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RSS icon Comments on I, Anonymous: Sometimes People Get What They Deserve Edition

1

you also forget that, people are assholes, don't realize that bikers are forced to use the sidewalks per WDOT's own policies, and the city doesn't do shit to provide bikelanes.

of course, I'm guessing you've never tried to commute on a bike, as you're calling the biker an asshole for using the sidewalk.

idiot.

Posted by seattl98104 | November 20, 2006 8:30 AM
2

Actually, I didn't refer to the biker as an asshole until after he or she blamed a pedestrian for his or her own klutziness.

Posted by David Schmader | November 20, 2006 8:40 AM
3

Yeah, bikers use the sidewalks every day without ramming into pedestrians. And I used to bike that stretch of Pike ten times a week and always used the street and never hit a pedestrian.

Hills and rain, that's all Jesus' fault. No sense in blaming the pedestrians for that one.

Tag, Seattl, you're the idiot again.

Posted by sniggles | November 20, 2006 8:46 AM
4

There is no road rage like a bicyclist's road rage.

I used to think that excercise made you all like calm and gave you a healthy outlet for stress and all that crap. Not any more: give those bike dudes a wide berth, 'cause they are liable to snap any moment, and we should be extremely thankful that their bikes don't weigh 4,000 pounds.

Posted by elenchos | November 20, 2006 8:47 AM
5

Seattl98104, bikers rarely need to use sidewalks, and definitely are not "forced" to do so on Pike approaching 6th. We can use the streets just fine, and in fact they are safer than the sidewalks in many ways. (As I, Anonymous's post showed.)

I encourage you to find a little more out about the bike laws in Washington.

Posted by Sachi | November 20, 2006 8:49 AM
6

oh, well then, that makes all the more sense. i mean, I read "klutzy asshole sidewalk biker" and "innocent bystander" and thought you were identifying with the assholes blocking the sidewalk from passing traffic.

i got you so wrong.

Posted by seattl98104 | November 20, 2006 8:51 AM
7

I've ridden my share of sidewalks and NEVER have I hit a pedestrian, because I always slow the fuck down when approaching them. I even get off the bike and walk if it's a big crowd.

I also don't ride in the rain unless absolutely necessary.

This I,Anon swung and missed on both counts.

Posted by Gomez | November 20, 2006 8:53 AM
8

That letter is FAKE! Somebody doesn't like cyclists and wants them to look stupid (or more stupid).

Posted by Chris | November 20, 2006 8:55 AM
9

Most importantly what this prick did was illegal. You are allowed to ride your bike on Seattle sidewalks if and only if you yield to pedestrians. This guy should be cited with traffic infraction and booked on vehicular assault.


David--It'd be great to publish the I, Anon with the SMC section quoted after:

SMC 11.44.120 Riding on sidewalk or public path.

Every person operating a bicycle upon any sidewalk or public path shall operate the same in a careful and prudent manner and at a rate of speed no greater than is reasonable and proper under the conditions existing at the point of operation, taking into account the amount and character of pedestrian traffic, grade and width of sidewalk or public path, and condition of surface, and shall obey all traffic control devices. Every person operating a bicycle upon a sidewalk or public path shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian thereon, and shall give an audible signal before overtaking and passing any pedestrian.

Posted by smiles | November 20, 2006 8:56 AM
10

So, I'm a bike rider, and have been for years. I bike to work every day, and love to spend my free time charging around on my 10-speed. I have to say that far too many bikeriders, like the dickhead who wrote in to I-Anonymous, have an infuriating sense of superiority. They rail against the injustices from both cars and pedestrians, and act as if their attitudes and their spandex give them the right to ride as they please, where they please. As if God bestowed dominion over the roads and sidewalks to bike riders.

Listen up moron. Your bicycle doesn't give you the right to moe down pedestrians! If they're slower than you, or fatter than you, it doesn't mean they're any less important than you! If you're riding on the damn sidewalk you have an obligation to slow down and be courteous to the folks who are walking where they're going!!!

