Mini Bike Commuter Rants

[HawaiianShirts]

1. Somebody spilled about a thousand staples in the bike lane at an intersection on my usual route. I just replace my bike tubes six days ago. If I get a flat in my brand new tubes because of those staples, I shall be exceedingly wroth.

2. Stop signs apply to cyclists as well as drivers. I stopped for the stop sign. Don't you dare blast your horn and yell at me for following the law. I'm not going to apologize for preventing you from running a stop sign, especially in a school zone.

3. Speaking of school zones, those flashing red lights on the school bus apply to cyclists as well as drivers. I'm looking at you, idiot with no helmet riding the wrong way in the bike lane who passed a school bus when its lights were flashing. You're lucky those teenagers were paying more attention than you were and could to jump out of your way. I must admit, though, that the look of shock on your face was priceless when the bus driver honked at you and nearly caused you to fall over.

4. The bike lane is not a right-turn lane. You're in my way. That is a violation of Oregon Revised Statute 811.435, a Class B traffic violation for which you can be fined. I will ride up next to you and inform you of this through your open window. You will be surprised, then insulted, then slightly nervous, at which point you will drive away, which is precisely what I wanted you to do.

5. The bike lane is not your ash tray! Your car comes with an ash tray built in. Put your cigarette butts in that instead of flicking them out the window.

[notalwaysright]

I honestly thought there was going to be a rant about mini bikes.

Anyways, I've been somewhat seriously considering getting a bike so I've been reading the laws for my city. There's a lot of info (a surprising amount was new to me) and I wish other people would read and abide by those laws. Would make life much safer for both cyclists and motorists.

[wolfie]

Speaking of school zones, those flashing red lights on the school bus apply to cyclists as well as drivers. I'm looking at you, idiot with no helmet riding the wrong way in the bike lane who passed a school bus when its lights were flashing.

Just curious, but if a cyclist were to dismount before they reached the school bus, walk their bike past the bus, and hop on again, would that be legal? No problem that the guy didn't have a helmet - he clearly didn't have anything worth protecting.

[mjr]

4. The bike lane is not a right-turn lane. You're in my way. That is a violation of Oregon Revised Statute 811.435, a Class B traffic violation for which you can be fined. I will ride up next to you and inform you of this through your open window. You will be surprised, then insulted, then slightly nervous, at which point you will drive away, which is precisely what I wanted you to do.

One of the roads on which I drive during my evening commute from work has the bike lane inside of the regular traffic lane. It's the right-hand lane (which is also somewhat taken up by parking meters, and cars parallel parked), and shortly before a freeway entrance.

[catcul]

Just curious, but if a cyclist were to dismount before they reached the school bus, walk their bike past the bus, and hop on again, would that be legal?

If you walk your bike, you are considered a pedestrian. A pedestrian is allowed to pass a stopped school bus. However, that doesn't mean you should get out of your car and push it past.

[pudddykat]

Thanks for the laugh catcul. Shirts I lived in Oregon for 12 years (most of my youth). It is a great place to live.

[dalesys]

... lived in Oregon for 12 years ...

Where 25 people fell off their bikes last year... and drowned! (They already had their 'English Tan', aka rust.)

[ComputerNecromancer]

1. Somebody spilled about a thousand staples in the bike lane at an intersection on my usual route. I just replace my bike tubes six days ago. If I get a flat in my brand new tubes because of those staples, I shall be exceedingly wroth.

Ouch. I recall when I had to patch the same tube several times before I figured out that it was getting punctured by the blackberry vines fallen across the bike lane near the airport.

5. The bike lane is not your ash tray! Your car comes with an ash tray built in. Put your cigarette butts in that instead of flicking them out the window.

This summer that could have gotten them both a littering fine and one for violating fire safety rules.

Heck a friend and I have had to put out fires started in bark dust near bus stops that were started by idiots tossing cigarette butts.

And when I was a kid in Spokane, I helped fight a fire that was started by an idiot tossing a cigarette out his car window. Unfortunately for him, I and a friend saw the fire start shortly after his car went by and there wasn't anyplace to turn off the road for several miles. We gave a description of the car to the cops.

[BlaqueKatt]

1. Somebody spilled about a thousand staples in the bike lane at an intersection on my usual route. I just replace my bike tubes six days ago. If I get a flat in my brand new tubes because of those staples, I shall be exceedingly wroth.

Possibly deliberate, since staples are usually not loose. We had that in my previous city, except because of how much they hated cyclists they put broken glass a short distance away, hoping to hurt someone, badly. I invested in kevlar tires.

[wolfie]

1. Somebody spilled about a thousand staples in the bike lane at an intersection on my usual route. I just replace my bike tubes six days ago. If I get a flat in my brand new tubes because of those staples, I shall be exceedingly wroth.

A couple years ago on I90 in Massachussets, I noticed a large number of vehicles pulled over on the shoulder. Turns out someone had lost a box of nails off the back of a truck. Fortunately I didn't get any flats.

5. The bike lane is not your ash tray! Your car comes with an ash tray built in. Put your cigarette butts in that instead of flicking them out the window.

A while back, I stopped at a gas station near home to pick up the local alternative weekly. Went inside to ask for a cup of water at the C-store. Was told that if I were thirsty I should buy a drink - attitude changed when I told them WHY I needed it (bark mulch in their landscaping was smouldering, presumably some ass had dropped a butt).

[eltf177]

Many moons ago had a construction job at a huge shopping plaza being built. And _anyone_ who drove in got a roofing nail(s) in their tire.

No one could ever figure out exactly where they were coming from but my company truck had to have 1 or 2 patches put in every single week for months...

[HawaiianShirts]

Anyways, I've been somewhat seriously considering getting a bike so I've been reading the laws for my city..

If you live where I think you live, you should totally join the bike commuting club. Drivers 'round here are surprisingly friendly toward cyclists who follow the rules of the road.

If you walk your bike, you are considered a pedestrian. A pedestrian is allowed to pass a stopped school bus. However, that doesn't mean you should get out of your car and push it past.

I'd say it's questionable if you're walking a bike in the bike lane, but on a sidewalk, nobody could complain.

Also, I would like to see someone try to push a car past a stopped bus. That would be good for a few laughs.

It is a great place to live.

Indeed it is! We love it here. Except for a few weeks this summer that were just painfully dry and hot (for western Oregon, that is).

...the blackberry vines...

[GOLLUM]Curse them. We hates them![/GOLLUM]

I invested in kevlar tires.

Those are a thing? I must investigate.