Wow, just saw something that made me want to run a bunch of bikers down

[herr_oberst]

Not critical mass, but sanctioned by the city of Portland and sponsored by a local hospital, 11 bridges (out of 12) closed to car traffic for a Sunday morning Bridge Pedal ride.

Everybody seemed to be enjoying themselves!

Last year 18,000 riders participated.

More were expected this year.

Perfect weather!

[jyl]

On the purpose of critical mass type rides - they don't necessarily make friends of some drivers, but they bring attention to the issue (lack of bike lanes, etc) which can eventually get local governments to act.

The meek do not, in fact, inherit the earth. That is a line fed by feudal lords to peasants who were to be kept down all their lives. Be a good little serf, and you'll get your reward eventually. And when you don't, there is this heaven thing. No, the serfs didn't start getting their share until they got assertive and rose up.

Similar dynamic for other groups and their protests. The civil rights movement provides many examples.

So, how does this relate to cyclists?. They pay for a lot of the roads, through their taxes - no, local roads are not built and maintained entirely with gas taxes, that is a myth as a little checking will show you. But when they ride on those roads, other people in two ton cars run them over, or threaten to, and won't tolerate the slightest inconvenience. What, you mean I shouldn't barrel around a blind curve at 50 mph, I actually have to adjust my speed to roadway visibility?. The outrage!

So how do cyclists get what they should get, which in some cases is just a four foot strip of road with a painted line, and in other cases is the ability to ride on the traffic lane as the law already explicitly entitles them to do? Being meek won't do it. Riding on the sidewalk won't do it. Staying off the road won't do it. Sometimes, they have to demonstrate - which includes the critical mass stuff.

There is a deadly intersection here in Portland. A six lane road, where drivers try to go 50 mph (posted 35 mph) and basically treat like an urban freeway. But this road goes through neighborhoods and on one particular intersection, there is a school and on the other side a park and the cross street is a frequently used one. Drivers blast through this intersection, regardless of kids or other cars or bikes trying to cross. The responsible road department refused to do anything to improve the signals or crosswalk. One day a young man on a bike was riding through the intersection and a pickup truck, whose driver was in a hurry to beat the light, turned left and ran him down and tore off his leg. This was just one of many bad accidents here over the years. But this time, cyclists and pedestrians staged demonstrations at this intersection. Large number of them walked and rode across the intersection, occupying the cross walks, blocking traffic for an hour during rush hour. Many drivers were boiling mad, of course. How dare people delay my already crappy commute? The next week, the mayor was at the intersection and the road department started installing new signals and markings, the work they'd refused to do for many years.

That's the point of demonstrations. They're not designed to make you, you drivers, happy or feel kindly toward cyclists.

As conditions get better for cyclists, there is less need for such demonstrations and thus critical mass type disobedience mostly fades away. That's the case in Portland. In some other cities, maybe they are still needed.

[ltusler]

But wait, besides Minneapolis, I thought Oregon was already Gods gift to bicyclists?

[Jrboulder]

Here in Scottsdale there's a quiet movement against bicyclists within the city government. Recently they did quite a bit of work on one of the main roads and they ended up removing the bike lanes. The "share the road" signs have been modified with a silhouette of a horse and a rider.

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by afterburn 549

A bicyclist thinks they are both pedestrian AND A Bicycle .
What eve law suits them best at the moment.
Arse holes

A helicopter pilot thinks they are both a stone AND A Airplane .
What eve law of physics suits them best at the moment.

Dlck heads

[techweenie]

Originally Posted by afterburn 549

A bicyclist thinks they are both pedestrian AND A Bicycle .
What eve law suits them best at the moment.
Arse holes

Well, and something else. when was the last time you saw a bicyclist stop at a stop sign, even when there was automotive traffic (I just came back from my weekly bike ride, and I'm guilty just like everyone else).

[Paul_Heery]

Police arrest bicyclist in San Francisco road rage attack - LA Times

[afterburn 549]

Idiots

[Tobra]

There you are Paul, CM is a bunch of thugs and terrorists.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by techweenie

Well, and something else. when was the last time you saw a bicyclist stop at a stop sign, even when there was automotive traffic (I just came back from my weekly bike ride, and I'm guilty just like everyone else).

I don't always stop at stop signs when I ride, but I do try to be courteous. What I hate is when I'm at a stop sign waiting for the near lane to clear so I can turn right and some bikehole turning left pulls up on the right of my front bumper and sits and waits for both lanes to clear. I blew my horn at one once and waved the jerk to get out of the way and he flipped me off. The next time I blew the horn and stepped on the gas. If somebody's going to be pissed off it's better him than me.

[fastfredracing]

There will be a fvk pile of smashed bikes if someone tries that move on me.You got 5 seconds, move ........... In this mixed up society we now live in, there is no way I am letting any body get the drop on me

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Paul_Heery

Police arrest bicyclist in San Francisco road rage attack - LA Times

And that's the behavior that deserves a beat down.

[gorthar]

39-Year-Old Cyclist Arrested In Critical Mass Rage Incident: SFist

Turns out the guy has a felony warrant on drug charges out of Washington state. According to his mom he has "passionate beliefs."

I'm sure this guy just can't wait to get up in the courtroom and ooze his righteousness all over the place. What a douche.

[Eric 951]

He's got, like beliefs, man...cycling, attacking people with locks, fleeing drug warrants, sporting ridiculous facial hair, protesting staples, because the us mail is NOT for sale, man....

[Por_sha911]

I'm surprised more motorists don't just step on the gas over the top of them to escape immanent danger.

[fastfredracing]

Hopefully, now they will.

[intakexhaust]

LOL



(in case your curious.... its a Bianchi)

[stuartj]

Well, I logged 100 miles over the weekend, with only 5 attempts on made on my life.

Success!

[Jeff Higgins]

If that were me, in my car, there would have been dead people laying around in shockingly short order. Some shot, some run over.

Here is a much, much happier outcome:

[stuartj]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

If that were me, in my car, there would have been dead people laying around in shockingly short order. Some shot, some run over.

Here is a much, much happier outcome:

You do say some funny things on the internet Jeff.