The Cycling Dude

I Get Comments: One Persons Misguided Rage Against All Cyclists

It has been a frustrating week for me.

After returning from the Southern Ca. Genealogy Jamboree, in Burbank, I had planned to Blog the heck about it on my other blog, then spend this weekend doing some cycling.

Didn't work out that way.

Computer issues have kept me home pecking slowly away at my Genealogy blogging while waiting for a back-up hard drive, and still to come help from tech support to fix my issues.

In the mean time, I get comments. ;-D

This one in response to a post I did, in January of 2008, Fullerton Man in Trouble for Making Bike Trail Holes

If I was a crabby old man I probably would of done the same thing.

You cyclists, or whatever, need to be more Fucking considerate.

My 8yr old brother and I were run down by two cyclists that were racing.

He broke his leg, and had a severe concussion, and I had to get 30 stitches.

Damn bikers, get a real hobby.

Signed: Victim

Yet again we have someone misguidedly blaming every cyclist for the stupidity of a few.

I am sorry for the injuries suffered, but taking out your anger, whether in words, or, more dangerously, with deeds, does not solve the problem for anyone.

Education, of all users of Multi-Use Trails, is the best way to handle things, that, and fines, or jail time, for those caught doing something unlawful.

Possible Beer Bike Ban Bums Blissfull Bicyclists

A Bicycle Built for 10 is causing concern in Amsterdam.

Yes....

10.

Actually...some of these contraptions can apparently accomodate up to 22 people.

Oh, and when you toss in a Karaoke Machine... (See Link below). ;-D

There are lots of the contraptions on the street in this, um, Forward Thinking, city.

The bike, which can seat at least 10 people around a central "bar" as they pedal through the city center, is a frequent sight in the Dutch capital and is said to be popular with stag and hen (bachelor and bachelorette) parties. A non-drinker steers the bike.

But two accidents involving the bikes since the start of April has prompted the city councilor responsible for transport, Hans Gerson, to investigate how many bikes there are and whether they pose a problem.

For a look at an example of the beast go here. ;-D

For more on this story go here.

The 3 Feet Please Campaign and Road Guardian

Cars, SUV's, RV's, Busses, and Trucks, OH, MY!!

 As I wrote in Dec., when I first reported on the 3 Feet Please Movement, it doesn't matter how safe a bicyclist you are, no matter how properly you share the road with the 4 to 18-Wheeler Majority, the problem of how close, is too close, is of concern to Recreational Cyclists, and Bike Commuters, alike, every single day.

The US states with "3 Foot Laws" are: Florida, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Oregon, Illinois, Tennessee, Minnesota, Utah, Wisconsin, Arizona, South Carolina, Washington, Oklahoma, and Maine... and other states aren't far behind.

In fact, Colorado recently enacted a law that includes a 3 Feet Requirement.

What can people in the other states, and in countries around the world, do to get others to get on board?

Well, there's always the option of making the point with a peaceful, bold, and clear, FASHION STATEMENT. ;-D

Joe Mizereck thought that was a brilliant idea! ;-D

He created a 3 Feet Please Campaign and related T-Shirt, and Cycling Jersey,

He wrote on his site:

"The battle for space between cyclists and motorists is intensifying--worldwide.  And the need for space has never been greater.  More must be done to educate motorists of the importance of sharing our roads and giving cyclists at least 3 feet of clearance when passing.

As a cyclist who spends a lot of time on the roads in traffic I have experienced numerous close calls.  After one frustrating ride I decided to act.  I designed a jersey with the words "3 Feet Please" on the back.  I shared this idea with several fellow cyclists who thought this could make a difference."

I, too, think it will help.

If nothing else it will get the attention of those we share the road with.

Oh, and, um, if not...when you are flattened from behind, by that SUV, and the cops show up to question the person driving the thing, they can ask him/her if they noticed the words on the shirt you were wearing. ;-D

Check out the website of the 3 Feet Please Worldwide Campaign.

On the Media Page of the website is an amazing 5 min. video report by Fox News in Wisconsin.

It has footage that will blow you away.

Jeff Frings is an ordinary cyclist, and he’s tired of being treated unfairly on the roadways.  

His experiences show it’s not just ordinary motorists who put us at risk, it’s municipal workers and even police officers.

So he mounted a couple of video cameras to his bike and put together a blog.

His hard work has successfully gotten the authorities to issue motorists a number of reprimands and traffic citations, and his blog has gained national attention thanks to an article in Velo News.

Check out Jeff's Bike Blog for more information.

On his blog Jeff makes this important point...

