Bikers on the sidewalk

sirsterling

What gives, with all of the new bike lanes in the neighborhood, people still ride there bikes on the sidewalk (on Plaza Street & Vanderbuilt..)

brookfetish

Just this AM I saw a car cut in front of a biker and start driving in the bike lane. I'd be wary of using it, too.

sirsterling

Life can be dangerous.. I have seen cars jump the curb and ride on the sidewalk.

Bottom line, biker's should ride in the bike lane.. cars in the street and people on the sidewalk.. easy stuff, not to hard to learn.

sweet tea

try telling that to the chinese delivery guys riding their motorcycles on the sidewalk by my place.

kosherdave

I always ride in the street, but it could just be that some people just don't know any better. I've actually been yelled at (more times than I can count) to "get that fucking bike off the street!" by people in cars.
When I was a kid, no one rode a bike in the street but given the number of people who actually walk around here, bikes should stay in the street and watch out for all the f-ing crazies in cars.

sneakyonstmarks

What is really dangerous is Hipsters with their pimped out racing Bikes riding against traffic not only dangerous for drivers but dangerous for people trying to cross street and they are looking only at the cars coming to them and next thing you know you a have a dumb hipster running into you!! Also all those chinese and Mexican delivery boys have no regards to pedestrians, they are always going as fast as possible on side walk and expect you to move out of your way!!

kosherdave

sneakyonstmarks wrote: they are always going as fast as possible on side walk and expect you to move out of your way!!

I want them to go as fast as possible. I want my food now damn it!

daver

Bikes are supposed to follow the same rules as cars, riding against traffic is a no-no, and can get a ticket. Riding on the sidewalk is a no-no, and can get a ticket.

sneakyonstmarks

Kosher Dave food at the expense of people getting hurt!!!

bill c

sometimes i see pedestrians crossing the street when the light is red.

armchair_warrior

everyone sucks and we all should get our own lanes.

bikes get bike, people get side walks, cars get car lanes, and trucks get truck lanes. and ufo gets the rest of the air space.

underhill_mt

armchair_warrior wrote: everyone sucks and we all should get our own lanes.

bikes get bike, people get side walks, cars get car lanes, and trucks get truck lanes. and ufo gets the rest of the air space.

Ah, but don't the UFOs already have the rest of the air space? :shock:

daver

bill c wrote: sometimes i see pedestrians crossing the street when the light is red.

I often cross empty streets on red, without regard to whether I am on my bike or on foot.

sirsterling

It would also help if the slow walkers could stay to the right on the sidewalk..

I also don't understand why there is no crosswalk on Plaza Street over near Butler Place.. there are ramps there which cars block.. so I am forced to cross in the middle of the street with no crosswalk.. Just doesn't make sense, there are ramps on the other end of Butler near Sterling & the cars are ticketed for blocking those ramps..

bill c

daver wrote: [quote=bill c]sometimes i see pedestrians crossing the street when the light is red.

I often cross empty streets on red, without regard to whether I am on my bike or on foot.

so you're the one.

armchair_warrior

Underhill_MT wrote: [quote=armchair_warrior]everyone sucks and we all should get our own lanes.

bikes get bike, people get side walks, cars get car lanes, and trucks get truck lanes. and ufo gets the rest of the air space.

Ah, but don't the UFOs already have the rest of the air space? :shock:

na thats what the government wants you to think. its really government planes disguised as ufo's taking up all the space. legitimate ufo's rarely visit cause of all the fake ones.

opossumqueen

I just wish the bikers would use bells or say something like "bike on the left". Just because you can here your bike, doesn't mean everyone else can.

Oh, and if they are going to go against traffic and run lights and such (b/c that will not stop), I just wish they would yield to the right of way. I hate having to jump out of the way of a biker flying through a light or heading the wrong way, esp. since I'm likely only really watching for traffic coming from the right way on a one way.