What the hell ever happened to common courtesy and common sense? In your case, it seems to have been replaced with smug righteousness. Dumbass.

Posted by Gurldoggie | November 20, 2006 8:56 AM
11

k... so trying to pass someone on the sidewalk, by asking for space, on bike and having bike slip out from you on a metal plate when going around = asshole renegade biker? something here doesn't compute.

Posted by seattl98104 | November 20, 2006 8:57 AM
12

Hmm. First, Seattle98104 erroneously blasts me for calling people who bike on sidewalks "assholes," then calls people who dare to stand or walk on sidewalks "assholes."

Somehow, this I, Anonymous is not seeming so anonymous anymore...Sorry for your nasty spill, Seattl98104, but clearly you were asking for it.

Posted by David Schmader | November 20, 2006 8:57 AM
13

where'd the mowing down occur? i'm so confused where you guys are getting your biker story. i must be reading something else ...

Posted by seattl98104 | November 20, 2006 8:58 AM
14

I'd have a little more sympathy for cyclists in Seattle if half of them followed rules for traffic, respected pedestrians, and so on. Plenty of responsible cyclists around, but plenty of assholes, too.

And if you're passing through 6th and Pike, dude, you need to contend with pedestrians everywhere. In some places in downtown, the sidewalks aren't even designed to accommodate bicycles and pedestrians together, and plenty of pedestrians don't really appreciate it when you try to cut by them at full speed.

So hey, if you can't deal with them, and you don't feel like running over them, then go around downtown.

Posted by bma | November 20, 2006 8:59 AM
15

A-fuckin-men! It's called a sideWALK.

I walk to and from work every day (most often down Pike) and about every other day someone on a bike looks at me like I kicked their puppy because I'm blocking their path.

And cyclists, when there is a bike lane it's not exactly necessary to ride ON the white line that separates you from traffic. It pisses me off when I'm driving and I can't pass a cyclist even though there's a bike lane because he/she is riding on the line instead of IN the bike lane.

I love my cyclist brothers and sisters and they have some valid complaints but that whole sidewalk thing aint one of the legit ones.

Posted by monkey | November 20, 2006 9:01 AM
16

ha. i'm a by proxy asshole!

i think both parties are assholes in the story, but the person going off in I anon is getting labasted a wee bit much for a simple spill on a wet plate. and I just think that the peds in this case could have not acted like assholes and add to the total entropy of assholes on the sidewalks and just let the guy pass.

yeah, guy's and asshole for what he wrote, but he's not asshole for being a klutz or using the sidewalk.

Posted by seattl98104 | November 20, 2006 9:02 AM
17

of course only the biker could possibly identify with the i anon post, any other seattll-ite would see it as schmader does, there's simply no room for analysis.

Posted by seattl98104 | November 20, 2006 9:05 AM
18

Dude, I think if you read through the comments, you'll see they're full of bikers (me included). Perhaps they just aren't as self righteous as you.

I think Schmader hit the nail on the head when he called you out for being the anonymous submitter. You're an idiot again, *AND* now we all know that you have scabs on your face.

Posted by sniggles | November 20, 2006 9:22 AM
19

right...

so the biker got what he deserved, falling down, scabs on face, not because of the wet plate, not because of the pedestrains that refrained from letting him pass, but because of his future post on I anon?

...

Posted by seattl98104 | November 20, 2006 9:26 AM
20

hey seattl09104 must be right, I mean, if everyone else is wrong, then that's a whole lot of wrong, so therefore, he his rightitude comes out ahead of all that wrongness.

Posted by The Peanut Gallery | November 20, 2006 9:27 AM
21

well you have to admit there's a certain amount of truthiness there PG

Posted by seattl98104 | November 20, 2006 9:30 AM
22

If you're riding "down Pike", doesn't that mean you're heading west? And isn't Pike one-way going east? This guy should've been riding on Pine Street, not the sidewalk.

Pine and Pike are BOTH really easy streets to ride downtown. Traffic never gets over 15 MPH on either.

