looked back - I look back on that time frequently and smile, because discovering that I could transport myself was one of best things that's happened to me - but I certainly never regretted it!
posted by sibilatorix at 12:34 PM on February 13, 2021 [1 favorite]
To finish this I'd like to examine the behaviour that you describe as contemptuous. I'm not going to pretend that every cyclist makes great decisions all the time. However, lots of those decisions come from trying to exist in a system that's not designed for them, and feels like it's actively trying to injure them. If you try to see the actions in that context, maybe it will help? Or even better, try cycling a mile in their shoes first.
I'm pretty pro-cycling and anti-car and I agree with you 99%. There is 1% though that acknowledges that there are ridiculous complete asshole cyclists out there and they are extremely noticeably present because they cycle with a recklessness that no car could match (at least not for long because they would lose control and meet a lamppost or kill lots of people) and these people tend to cycle a lot. I've been standing on a sidewalk and had a cyclist apex a corner and lean right into where I was standing and scream at me when I hadn't even moved off the curb. Maybe there is a PTSD type explanation as the cause of his behavior or maybe he was a junkie who had missed a fix or maybe he imprinted on one of the fixie courier movies that modeled this kind of riding. I don't know and don't care. He was an asshole. It turned out that he was a local cycle courier and it is the reason I have not ordered wings from my favorite wing place or had beer delivered from my favorite beer retailer/bar during this entire pandemic because they use the same courier company. Action -> consequences and all that.
That said I have never actually been hurt by a cyclist. I have however been hit by car driver's three times - once as a pedestrian and twice as cyclist and all were the car driver's fault and all of them resulted in injuries (minor ones fortunately but still injuries and both bicycles were wrecked). The cars that hit me were not behaving outside the parameters of normal driving though. They made rolling stops that just happened to roll right through me. This is pretty standard normalized criminal behavior from drivers.
posted by srboisvert at 12:41 PM on February 13, 2021 [3 favorites]
I'm pretty pro-cycling and anti-car and I agree with you 99%. There is 1% though that acknowledges that there are ridiculous complete asshole cyclists out there and they are extremely noticeably present because they cycle with a recklessness that no car could match (at least not for long because they would lose control and meet a lamppost or kill lots of people) and these people tend to cycle a lot. I've been standing on a sidewalk and had a cyclist apex a corner and lean right into where I was standing and scream at me when I hadn't even moved off the curb. Maybe there is a PTSD type explanation as the cause of his behavior or maybe he was a junkie who had missed a fix or maybe he imprinted on one of the fixie courier movies that modeled this kind of riding. I don't know and don't care. He was an asshole. It turned out that he was a local cycle courier and it is the reason I have not ordered wings from my favorite wing place or had beer delivered from my favorite beer retailer/bar during this entire pandemic because they use the same courier company. Action -> consequences and all that.
That said I have never actually been hurt by a cyclist. I have however been hit by car driver's three times - once as a pedestrian and twice as cyclist and all were the car driver's fault and all of them resulted in injuries (minor ones fortunately but still injuries and both bicycles were wrecked). The cars that hit me were not behaving outside the parameters of normal driving though. They made rolling stops that just happened to roll right through me. This is pretty standard normalized criminal behavior from drivers.
posted by srboisvert at 12:41 PM on February 13, 2021 [3 favorites]
Also, thank you to everyone commenting here. I don't spend much time in online spaces that are predominantly inhabited by people who bike, and with the pandemic I can't go to the local bike collective or advocacy group to scratch that itch. Most of the internet is pretty car-centric.