He, and Joe, are not alone:

There are people who are wearing/selling jerseys or have started using cameras on rides and calling the police.

Whatever they are doing, the point is they are doing something.

I commend anyone who is trying to make the situation better.

I would also urge anyone who is doing something to talk to your local media about your efforts.

I think educating the public is the key to improving the situation.

To all those who've had enough and decided it's time to do something, thanks and keep up the good work.

As for my own humble efforts, I have a whole archive of personal investigative reports, photos, and reports on other stories: Share the Road, and Trail: Safety Matters! 

  
Riding to work in Long Beach, on 2nd, just past PCH, one January afternoon, I was where I was supposd to be (Or so I thought!), in the side of the lane closest to the curb, but not in the gutter...

That story, with photo, can be read here.

Recently Joe told me of a new site he has helped begin with Max Jones, a fellow Floridian, called Road Guardian... "the first worldwide tool to help cyclists report, mark and share cycling incidents and trouble spots."

As the website describes it:

"The company name is SafeCycling, LLC, a for-profit corporation based in Tallahassee. Max is the tech guru who makes it all happen. Joe, well, he's the cyclist who wants to save other cyclists' lives and make cycling safer for everyone. RoadGuardian.com was Joe's idea… Max gave it life..."

As for its purpose:

To save lives by helping cyclists avoid risky roadways.

There are a lot of wonderful roads to ride around the world and there are some roads that cyclists should avoid because they have problems, danger points, and troublesome histories as experienced by cyclists.

 This site offers cyclists a process for reporting, marking and sharing those danger points. This information will help cyclists plan their routes for safe experiences.

And what's equally exciting is that by making cycling safer for existing cyclists we make cycling more attractive to non-cyclists. When non-cyclists become cyclists they increase the numbers of cyclists on the road and this makes it even safer for all cyclists… just think about what that means.

You can learn more about how it works, and how to use it, on the detailed FAQ Page.

I decided to give the site a try, by reporting the incident above, and signed up.

Going to the Reporting Tool I found a collection of questions, and Info Logging Steps to go through.

I had to choose an incident from Close call, Collision, Death, and Trouble Spot.

I chose Trouble Spot.

I next entered the date, time, and location.

Next I had to choose a Problem Type from Vehicle, Dog, Bicyclist, and Road Condition ( No, Pigeon, Cat, Jogger, and Pedestrian were not among the options to choose from ;-D ).

I chose Vehicle.

Next I had to choose directions for me, and the Motorist from N, S, E, W, NW, NE, SW, SE.

If the incident does not involve a Motorist then the Motorist direction is not answered.

Next I had to describe the incident in my own words.

The description is only as good, and as useful, as the contributor takes the time to make it, including the answers to all the other questions before and after, and that might be a problem if the contributor does not take the appropriate time, and effort to be helpful, and clear.

Next I had to answer Yes or No to wether the incident was Harrassment.

Next I had to answer Yes, or No to wether I filed Crash Report with the police.

Next I clicked on Preview to allow the Google Map to change its image to that of the location I provided it, and watched as a Satellite View, with Street Names (The Hybrid, as opposed to simply the Map, or Satellite choices alone.) of the intersection, and its surroundings, appears.

If all is as it should be you click "Yes, this is Correct", or if not, "Change Address".

The map allows the person viewing it to move left, right, and up and down, and zoom in, or out.

Once I approved it a Thank You note appeared, and I was done!

To make sure all really went well I went to the Report Viewer Page.

Once there I have several menus to chose options from in the Filter.

I Chose Trouble Spot, United States, Long Beach, and hit Search.

The map appears with the location marked with either a yellow marker for Close Call, Red for Collision, Black for Death, or Orange for Trouble Spot.

Clicking on the marker brings a pop-up allowing you to read the incident report, and also see a street level view of the location.

Road Guardian is a real cool tool, and while members don't have a page where all their personal reports can be found in 1 place, and there are still growing pains of a Technical Nature, that doesn't keep me from recommending the site.

As you can see, in the photos above, I have now taken to wearing the 3 Feet Please T-Shirt, and Jersey, on my Commutes to, and from, work. ;-D

The reactions from motorists has, so far, been positive in the 2 weeks I've been wearing the shirts.

Motorists of all types have given me a wide birth, and if I have taken the lane, as I do for 4 miles on the ride thru Long Beach, no-one has honked their horn, instead just going around me in the lane to my left.

On the bus I've had a few people ask about the shirt, and the Bus drivers have gotten a kick out of them.