Posted by DOUG. | November 20, 2006 9:42 AM
23

As a pedestrian, I try to make way for bikers whenever possible. I do have a problem with bikers who ride on crowded sidewalks and expect us who walk to get out of their way, even if it means stepping into the street. But I also have a problem with bikers who ride on the street who do not yield for pedestrians who are in the sidewalk. Cyclists seem to think they are entitled to more leeway than cars OR pedestrians.

I grew up in a town that had bike lanes on every major road, so I was surprised when I moved to Seattle 16 years ago and found the city so disfunctional in regards to bicycles. Nothing has changed.

Posted by elswinger | November 20, 2006 9:43 AM
24

Riding a bicycle on Seattle streets is an incredibly nerve-wracking experience. There are some routes-- and I consider Pike/Pine to be one of them --that are very bike-friendly. But there are lots of other main thoroughfares that are absolutely terrifying. Twenty-third between Montlake and John, or 15th Ave in Interbay, 45th between the Ave and Wallingford-- those streets have little or no shoulder, drivers there have no inclination to yield and traffic moves fast. When someone going 40 mph clips you with their rearview mirror, it's no joke. And nobody stops when that happens.

I rode about 15 hours a week in Seattle for 10 years. In that time drivers hit me three times and ran me off the road into a post once. I've also had people hit me with their doors twice.

So when you're a cyclist and you've got serious scars from incautious drivers whose excuse is always, "I didn't see you!" you get pretty impatient with shit like this:

I'd have a little more sympathy for cyclists in Seattle if half of them followed rules for traffic, respected pedestrians, and so on.

Because any cyclist knows you can die of old fucking age waiting at a 4-way stop for people in cars to let you take your turn. Also, some traffic lights don't change for cyclists because we don't register on the pressure pads. People who turn in cars routinely cut cyclists off because it takes us so long to accelerate from a dead stop. This is especially awkward because the process of accelerating puts us off balance and makes it hard to maneuver around dumb-ass drivers who take illegal turns. And on and on and on. And try this one: walk from one end of Capitol Hill to the other. Refuse to yield in circumstances where you have the right of way. If you make it through that experience alive, you'll definitely have a new respect for how law-abiding cyclists are compared to most drivers.

And shit like this:

And cyclists, when there is a bike lane it's not exactly necessary to ride ON the white line that separates you from traffic. It pisses me off when I'm driving and I can't pass a cyclist even though there's a bike lane because he/she is riding on the line instead of IN the bike lane.

A fit cyclist has a cruising speed of about 15-20 mph on a straight-away and can easily get going 25- 40 mph on a downhill stretch. Do you have any idea what happens when some tool smacks you with his or her door when you're going that fast? First you get skinned alive on the asphalt. Then some schmuck in a Volvo runs you over because you've been knocked into traffic ("I didn't see you!"). So when you get up any kind of speed-- especially if there's traffic next to you, you want to ride the white line to keep clear of sudden door openings.

Do cyclists have an attitude? I know I do. It's a byproduct of drivers just glossing over the fact that their sort of baseline incompetence-- the sort of incompetence that puts all those nicks and scratches on every car you see on the road --is enough to leave a cyclist with cuts, bruises and broken bones. So when a driver almost turns and hits a cyclist because he or she isn't paying attention to what they're doing, cyclists tend to flip out-- because they've just had a near-death experience.

As far as the sidewalks-- whatever. A cyclist on the sidewalk should yield to pedestrians. That's certainly true. On the other hand, when I walk in Downtown Seattle, I can't help noticing that these pods of suburban shoppers come into town and walk 3, 4, 5, or 10 abreast down the sidewalks at a nice leisurely window-shopping stroll like they're the only people in the fucking universe. It's pretty irritating. The cyclist in the IA wasn't in the right, but trying to maneuver around a formation of fucking orcas in Gap-wear can definitely work on a person's last fucking nerve.

Posted by Joshua | November 20, 2006 10:14 AM
25

hey bikers, put down your granola. you arent saving the world. get a better job, buy a car and shut the fuck up.

Posted by piper | November 20, 2006 10:28 AM
26

Yeah, Josh, we were just talking about the situation at hand, not your life experience in general, but thanks for writing.