It is so nice to feel like I'm not alone!
posted by sibilatorix at 12:42 PM on February 13, 2021 [3 favorites]
It is so nice to feel like I'm not alone!
posted by sibilatorix at 12:42 PM on February 13, 2021 [3 favorites]
a recklessness that no car could match (at least not for long because they would lose control and meet a lamppost or kill lots of people)
(These drivers exist. They use the road I live on as a racecar track late at night. They did so at the previous place I lived in a different city, too.)
posted by aniola at 12:53 PM on February 13, 2021 [2 favorites]
(These drivers exist. They use the road I live on as a racecar track late at night. They did so at the previous place I lived in a different city, too.)
posted by aniola at 12:53 PM on February 13, 2021 [2 favorites]
As a dedicated cyclist, car-free now for 15 years, I too have my share of scares, but I'd rather focus on the last bit of the post: how it makes you feel. There are experiences you can get cycling which nothing else will quite get you.
posted by los pantalones del muerte at 12:55 PM on February 13, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by los pantalones del muerte at 12:55 PM on February 13, 2021 [3 favorites]
HAH <-- that picture you posted, I took one look at it and was instantly reminded of that one time I was in Iowa or thereabouts, and reached the top of this hill, and there was this beautiful valley with a windmill field in the distance. I thought it was just lovely. Then I tried to go down the steep hill. Like, I should have been flying down at 40mph. Instead, I was in my easiest gear and working as hard as I could, as though I was going up that same hill. Now I see windmills as warning posts that say "HEAVY WINDS". Then I read your caption.
posted by aniola at 1:17 PM on February 13, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by aniola at 1:17 PM on February 13, 2021 [3 favorites]
Just a little input from the land that brought you "Vision Zero". In Sweden this has been a largely successful traffic safety initiative that has reduced the number of traffic fatalities siginificantly in the last 25 years or so. But the only suggestion to improve conditions for cyclists within the Vision Zero framework in Sweden is a recommendation to wear helmets. Nothing about improving infrastructure. And in some cases the "improvements" in infrastructure for other traffic users are downright hostile to cyclists (2+1 cable-separated highways are an example). Cycling in general is considered an inherently dangerous activity, and to achieve zero traffic fatalities in a year the planners would rather just not have to consider cyclists at all.
My employer, the bicycle advocacy organization here, launched a campaign called "moving beyond zero" to promote the positive health benefits of cycling, which more than offset the associated dangers. Vision Zero is not enough: we need to encourage a transport infrastructure that promotes active mobility and its associated health benefits.
A lot of good discussion here. A sort of cycling-advocacy bugaboo that might be interesting for folks here to research (beyond the whole damn helmet discussion) is the "vehicular cycling" movement vs the "cycling infrastructure" movement. Vehicular cycling has mostly died down, but it still has its adherents. The Dutch model is interesting, because bicycle infrastructure is so ubiquitous, interactions with cars are reduced to near zero for many users. In some ways, that's a boon for drivers too.
I do think that cyclists in general have better situational awareness than other traffic users due to their unique vulnerability. You know that like Sherlock Holmes movie trope where he sees and analyzes an entire crime scene in one long slowed-down animated overlay? Or Jason Bourne walking into a bar and immediately sizing up all the patrons' weights and nationalities? That's not unlike how a cyclist sees traffic, with the supported exacting knowledge of the weather, the road surface, the status of the bicycle down to tire pressure and stopping distance down to the centimeter, etc. Ultimately however this does limit cycling when there is limited separated infrastructure to those who can maintain that situational awareness and react appropriately, which isn't a great look for cycling and not beneficial to society. Yeah, build more bike lanes. And build them smart.
posted by St. Oops at 1:37 PM on February 13, 2021 [5 favorites]
My employer, the bicycle advocacy organization here, launched a campaign called "moving beyond zero" to promote the positive health benefits of cycling, which more than offset the associated dangers. Vision Zero is not enough: we need to encourage a transport infrastructure that promotes active mobility and its associated health benefits.
A lot of good discussion here. A sort of cycling-advocacy bugaboo that might be interesting for folks here to research (beyond the whole damn helmet discussion) is the "vehicular cycling" movement vs the "cycling infrastructure" movement. Vehicular cycling has mostly died down, but it still has its adherents. The Dutch model is interesting, because bicycle infrastructure is so ubiquitous, interactions with cars are reduced to near zero for many users. In some ways, that's a boon for drivers too.
