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Ticketed for not riding in the bike lane . . . .

2K views 15 replies 11 participants last post by  70eldo 
#1 ·
Really funny. Despite my opinion of dangerous, self righteous urban bikers who think the rules of the road don't apply to them(ie any idiot on a bike you have to slam on the brakes to avoid). Most people on a bike are cool, I'm talking about idoits who cut you off, run signals, etc. I agree with the guy that sometimes the bike lane isn't the safest place to be, depending on the situation.

 
#4 ·
Have either of you guys been to Manhattan??? Traffic laws and common courtesy kind of fly out the window. Pedestrian, cab driver, motorist in your own car, chauffeur in a black car, bicyclist, it doesn't matter, YOU are the most important person on that block, **** everybody else, they need to get the hell out of YOUR way. Granted you can flex your muscle a bit more driving a 4500lb Town Car or yellow Crown Vic.

Guy seemed a bit defiant/whiney to the cop, which will always get you a ticket. As for that particular situation and deserving a ticket, who knows.
 
#11 ·
Sounds like driving in Hamburg. Maybe not a coincidence you have a Hamburg near NYC too.

German male don't mature in a nice way. They don't ripen, they rather tend to rot if it comes to personality. They older they get the nastier they get in public.
-interlude-
The traffic infra structure in Hamburg is about the worst of whole Germany. Especially for bicycles. The bike lanes are mostly on the sidewalks; a too narrow red brick lane that makes 90 degrees turns around obstacles and is used by pedestrians. It becomes very dangerous at intersections where traffic turning right will oversee crossing bicycles, although they have right of way.
Traffic lights are only controlled by a program, so there is no anticipation on the traffic load. At night you just wait for ghost traffic at red lights. At many routes you have to drive 50 instead of the allowed 30 mph to get a green wave. So motor traffic in Hamburg is chronically speeding. And the patience of the German is not their best feature, so be damned if you are in their way of their speeding green wave. They actually act and react that they have the right to speed 20 km/h over speed limit (which is the limit to get you points on your driver's license; below it is just a jokingly low fine).
Imagine even where the bicycles are supposted to use the road you rather wanna illegally stay on the sidewalk just for your life's sake.
-end interlude-

I was parked on the sidewalk to adjust the idle adjustment on my carb of my 2-stroke scooter as it was idling at a too low rpm that it sometimes stalls. The engine was hot enough now and it is a really easy access turning the screw clockwise a bit. I was not blocking the side walk but an old man came riding his bicycle and rang his bell and was telling me I was in his way. I replied in a calm matter that this is the side walk and he should be using the road. He was now yelling load at me cursing and explaining to me I am implying he must've done it wrong for the last 38 years. I was astounded and replied calmly again yes, you must've done it wrong in all those 38 years. I was now the scum of the earth to him.

Well, one of many of my encounters with (senior) Germans in traffic. They just like to tell you so much you are so wrong what you just did in their misfortune. It's sickening. This is not something easy to ignore, but I am doing my best and keep smiling. Reminding me I am not german and I will not mature in that way.
 
#8 ·
Chicago has many of these bicycle lanes. There is only so much room between buildings. You have a side walk, a parking lane and a lane for traffic (on each side) and now they try to squeeze a bicycle lane in as well and then wonder why so many bicyclists get hurt. DUH! Every time I go into the city and see this tempting of fate I can't help but think what suicide it is. If you want to share the street with cars in the city, you should take your own chances.
 
#10 ·
I don't know what its called, but I've seen bicycle equivalents of what are called observed trials for motorcycles. That's where the rider has to yank the bike up and over various obstacles within boundaries and without putting a foot down. Just get into that sport and use the parked cars as practice.
 
#13 ·
Sadly, I have to agree with 70Eldo's assessment of Germans. I hate to make broad generalizations about a nationality, but my experience with German folks has not left begging for more.

Please no diatribes about my being prejudice; my ethnic heritage is one quarter German. I realize that there are many admirable traits to be found among German people, but a pleasant disposition isn't one of them. But then if I had been raised in Germany among Germans I would probably be an a.. hole too!
 
#14 ·
I should not make such generalizations either. It is not fair to the plenty of pleasant people I encounter. It's just that I encounter these sour prunes more than I have anywhere else.
 
#15 ·
I've lived and bicycled in New York and Chicago, and biked in some great places. San Diego to Carlsbad I rank the best. The best lake ride is the path along Lake Michigan in Chicago. I had a string of tri athlons And have always biked. For now I'm happy to take my mountain bike to the shore and get 100 in a six day stay.

currently, I live in Bucks County PA. The bicyclists on these country roads are totally insane and nazis to boot. I see them every Saturday. Some of them spend 8-10$k on a bike. They look like canaries, and demand part of the 45 mph road. It's unsafe. They aren't nice. There is no shoulder, just ditches, rocks, boulders, tree.s etc..


There it is, I'm ranting again. But, if you've live here or seen this, youknowwhatI'mtalinabout.
 
#16 ·
I've lived and bicycled in New York and Chicago, and biked in some great places. San Diego to Carlsbad I rank the best. The best lake ride is the path along Lake Michigan in Chicago. I had a string of tri athlons And have always biked. For now I'm happy to take my mountain bike to the shore and get 100 in a six day stay.

currently, I live in Bucks County PA. The bicyclists on these country roads are totally insane and nazis to boot. I see them every Saturday. Some of them spend 8-10$k on a bike. They look like canaries, and demand part of the 45 mph road. It's unsafe. They aren't nice. There is no shoulder, just ditches, rocks, boulders, tree.s etc..

There it is, I'm ranting again. But, if you've live here or seen this, youknowwhatI'mtalinabout.
Come to ride in Holland. You'll love it! About the best bicycle infra-structure world wide.
We have park decks for bicycles and the best integrated bicycle lanes.






And how about innovations like these:



The bicycles have priority over motorist traffic in town centers. Removing the center line and adding marked lanes on the side without physically narrowing the road is a nice trick to slow down traffic.

 
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