Posted by fucking orca | November 20, 2006 10:33 AM
27

I will tell you, Joshua, there are lots of pedestrians themselves are fed up with shoppers who like to walk several abreast at a grandmother's pace, chatting about how Sammy dumped Jenny, omigod.

Posted by Gloria | November 20, 2006 10:42 AM
28

Joshua... hey, I sympathize with your plight regarding psycho Seattle drivers, don't get me wrong. And the lack of cycling infrastructure in Seattle is a bad thing.

But when I get clipped as a pedestrian by a cyclist, that's no goddamned fun either. Same with trying to figure out what the heck bicyclists are going to do when they aren't just staying on the sidewalk or riding on the street, and acting like a vehicle and a pedestrian simultaneously.

Not to mention that almost being run over by an angry cyclist while I was on a crosswalk, crossing with the lights, is a real blast.

*That's* what I mean by obeying traffic laws and respecting traffic.

Posted by bma | November 20, 2006 10:42 AM
29

It seems like the biker was essentially following the law. He/she went around the pedestrians and alerted them to the fact that he/she was passing. I have some issues with the bicyclist passing on the right, but whatev.

What I find particularly interesting is that, even though the bicyclist was likely much more seriously hurt than the kid, the pedestrians seemingly didn't give a fuck. An accident happened, the kid unfortunately got hit by the bike, the pedestrians immediately blamed the bicyclist.

Posted by keshmeshi | November 20, 2006 10:44 AM
30

yeah, but he was and asshole klutz Kesh. AN ASSHOLE!!

Posted by seattl98104 | November 20, 2006 10:47 AM
31

this post is to hopefully fix my mispelled handle on my work computer... is the cookie fixed?

and to add that what kesh said is all I've been sayin', but in a more civil tone than I am able to produce when high on caffeine.

Posted by seattle98104 | November 20, 2006 10:51 AM
32

Joshua, you're right; riding a bike in Seattle is frequently hellish. But there is never, ever, ever an excuse to even come near clipping a pedestrian on the sidewalk.

Bicycles shouldn't be on sidewalks, period.

Seattle is the only city in the country that allows it. Bicycles are VEHICLES and belong in the road with the other vehicles. In the road, they have EXACTLY THE SAME rights and responsibilities as cars. If they need to take the full lane to feel safe, they have that right, and if you're in a car behind them, tough shit. On the other hand, bicycle riders have the obligation to obey traffic rules, one-way streets, stop signs, etc.

AND WEAR A FUCKING LIGHT. A real light, not one of those little blinkies. Get something with a big fat battery that puts out motorcycle-level light front and back. If you don't want to, get the fuck off the road after dark.

Posted by Fnarf | November 20, 2006 10:57 AM
33

Whew, thanks Josh, you really saved me some typing there! As a driver/biker/pedestrian I know that everyone is capable of being inconsiderate and stupid. I

Posted by Dianna | November 20, 2006 11:01 AM
34

yo fnarf, I can picture a situation where turning on a wet leaf, or a wet grate, or plate, et. al. slippery surfaces, where the force can be easily transferred to the bike sending it flying in the opposite direction of a pavement bite. granted we don't have surveilance video of the incident, but there's nothing about clipping peds in the post. just passing and falling. getting yelled at. and then the agravassion found in any a-hole Ianon post.

i agree about the lights, though. holy hell people are idiots at night.

Posted by seattle98104 | November 20, 2006 11:09 AM
35

Re #24:
Because any cyclist knows you can die of old fucking age waiting at a 4-way stop for people in cars to let you take your turn.

That's indeed a problem, but it's no excuse for running a stop sign without even slowing down, as I often see cyclists do.

Also, some traffic lights don't change for cyclists because we don't register on the pressure pads.

Actually, they don't sense pressure, they sense metal mass. They're inductive loops, like gigantic metal detectors. I agree this is a big problem. Every year bicycles contain a little less steel, though, so I'm not sure it's ever really going to be fixed. Remember, you always have the option to dismount and cross the intersection as a pedestrian. In some areas that may be the safest thing to do.