I do think that cyclists in general have better situational awareness than other traffic users due to their unique vulnerability. You know that like Sherlock Holmes movie trope where he sees and analyzes an entire crime scene in one long slowed-down animated overlay? Or Jason Bourne walking into a bar and immediately sizing up all the patrons' weights and nationalities? That's not unlike how a cyclist sees traffic, with the supported exacting knowledge of the weather, the road surface, the status of the bicycle down to tire pressure and stopping distance down to the centimeter, etc. Ultimately however this does limit cycling when there is limited separated infrastructure to those who can maintain that situational awareness and react appropriately, which isn't a great look for cycling and not beneficial to society. Yeah, build more bike lanes. And build them smart.
posted by St. Oops at 1:37 PM on February 13, 2021 [5 favorites]
Once on my bike commute, at a stoplight crossing the main highway through my small city, I was one of four people crossing at the walk sign — a bike plus a wheelchair or mobility scooter in each direction. This is an intersection that only has moderate foot traffic, and typically any of us would be crossing alone and worrying about drivers not noticing our presence or understanding that pedestrians have the right of way under the walk sign. While our little Two Wheels parade was underway, the driver of an oversized pickup impatiently (with some creeping and revving) waited for us to pass so he could turn left on a yield light. None of us spoke to each other, but for those 30 seconds, the four of us grinned in solidarity and amusement. Instantly and effortlessly, we were a little team. It was memorable lesson.
posted by Comet Bug at 1:47 PM on February 13, 2021 [5 favorites]
posted by Comet Bug at 1:47 PM on February 13, 2021 [5 favorites]
Are you old enough to remember when people started using their cell phones in their cars? I am, and then some. I used to bike to work, and when you are on a bicycle you study the hominids who drive cars very very closely, as if your life depended on it. It was then, 20+ years ago, I started noticing how many people were "multitasking." One of their neglected "tasks" was often paying attention to schlubs like me riding bikes.
posted by kozad at 2:46 PM on February 13, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by kozad at 2:46 PM on February 13, 2021 [2 favorites]
I both drive and cycle. It's been a little over a year since I sold my personal car (moving us down to a one-car household) because I just didn't need it. I spent some of the cash on an ebike upgrade kit for the bike I'd owned ever since moving in with my now-hubby. Prior to that, I cycled to school at age 11-16 (small village, route was mostly quiet back-roads).
The most important accessory (after obvious lights) on my bike is a Really Loud Horn. It's an "Airzound", has an air tank that gets pressurised with a tyre-pump, and at full pressure it is probably louder than most car horns. I can give it a little tap if I think a driver is just about to do something without noticing me, or let rip with a long loud angry bastard HJOOONK as required. We have tried electronic "bike horns" and have found them to be utterly worthless - they always use a high-pitch buzzer (same as in a personal attack alarm) and neither drivers nor pedestrians parse that as "vehicle".
Second-most important is a polite little bell. Where we live, there are "cycle lanes" which are either next-to pedestrian footpath (separated by a white line) or merge in to areas of pavement/footpath seemingly at random. In those spaces, Mister Angry Horn is neither proportionate nor helpful - the gentle "ping ping" of a trad bike bell is far better for gentle harmonious nudging of "you're in the bike path while not being a bike".
Cycling makes me a better driver - I pass wide or I wait patiently, I understand that road position might be an indicator of consent-to-pass (or specific lack thereof) or might be primarily driven by road-surface / weather conditions. Even trying out the local cycle-hire system bikes a couple of times, so I know how they would hamper a regular cyclist and create potential extra hazards if being ridden by a non-regular cyclist.
Driving, in turn, makes me a more confident cyclist. I tend not to filter to the front of waiting traffic at lights, when riding on the road, unless I'm certain it has a bike-box at the stop line (technically an "advanced stop line", I think) and that I can get there easily. I prefer to be middle-of-lane, so I'm highly obvious to the driver ahead and behind.