You know how the city gives out bike helmets for free sometimes? I wish they would give out bells and horns for bikes!

underhill_mt

armchair_warrior wrote: [quote=Underhill_MT][quote=armchair_warrior]everyone sucks and we all should get our own lanes.

bikes get bike, people get side walks, cars get car lanes, and trucks get truck lanes. and ufo gets the rest of the air space.

Ah, but don't the UFOs already have the rest of the air space? :shock:

na thats what the government wants you to think. its really government planes disguised as ufo's taking up all the space. legitimate ufo's rarely visit cause of all the fake ones.

Damn knockoffs. Soon the Museum will host an exhibit and make a fake Chinatown where peddlers/actors sell counterfeit UFOs to muckitymucks.

theburgerking

Is riding a skate board on the sidewalk allowed?

madman

TheBurgerking wrote: Is is riding a skate board on the sidewalk allowed?

If it was, it would no longer be cool and no one would ride them anymore.

eterpay

I'm not sure anyone has made this point above, but it's technically illegal to ride a bike on the sidewalk if you're over the age of 14 or 15. So not only do bikes belong on the street, but you can get a citation for riding on the sidewalk.

It bothers me when cyclists ride the wrong way and swerve around pedestrians and stuff, but it bothers me a lot less than people speeding and running red lights in cars.. a bike is going to cause a lot less harm if it hits you than a 2-ton SUV.

rtraindweller

Bikes are indeed not allowed to be ridden on the sidewalk unless you're under 14 and the tires are under 26". While I don't ride against traffic (that's just dumb, seriously) I do admit to going through red lights if there's no cars coming (as pedestrians do) but I yield to anyone crossing cause ya know, I don't wanna crash into someone!

daver

rtraindweller wrote: Bikes are indeed not allowed to be ridden on the sidewalk unless you're under 14 and the tires are under 26". While I don't ride against traffic (that's just dumb, seriously) I do admit to going through red lights if there's no cars coming (as pedestrians do) but I yield to anyone crossing cause ya know, I don't wanna crash into someone!

+1

And I believe skateboards (and inline skates) on the sidewalk are legal, as long as you are not "reckless."

kosherdave

daver wrote: [quote=rtraindweller] I do admit to going through red lights if there's no cars coming (as pedestrians do) but I yield to anyone crossing cause ya know, I don't wanna crash into someone!

+1


+1 more

vanilla

BrookFetish wrote: Just this AM I saw a car cut in front of a biker and start driving in the bike lane. I'd be wary of using it, too.

yeah, WTF? looks like they made the bike lane just far enough from parked cars so that bikes won't get doored - but also the bike lane is wide enough that now assholes in SUVs (and probably other cars) are using it as a second lane.

rtraindweller

vanilla wrote:
yeah, WTF? looks like they made the bike lane just far enough from parked cars so that bikes won't get doored - but also the bike lane is wide enough that now assholes in SUVs (and probably other cars) are using it as a second lane.

they also seem to be prime spots for double parking. yesterday on dekalb i saw a motorcycle get into the bike lane and just whiz past all the cars. i'm pretttttttttttty sure that's not allowed, right?

poppy13

And please, hipsters, wear a helmet. It won't mess your hair up anymore than it already is. I don't know how in the world someone would ride a bike without a helmet.

rtraindweller

i don't wear a helmet, never have. guess i'm a hipster now? dangit!

daver

poppy13 wrote: I don't know how in the world someone would ride a bike without a helmet.

How? In my experience, the process is very similar to how it is done when riding _with_ a helmet.

poppy13

Good point

meredithb

vanilla wrote: yeah, WTF? looks like they made the bike lane just far enough from parked cars so that bikes won't get doored - but also the bike lane is wide enough that now assholes in SUVs (and probably other cars) are using it as a second lane.

You really don't expect people to honor an unprotected bike lane in NYC do you? And you don't really expect the police to enforce the bike lane all the time do you? Especially for commercial vehicles. Heck, most of them don't give a shit about a ticket anyways 'cause they got a deal with the city.