I agree with your comments about bike lanes. They tend to put bicyclists in a really vulnerable position, especially on streets that have curbside parking. They're a feel-good measure but I don't think they're actually good for bicyclists. One of the problems is drivers aren't in the habit of checking over their right shoulder for traffic when making a turn from the rightmost lane. (Maybe they should spend some time in Minneapolis, where buses routinely drive in the right shoulder on the freeway during rush hour. ;) )

The thing to remember, though, is that just because bicyclists have it rough from motorists doesn't mean they then have the right to take out their frustrations on pedestrians, or passive-aggressively block traffic just to get even.

Posted by Orv | November 20, 2006 11:09 AM
36
That's indeed a problem, but it's no excuse for running a stop sign without even slowing down, as I often see cyclists do.

I don't entirely disagree, but let's be clear about something: stop signs require you to stop. That's the law. Cyclists that "blow through stop signs without even slowing down," aren't more guilty of a crime than drivers who blow through a stop sign without stopping. Which I think we both know most drivers do on a regular basis.

Remember, you always have the option to dismount and cross the intersection as a pedestrian.

Actually, last time I checked Washington State case law gave cyclists the right to use crosswalks without dismounting.

The thing to remember, though, is that just because bicyclists have it rough from motorists doesn't mean they then have the right to take out their frustrations on pedestrians, or passive-aggressively block traffic just to get even.

I never said it did give them a right to take it out on pedestrians. As far as "passive-aggressively blocking traffic just to get even," I agree in principle. However, drivers are terrible judges of when that's actually happening-- often there are factors that drivers simply fail to account for (like the door problem), and drivers respond to cyclists by, essentially, threatening them with near-miss driving.

Posted by Joshua | November 20, 2006 11:18 AM
37

actually, fnarf, lots of cities allow biking on sidewalks. jacksonville, fl, for example, allows it. when riding in downtown, like i do every day, you have to ride on the sidewalk, or you will get hit.

and lots of times, when you almost graze a pedestrian, it's because they are walking three abreast, or because they find it difficult to walk in a straight line. it's unbelievable the number of people who wind their way down a sidewalk, even when you let them know you are coming.

Posted by konstantconsumer | November 20, 2006 11:22 AM
38

Bicycles shouldn't be on sidewalks, period.

Seattle is the only city in the country that allows it.

Um, no. Most cities in the nation have absolutely no problem with bicyclists riding on the sidewalk. It's only in the major metropoli, where people actually use the sidewalks, where it becomes an issue and it's banned.

Posted by Gomez | November 20, 2006 11:25 AM
39

Jacksonville, Fla., and all these other shitholes, may well allow bike riding on the sidewalk, but they ARE NOT CITIES. Jacksonville is in fact the asshole of the universe, and anything that goes on there I don't want here. A pedestrian in Jacksonville can fairly be presumed to be attempting suicide in the best of circumstances.

Real cities don't allow bikes on sidewalks. It's not just inappropriate; it's RADICALLY inappropriate. See Joshua up there, talking about hitting 40 MPH? Any out-of-shape cyclist can easily get up to 15 MPH on the flat, assuming hey have a clue what gear to use (which most cyclists don't). These are pedestrians we're talking about, and you're coming up behind them at high speed. Just because you've got a German courier bag and a US Postal Service jersey and clip-ons and yell out "on the right" doesn't mean jack; by the time the ped has figured out where the voice is coming from you're on top of him.

Did I say clipped? No, I said "anywhere close to clipping". If you're moving at high speed past a pedestrian, you're a menace, period.

RIDE IN THE STREET.

If leaves are a problem -- and they are, they're ten times more dangerous than snow -- then take extra precautions, or DON'T RIDE.