When cycling, I obey traffic lights no differently to if I were in a car. My bike is lit up like a mobile rave and has plenty of retroreflective tape added to make me as visible as I can possibly be to drivers - because the "ninja bikes" around here who have NO lights and dark clothing and are barely visible by their stock reflectors are a menace to everybody - drivers, pedestrians and even other cyclists.
I firmly believe that a cycle proficiency course should be a part of getting a driving license unless that's not within an individual's physical abilities. Even if it's just a couple of hours on a closed course. Something.
posted by BuxtonTheRed at 3:39 PM on February 13, 2021 [4 favorites]
The most important accessory (after obvious lights) on my bike is a Really Loud Horn. It's an "Airzound", has an air tank that gets pressurised with a tyre-pump, and at full pressure it is probably louder than most car horns. I can give it a little tap if I think a driver is just about to do something without noticing me, or let rip with a long loud angry bastard HJOOONK as required. We have tried electronic "bike horns" and have found them to be utterly worthless - they always use a high-pitch buzzer (same as in a personal attack alarm) and neither drivers nor pedestrians parse that as "vehicle".
Second-most important is a polite little bell. Where we live, there are "cycle lanes" which are either next-to pedestrian footpath (separated by a white line) or merge in to areas of pavement/footpath seemingly at random. In those spaces, Mister Angry Horn is neither proportionate nor helpful - the gentle "ping ping" of a trad bike bell is far better for gentle harmonious nudging of "you're in the bike path while not being a bike".
Cycling makes me a better driver - I pass wide or I wait patiently, I understand that road position might be an indicator of consent-to-pass (or specific lack thereof) or might be primarily driven by road-surface / weather conditions. Even trying out the local cycle-hire system bikes a couple of times, so I know how they would hamper a regular cyclist and create potential extra hazards if being ridden by a non-regular cyclist.
Driving, in turn, makes me a more confident cyclist. I tend not to filter to the front of waiting traffic at lights, when riding on the road, unless I'm certain it has a bike-box at the stop line (technically an "advanced stop line", I think) and that I can get there easily. I prefer to be middle-of-lane, so I'm highly obvious to the driver ahead and behind.
When cycling, I obey traffic lights no differently to if I were in a car. My bike is lit up like a mobile rave and has plenty of retroreflective tape added to make me as visible as I can possibly be to drivers - because the "ninja bikes" around here who have NO lights and dark clothing and are barely visible by their stock reflectors are a menace to everybody - drivers, pedestrians and even other cyclists.
I firmly believe that a cycle proficiency course should be a part of getting a driving license unless that's not within an individual's physical abilities. Even if it's just a couple of hours on a closed course. Something.
posted by BuxtonTheRed at 3:39 PM on February 13, 2021 [4 favorites]
...a recklessness that no car could match (at least not for long because they would lose control and meet a lamppost or kill lots of people...
(These drivers exist. They use the road I live on as a racecar track late at night. They did so at the previous place I lived in a different city, too.)
Yep. A person in my friend group when I lived in Houston was killed by an inebriated person who - part of a well-known, organized group - was drag racing on city streets and hit her car. They literally gather(ed) at known spots on Friday and Saturday nights to hang out, check out each other's cars, and unfortunately use the multi-lane, quiet city streets as their own race track.
Beyond that, though, just driving on the highways in Houston or even here in Chicago can be terrifying if the traffic is light enough - I don't know if I've ever driven on a fairly open expressway without seeing at least one asshole trying to go 90mph and cutting across 3 lanes at once to weave around the other cars. Sure they may not be endangering pedestrians or cyclists on the expressway but I doubt very much that they suddenly become respectable drivers on city streets.
And I've seen plenty of drivers on city streets passing cars going the correct 30mph on the right so they can speed at 50mph to the next red light, or dangerously crossing the center line, or driving in the bike lane to do the same. Drivers hit large, stationary buildings all the time, often due to their recklessness. There are entire Twitter accounts dedicated to the phenomenon. Just because it's horrifying to think about the driver of a multi-thousand-pound vehicle behaving as recklessly as the Strava bros doesn't mean it doesn't happen all the time.
posted by misskaz at 11:07 AM on February 14, 2021 [5 favorites]
(These drivers exist. They use the road I live on as a racecar track late at night. They did so at the previous place I lived in a different city, too.)
