The bicycle is a great alternative for exercising and just having fun
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m certainly not against the bicycle. It is a great mode of transportation. It can get you to places quickly. You get exercise while atop it. It also doesn’t require any fuel, except the body fuel you exert. It’s a wonderful object. However…
As with a lot of things in life, there are the few the spoil it for the mass. And in the case of the bicycle, I fear that there are more in the mass than the few with this. As you are aware, I drive the city bus, as does The Old Fart’s Blog, and I’m sure he can attest to most, if not all what I’m about to say.
When we are driving down the road and come upon a bicyclist you go around them. Then you hit the dreaded stop sign. The bicyclist inevitable either
- goes around you on your left
- goes around you on the right, next to the curb
Hence, once again you have to go around the bicyclist again. I don’t understand why they just don’t stay behind the bus, or for that matter the car and just wait until we all leave. But one thing I have learned driving the bus, everyone wants to “beat the bus.” They just have to get in front of it.
A lot of these bicyclist also weave in and out of traffic. It’s as if they do not have a care in the world and don’t give a damn about the motorists in the cars. Another thing, that is extremely dangerous is when they want to put their bike on the buses bike rack. I can’t tell you how many time they come screeching up to the front of the bus from out of the blue to get in front of it just to load their bike. You can actually see their hair blowing in the wind behind them they are moving so fast.
Then, and one of the worst habits I see them doing is going against a red light. They can’t sit and wait and just have to continue on their journey with total disregard for the stoplight. I guess red means go to a bicyclists. I dunno. I thought red meant to stop and wait for green.
I guess all I would want them to do is be courteous and follow the rules of the road. They do apply to them and I just wish they would follow it.
Happy peddling.
Hey, it’s just my opinion.
A Hui Ho
oh well, things don’t seem to be that different the world over. a cyclist here will give the right of way to the vehicles stronger than themselves but never to a pedestrian. and they zigzag across the road or ride parallel to each other, stuff like that…
I was damn near rear ended by a bicyclist today and I was walking down the sidewalk – -where they don’t belong. They should be out in traffic getting run over by buses.
Seriously, I drove down Ali Wai this afternoon, and there was a bicyclist between me and the parked car. I would pass him, we’d stop for a red light and he would pass me — and run the light — and the light would change and I would pass him …. The 4th time he came up on my right to pass me I found myself wishing for a way to open the passenger door while still driving the car. :O
Thom ~ I agree with you 110% and everything you’ve written about here has happened to me or I’ve witnessed. There is even talk around the garages about one Bicyclist who grabbed onto a Buses Bumper and let the bus take them to where they wanted to go.
I guess the bicyclists must have more than one life like a Cat is supposed to have. Here in Calgary at Rush Hour each Street and Avenue downtown is packed with cars and trucks and the buses. Then you get some yokel on a bicycle come up around you, and some don’t even come to a complete stop and then weave through the cars.
The sad thing is when one of these mindless bicyclists gets hit by a car downtown usually the driver of the car is accused of not paying attention.
I have never learned to “Turn the Other Cheek” so much since coming to work for Transit.
Oh well the joys of being a Professional Driver.
Thank you for sharing the post.
Quilly ~ Like I said, don’t ever drive a Bus, you will forever be fighting the urge to make an example of one of them.
PS Thom, at least here when one is driving a Bike Rack Bus, the bicyclists here seem to know the rules and wait for the bus to come to a stop before driving out in front. Usually they patiently wait at the stop for the bus to come to a complete stop.
The one thing you can say about all this snow and ice you don’t see anybody on bikes.
Even in summer the area has so many bike paths you seldom see them on the road.
But I remember long ago riding a bike and being every bit as stupid as you describe.
Thanks for commenting on my blog.
No one ever follows the rules. I say we should be permitted to punish the rule breakers – thumb screws work for me.
LOL! Gotta love that Nessa!
Juliana: Pedestrians beware of everyone. But I do see them acting nuts in traffic as well
Quilly: Where's the remote control for the door when ya need it LOL
Bill: Not all bicyclists rush like that but they do happen. Most yes do wait patiently but there are those that
dont. I guess I go back to the few that spoil it for the mass
Dr. John: Most welcome and I'm amazed the snow and ice stops them but I suppose it would
Nessa: As Quilly says…gotta love ya! They work for me as well
yeah… pedestrians are another chapter altogether…
but i hear hardly anyone walks in america so perhaps you're spared part of the trouble. on the other hand, those few that do walk can be all the more unpredictable, i suppose…
I tend to agree with you