Posted by Fnarf | November 20, 2006 11:45 AM
40

I'm a biker, and no fan of having bikes on the sidewalk. I do not feel sorry for this guy (honestly, on a sidewalk going the wrong way down Pike?) However, what I think (almost) everyone here can agree on is that Seattle has shit for bike lanes. So it pushes more cyclists onto the sidewalks, further extending the areas of conflict between bikers and other forms of commuters. Even super bike friendly places like Davis, CA ultimately allow biking on sidewalks, but primarily when bike lanes aren't available (which hardly exists there) and definitely not "within the central traffic district."

This person was definitely in the wrong in my opinion, and according to strict interpretation of Seattle's laws. Hopefully, more and better bike lanes will grab hold in Seattle, but in the meantime I think we should change our bike laws to not allow riding on the sidewalk in core downtown areas and those with high pedestrian density (Cap Hill, U Dist, etc).

Posted by Courtney | November 20, 2006 11:46 AM
41

oh, right fnarf. i forget bicycles are not a regular mode of transportation for commuters. walk, bus, or drive. only options. got it.

and yeah, you have no clue, you can't ride IN THE STREET everywhere in the city proper. and there's nothing about racing at 40mph down the sidewalk in the post, your just making shit up to bolster your point, and blasting idiot hipster messengers to pigeon-hole bikers as a group.

Posted by seattle98104 | November 20, 2006 11:50 AM
42

I'd like to know from cyclists why some of you don't respect Stop signs. I'm specifically thinking of the Burke-Gillman Trail through the U-District. I have never seen a cyclist stop at the sign, but just blow through across the street, causing cars and buses to slam on their breaks. If you want to use the road, use it right.

Posted by elswinger | November 20, 2006 11:58 AM
43

well i obey all traffic laws, so i can't answer for my a-hole counter parts, el swinger. can you tell me why some drivers blow through red lights and do tha california stop? pray tell.

Posted by seattle98104 | November 20, 2006 12:01 PM
44

Elswinger:

If you're talking about the stop sign on the BG where it crosses Brooklyn, here's the 411: that stop sign leads into a crosswalk. Cyclists are allowed to use crosswalks without dismounting. When a cyclist stops at that crosswalk to obey the sign, drivers blow through it. They don't stop to allow cyclists to cross, so you end up having to force the issue anyway. Since accelerating on a bike is a hassle-- and you're less maneuverable when you're accelerating than you are when you're moving --you tend to blow through it if the coast seems clear.

If the coast turns out not to be clear, that's bad. But a cyclist who zips out in front of traffic is risking his or her life-- they have more at stake than the driver who has to slam on their brakes.

As far as "using the road right," don't make me laugh. Drivers never come to complete stops at stop signs.

Posted by Joshua | November 20, 2006 12:14 PM
45

Passing peds is the issue... while it is "common" knowledge to give a shout out of "on the right", "on your left", or something to the effect and it is extremely courteous of the biker to do so, chances are the "fat" peds that person spoke about hadn't a clue. Think about it... someone who hikes along ped/bike trails, like the Burke-Gillman Trail if you want to know what I mean... a ped and biker learns very fast what phrase works and doesn't... "on your left" means what? that the bike is on your left or that the ped moves over to the left? peds learn, bikers learn, the bell curve is overcome.


Take this slice of life situation: my 50 year old mother with her arthritis and my 80 year old grandmother with her 80 year old bones and ears had a near run in with a messenger/biker on a touristy shopping trip downtown. What happened was that instead of them moving out of the way, they stopped walking and started to talk about what was just said. Grandma thought the messenger/bicyclist was tying to strike up a conversation (she heard, being this her first trip to Seattle, that everyone is so super friendly and honestly thought that a stranger on a bike wanted to talk to her) and my mom was like "huh?, what does that mean, “on my left” WHAT?". Needless to say, we all stopped walking; the messenger/cyclist had to slow down his coast. Thankfully, the messenger was a professional, knew how to serve correctly and didn't say anything un-gentlemanly to those older women. Once I explained to grandma and mom what the cyclist meant, they both thought it was a wonderful idea and very polite, and would definitely know what to do next time they came out of the country for a downtown city shopping trip.