Yep. A person in my friend group when I lived in Houston was killed by an inebriated person who - part of a well-known, organized group - was drag racing on city streets and hit her car. They literally gather(ed) at known spots on Friday and Saturday nights to hang out, check out each other's cars, and unfortunately use the multi-lane, quiet city streets as their own race track.
Beyond that, though, just driving on the highways in Houston or even here in Chicago can be terrifying if the traffic is light enough - I don't know if I've ever driven on a fairly open expressway without seeing at least one asshole trying to go 90mph and cutting across 3 lanes at once to weave around the other cars. Sure they may not be endangering pedestrians or cyclists on the expressway but I doubt very much that they suddenly become respectable drivers on city streets.
And I've seen plenty of drivers on city streets passing cars going the correct 30mph on the right so they can speed at 50mph to the next red light, or dangerously crossing the center line, or driving in the bike lane to do the same. Drivers hit large, stationary buildings all the time, often due to their recklessness. There are entire Twitter accounts dedicated to the phenomenon. Just because it's horrifying to think about the driver of a multi-thousand-pound vehicle behaving as recklessly as the Strava bros doesn't mean it doesn't happen all the time.
posted by misskaz at 11:07 AM on February 14, 2021 [5 favorites]
I like biking and I got more into it when I lived in a very bikeable city for decade or so. I'm not the most confident cyclist and the combination of watching the pavement in front of me, navigating bike lane to no bike lane to bike trail to shared trail, plus watching for other cyclists (always fast than me) and pedestrians and then trying to sense the cars coming from every direction to disobey traffic laws and mess me up was just too much. I relied a lot on walking and public transit much more instead.
Walking is a lot slower but the stress levels are way down. I feel I am in control of the situation and if I have to sprint out of the way of a car I won't lose my balance. I'm at risk but I am also willing and able to stand in a ditch while a car speeds past me.
Personally part of the problem for me in biking was the trying to enjoy the bike-only or shared use lanes where it seemed like letting my guard down and looking at a tree for a second usually resulted in 4 spandex men whipping between me and the person in the opposite lane without so much as a "Left!" But I would be more willing to keep at it if the regular streets weren't dominated by dangerous machines that get more gigantic every year.
One of the most memorable was a busy street with a bike lane. At one point, the bike lane disappeared to make room for a left turn lane. So I guess I was supposed to levitate over that section of street so the cars could casually drift into my lane and then return to sharing the road after the turn lane ended.
Anyway, now I live in a smaller town with no bike infrastructure and the few places I need to go are either walkable or bike-impossible. So it's for fun only these days.
posted by Emmy Rae at 2:12 PM on February 14, 2021 [2 favorites]
Walking is a lot slower but the stress levels are way down. I feel I am in control of the situation and if I have to sprint out of the way of a car I won't lose my balance. I'm at risk but I am also willing and able to stand in a ditch while a car speeds past me.
Personally part of the problem for me in biking was the trying to enjoy the bike-only or shared use lanes where it seemed like letting my guard down and looking at a tree for a second usually resulted in 4 spandex men whipping between me and the person in the opposite lane without so much as a "Left!" But I would be more willing to keep at it if the regular streets weren't dominated by dangerous machines that get more gigantic every year.
One of the most memorable was a busy street with a bike lane. At one point, the bike lane disappeared to make room for a left turn lane. So I guess I was supposed to levitate over that section of street so the cars could casually drift into my lane and then return to sharing the road after the turn lane ended.
Anyway, now I live in a smaller town with no bike infrastructure and the few places I need to go are either walkable or bike-impossible. So it's for fun only these days.
posted by Emmy Rae at 2:12 PM on February 14, 2021 [2 favorites]
I loved, loved biking when I was young. I grew up in a beach town in southern california and luckily even then there were bike lanes along the coastal highway. When I moved away, no more biking. San Francisco is too hilly and also dangerous. London was traffic madness and I wasn't going to risk my life for biking, plus buses and tube got me most places pretty fast. I only have one semi-serious bike accident in my past. That took place in California and the culprit was actually another cyclist who wasn't being careful about where he was going, so we collided.
Now, in the Netherlands, I am biking again. And it feels great. I have no conflict-with-cars stories because I haven't had any. Most drivers are also cyclists so that could be their family there on the road. Many, many things have amazed me here. The separate long-distance cycle paths which criss-cross the entire country, the shared car-bike roads where cyclists take precedence, thoughtful bike crossing lights at every intersection for sure but the winner for me is the roundabouts where bicycles do not stop and cars give way. Here's an example of one in action. They are inside cities too and whenever I cross one I still really can't believe that car is going to stop.
The casualness is what I love too. No gear, no helmets. Just jump on your bike and go three miles across town to pick up some bread, like I did yesterday. Bike to school. Bike to work. Bike to shows and to restaurants like you see many people do, even biking in their evening clothes or work clothes. Kids and grandparents are out by themselves. It will be really hard for me to give this up if we have to move from here, although other places are getting better.
posted by vacapinta at 7:36 AM on February 15, 2021 [6 favorites]
Now, in the Netherlands, I am biking again. And it feels great. I have no conflict-with-cars stories because I haven't had any. Most drivers are also cyclists so that could be their family there on the road. Many, many things have amazed me here. The separate long-distance cycle paths which criss-cross the entire country, the shared car-bike roads where cyclists take precedence, thoughtful bike crossing lights at every intersection for sure but the winner for me is the roundabouts where bicycles do not stop and cars give way. Here's an example of one in action. They are inside cities too and whenever I cross one I still really can't believe that car is going to stop.
The casualness is what I love too. No gear, no helmets. Just jump on your bike and go three miles across town to pick up some bread, like I did yesterday. Bike to school. Bike to work. Bike to shows and to restaurants like you see many people do, even biking in their evening clothes or work clothes. Kids and grandparents are out by themselves. It will be really hard for me to give this up if we have to move from here, although other places are getting better.
posted by vacapinta at 7:36 AM on February 15, 2021 [6 favorites]
Thanks for that link, vacapinta! Next time I have US visitors in town (whenever that happens) and I have to explain how the shark's teeth road markings work, I can use it as a visual.
And here's one on why Dutch bikes are the best (ok, maybe not if you have a lot of sustained hills, but otherwise) https://youtu.be/aESqrP3hfi8 Road bikes, to me, are machines of torture that crunch your neck and batter your wrists. Dutch bikes feel like walking, but faster.
posted by antinomia at 8:47 AM on February 15, 2021 [3 favorites]
And here's one on why Dutch bikes are the best (ok, maybe not if you have a lot of sustained hills, but otherwise) https://youtu.be/aESqrP3hfi8 Road bikes, to me, are machines of torture that crunch your neck and batter your wrists. Dutch bikes feel like walking, but faster.
posted by antinomia at 8:47 AM on February 15, 2021 [3 favorites]
Back in the 80s I saved up my paper route money to buy a Panasonic mountain bike with chainstay u-brakes and a mixture of Suntour and Shimano parts. The first time I rode out of the city and miles into the country was like a revelation. This was before I had my driver's license so the sheer joy of the sudden freedom to go virtually anywhere was like a revelation. Since it was a mountain bike I was free to explore the unpaved roads of the county, including the ones signed "minimum maintenance" that were rarely travelled.