I'm just saying, bikers, I know you know, and I know everyone you know knows, but in reality, not everyone knows what it is you are thinking when you are riding around giving shout outs. Enjoy the sidewalk, but remember, not everyone walking is a jerk, but that, like maybe your mom or grandmother, are just nice people, but clueless as to why you are on the sidewalk in the first place.


My mom btw did have a point, why don't you use a bell or horn, something old people like them would understand. They also both think bikes are great for exercise, but why an adult would ride one in traffic or around people in a crowded shopping area is beyond them. But they did understand that the messenger was at work, which is something they could related to, so it all balanced out.

Posted by PHENICS | November 20, 2006 12:16 PM
46

hey, thanks fnarf. actually, i really like jax. it's a fun town, with good weather, the beach, and quite a few really great clubs and bars. come visit sometime, it's fun.

as for riding in the street, it's simply not possible. newsome street, which i take to work each day, is a four lane with a 30 mph speed limit. people actually go about 35, which i can't do on my bike, especially on the uphill parts. i like to leisurely ride to work, which takes about 10 minutes. riding on the sidewalk is the only option, and as a state attorney, i can assure you that it is lefal.

Posted by konstantconsumer | November 20, 2006 12:31 PM
47

My two cents: Yelling out "ONYOURLEFT" microseconds before whizzing by a pedestrian does not qualify as alerting them to your passing. Give fair warning far enough from the ped so that they have an opportunity to turn around to find out what the hell was just yelled at them, see the bike approaching, and respond accordingly. A blurted "ONYOURLEFT" generally doesn't register with the average ped as a warning of imminent passing.

Posted by Paulus | November 20, 2006 12:33 PM
48

Ah, PHENICS beat me to the punch.

Posted by Paulus | November 20, 2006 12:34 PM
49

Gee, thanks, fnarf, for clearing up what defines a real city and what doesn't. I'll be sure, whenever I visit a new town, to check for bicycles on the sidewalk before proclaiming it a Real City.

Posted by Gomez | November 20, 2006 1:52 PM
50

No, Seattle98104, you misapprehend me. I do recognize that bicycles are a legitimate form of transportation, which is why I am encouraging them to ride in the street, where vehicles belong, and obey the rules of the road. Stop at lights and stop signs, signal your turns, wear a light. The onus is on YOU to make your intentions known at all times, for the simple reason that if you tangle with a car, you die, and if you tangle with a ped, you're at fault no matter who's at fault.

I have here and elsewhere raged at length about the misdeeds of both pedestrians and drivers. The situation isn't what people here want to make it: all or nothing, one guilty class of people. If person riding a bike lawfully in the street feels the need to take the entire lane, he or she has that right, even if he or she feels that way because he or she is a weenie. Streets are no place for macho contests. And to any driver who is frustrated by a cyclist taking their lane, the correct response is "suck it". It's their lane.

The public sphere is a three-way dance of hostility. All three groups have their rights and responsibilities. Comments like "oh, I can't stop at lights because it's so inconvenient" are worthy of ridicule, but hardly limited to bicyclists.

Posted by Fnarf | November 20, 2006 2:06 PM
51

Hey, KonstantKonsumer, I apologize for that completely gratuitous (and extremely pleasurable) slam on your surely-delightful city.

But in my experience, and I do have some, it's actually easier to ride a bike as a vehicle in a wide-square-street city than it is in a totally confused jumble like Seattle. You have to have the balls to take your lane, but you usually can. I rode in San Jose for a few years, and while I couldn't ever take the left turn from the left turn lane that I was legally entitled to, I made pretty good time just going around town.

Whereas in Seattle you're constantly encountering disappearing shoulders, disappearing lanes, strange-angle turns, mystery lights whose directions are unclear, and so on, plus the knowledge that if you make even the slightest error in judgement you're going to be forced to turn down some arterial or on-ramp to god knows where, either a freeway or a bridge or a special-purpose street to someplace bad. I don't think there's a city in the country, not even Boston, where it's harder to just set course, North, say, and then head that way without hitting an impassable obstacle within a few blocks. There's something to be said for a good old grid. San Francisco is MUCH easier to get around, despite having even more (and steeper) hills, because the streets just run over the top of them. Here, if you don't already know your route like the back of your hand, you're fucked if you just try to sort of head there.