Even though I'd later do long-distance tours, centuries and one double-century nothing really compares to the early years when I'd look at one of my USGS topographic maps to see if there was something that looked interesting and would then ride out to see it under my own power. I'm actually a little misty-eyed about it now.
posted by drstrangelove at 9:34 AM on February 15, 2021 [1 favorite]
Even though I'd later do long-distance tours, centuries and one double-century nothing really compares to the early years when I'd look at one of my USGS topographic maps to see if there was something that looked interesting and would then ride out to see it under my own power. I'm actually a little misty-eyed about it now.
posted by drstrangelove at 9:34 AM on February 15, 2021 [1 favorite]
A friend who raced pro for a short time once told me he liked riding in the rain and storms because "it makes you go faster without even realizing it." I didn't know what he meant until the day I was on a trip and had to ride 60 miles with a friend through the the middle of a thunderstorm that just didn't seem to end. We tried waiting it out in safety but it just kept going and after a few minutes not moving we'd start shaking uncontrollably. So we just decided to get out there and with the wind to our backs and hammering out a crazy cadence we started to really haul and within a couple of hours we were finally out of it, the other side of which was a warm, sunny summer's day.
That was easily the most scared I've been on a bicycle-- I was certain I was going to be hit by lightening that day, or a car that couldn't see us. But we somehow managed to cover that 60 miles in a little over 2 hours (probably 2 hrs 10 minutes.) The final 12 miles into our nightly stop were comparative torture. It felt like our wheels were square. Every part of me hurt and once it was warm and dry I no longer had any reason to pound those pedals...
posted by drstrangelove at 9:43 AM on February 15, 2021 [1 favorite]
That was easily the most scared I've been on a bicycle-- I was certain I was going to be hit by lightening that day, or a car that couldn't see us. But we somehow managed to cover that 60 miles in a little over 2 hours (probably 2 hrs 10 minutes.) The final 12 miles into our nightly stop were comparative torture. It felt like our wheels were square. Every part of me hurt and once it was warm and dry I no longer had any reason to pound those pedals...
posted by drstrangelove at 9:43 AM on February 15, 2021 [1 favorite]
The transportation equivalent of mansplaining: one who admittedly neither drives nor cycles offers their "perspective" to cyclists who are almost universally both drivers and pedestrians.
You don't have to be a cyclist to understand that you don't want to be run over by one.
posted by drstrangelove at 10:09 AM on February 15, 2021 [1 favorite]
You don't have to be a cyclist to understand that you don't want to be run over by one.
posted by drstrangelove at 10:09 AM on February 15, 2021 [1 favorite]
Cycling as part of travel can be really fun as well. I remember way back visiting Angkor Wat in Cambodia. On my first day there I went with a bunch of other people who were at the same hotel and we had a tuk tuk take us around. The following day I rented a bike for the day and went myself and it was such a great experience being able to follow paths just to see where they led. It was also a bit unnerving because I had had the message never to leave the paths as there are still live land mines drilled into my head, and while I never did stray from the paths they were smaller, less traveled ones. More recently I drove up to Ottawa one weekend and brought my bike with me and really enjoyed travelling across the city that way. I'm glad that bike share is a thing in so many cities now because for the most part cities aren't that big so it's easy to bike around them and biking gives you a better lay of the land as compared to taking the subway where everything gets reduced to their relation to stations.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 12:08 PM on February 16, 2021
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 12:08 PM on February 16, 2021
You don't have to be a cyclist to understand that you don't want to be run over by one.
The problem is with the presumption that this pedestrian has insight into being a pedestrian which cyclists don't have. Which is plainly nonsense.
posted by klanawa at 12:29 PM on February 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
The problem is with the presumption that this pedestrian has insight into being a pedestrian which cyclists don't have. Which is plainly nonsense.
posted by klanawa at 12:29 PM on February 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
Sure, that's logical. But I think there's still room in this case to show compassion for someone who is experiencing something similar without trying to one-up them.
posted by aniola at 7:32 PM on February 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by aniola at 7:32 PM on February 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
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The presumption that it is up to cyclists to stay out of the way of cars as opposed to cars having a duty of care to not injure them is omnipresent and tiring.
posted by tigrrrlily at 3:40 PM on February 12, 2021 [19 favorites]