Posted by Fnarf | November 20, 2006 2:38 PM
52

Actually Josh, I am thinking more of the crossing at Pend Oreille, where I have ridden many a bus that has to slam on its brakes because a bicyclist did not stop. The same thing has happened on Brooklyn. It is a STOP sign, not a yellow light. You stop your bike, then continue if you have the right of way.

As far as drivers who make California stops on right turns, I'm with you. As a pedestrian, when I am not riding the bus, I often fear for my life when crossing in a crosswalk and have some asshole speeding toward me without any intention of stopping.

Posted by elswinger | November 20, 2006 4:04 PM
53

Since when does the fact that someone else is endangering public safety give you permission to endanger it further yourself?

Posted by Fnarf | November 20, 2006 5:22 PM
54

While I regularly commute to work on a bike and have to put up with a ton of shit from cars to get there, I don't think that the difficulty of biking in this city in any way excuses a biker from his responsibilities.

Sidewalks can't always be avoided (but almost always can and should be) but when you are on sidewalk you can't expect pedestrians to expect you to be there. Yes, you might have to get off your bike and walk.

My one big grip: for some reason drivers don't think that bikers at a four way stop ever get a turn. Why is that? grrr. I drive and walk just as regularly as I bike and I find that in all three cases it is the drivers that nearly send me off the deep end/threaten my life (I include myself - I am terrible person when I drive though I try not to be).

Posted by Lanik | November 20, 2006 5:38 PM
55

I also have problems with bikers blowing past me from behind with a "awnyouRLEFT!!" that startles more than warns. If bikers had bells, I'd know to move out of the way, but I usually don't hear what the cyclist has said until they're already passing me - and if I just hear someone yelling something random behind me, my instinct is to turn *towards* the sound, which would put me right in their way.

Posted by genevieve | November 20, 2006 6:38 PM
56

Look at it this way: when you ride your bike on the sidewalk, your speed limit is three miles per hour, or a slow walk.

Posted by Fnarf | November 20, 2006 8:36 PM
57

buy a car you stupid bikers. Biking should be a recreational activity done on trails away from major roads. If you stupid idiots in your spandex biking shorts and your stupid flourescent helmets go biking on a major inner city street during rush hour traffic you deserve to have people yell at you and topple you onto the side of the road. Think about you idiots, do you want to save the environment so bad that you risk getting hit by a car and having your face splattered on a sidewalk?

Posted by = P | November 21, 2006 12:58 AM
58

I used to regularly bike on some horrendously dangerous routes - down the Bothell-Everett Highway from Canyon Park to downtown Bothell, from downtown Seattle to Greenwood via the Aurora Bridge, etc. The only place where I used to regularly use sidewalks rather than the regular lanes was a couple stretches of Aurora (from Mercer to the bridge, for example). If there were pedestrians on the sidewalk, I ALWAYS got off the sidewalk at that point and rode in the street. I always obeyed stop signs, which might be why I'm still breathing air.

When passing pedestrians on a bike path or other shared pathway, you SLOW THE HELL DOWN, announce your attentions, and wait for the pedestrian to acknowledge before passing carefully. I'd be pissed blue if some inconsiderate cyclist wiped out and hit my kid with his bike because he was trying to pass too quickly - pedestrians have the right of way on the sidewalk.

The whole I Anonymous post is childish beyond belief, and so are some of the remarks in this thread. It IS possible to share the sidewalk safely, but bicyclists need to either yield to pedestrians or ride in the street as they're supposed to.

Posted by Geni | November 21, 2006 1:27 PM
59

Re #36: It's true that some drivers have a bad habit of rolling through stop signs, but at least they slow to a crawl first. I almost never see a car blow through one at 20 mph without slowing down, though, like I routinely see bicyclists do. They seem to be able to get away with dangerous behavior that would cause a driver to get ticketed, and then they expect everyone else to watch out for their safety.

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