So far I've had no cyclists approach me on the street about them, but expect that that will happen a lot as time goes by. ;-D

 

Approach of New Colorado Law Steams Motorists AND Cyclists

In Colorado things are getting a little, um, rocky, with regards to the realionship between Motorists, and Cyclists.

Legislators did, as Legislators do, pass new rules with regards to bicycles and vehicles road-sharing with a recent bicycle safety bill, set to take effect in August.

Problem is...on narrow mountain roads motorists are getting mad about cyclists "taking the lane", and cyclist don't like getting honked at.

Another source of aggravation is the fact that the new bicycle safety law was passed to protect cyclists, but the wording of the bill has left law enforcement agents with little options if a cyclist is being uncooperative. "There's nothing we can do about it," Pelle said. "Essentially, this law takes away our ability to enforce anything."

The article points out some of the requirements of the new law (and links to the bill itself), all of which are simply common sense, including the "3 Feet" part directed at motorists.

Read the article by Glorianne Scott at Examiner.com: Conflict on the road between bicyclists and drivers intensifies after bill signing.

Cyclist Stupidity in San Jose Up for Discussion

Gary Richards writes the Roadshow Column for the San Jose Mercury News, and yesterday spent most of a column sharing, and discussing, readers views on a recent bit of cyclist stupidity: The act of Car Punching.

Apparently some cyclists think it's a brilliant idea to "intentionally dent cars when the driver does something that is dangerous for bicycles."

In the case under discussion the cops rulled that the motorist was acting appropriately, but even if the motorist wasn't since when was a bit of excessive Cyclist "Road Rage" an appropriate way to respond?

If caught you could be made to pay for the damage, at best, or, at worst, the motorist could be armed, and dangerous, and decide to chase you down, and blast you right out of the saddle.

Yes, the motorist would go to jail, but what good would that do YOU, or your loved ones, when you are 6 feet under? ;-D

Now, I'll admit to staring down, or wagging the middle finger at, a misbehaving driver who puts me in danger, a time or 2 in my 49 years of life (If there is a Saint among us who HASN'T done 1, or both, at least once, I'd like to meet this Jesus on 2 Wheels!), but I've learned over the years that it is far more constructive to attempt to talk to the driver if given the chance, and the person was receptive to my doing so.

At best I educate the driver, at worst the driver looks bad by their behavior in response to my approach.

So far no driver has pulled a weapon on me. ;-D

Read the article, and the comment section - Roadshow: Bicyclists and car punching — not a good idea

Columnist Steve Lopez, Like Me, Points Out the Uneasy World of the Bike Trail

Recently Steve Lopez, the always interresting, and informative, columnist of the LA Times, did for the Santa Monica Bike Trail what I tried to do for the Huntington Beach Bike Trail, and the Newport Beach Back Bay Trail, in 2006, camera in tow (More than 3 years of coverage of the issue of Motorist, Cyclists, and Pedestrians getting along, and the Share The Road Campaign, can be explored, at your leisure, in this Archive of posts.) ;-D

Steve writes:

Paradise. Nirvana. Whatever you call it, we're lucky mugs to have a tranquil respite from the urban madness and permanent bottlenecks.

But wait. Do I see a collision in the making?

A woman is pushing a stroller, a teenager is on a skateboard, a man is walking a dog on a leash -- all of them idling along on a path that's marked BIKES ONLY -- and here comes a cyclist, closing in on this knot of nudniks. The cyclist slows, he weaves, he shoots past them and all are safe. But it doesn't always work out like that...

The term "bike path" doesn't leave much room for ambiguity. But pedestrians just can't seem to get it...

 the hazards are mounting because so many people are on cellphones or using iPods, oblivious to the world around them...

None of this catapults the issue to the top of our list of regional concerns. But how hard is it, really, to enforce regulations and prevent accidents? Southern California does a lousy job of accommodating bikes on city streets.

You'd think we could at least get it right at the beach, but hazards abound.

Read the whole piece: On Santa Monica's beachfront bike path, an uneasy mix.

Oh, and BTW, this is the same Steve Lopez responsible for the magnificent human interest story that was the basis for the great film The Soloist. ;-D

Concerns and Solutions Regarding Proposed 3 Feet Law in Colorado

Last week, David Petersen, of Durango, tossed in his 2 cents about Senate Bill 148, in a Letter to the Editor of the Durango Herald:

Senate Bill 148, which would require motorists to keep 3 feet of space between vehicles and bicyclists - is not only an accident waiting to happen, as one opposing legislator has pointed out, but a slew of lawsuits as well. Just try driving Florida Road any nice weekend, and you'll encounter everything from polite defensive bikers strung out in their lane single file, to mobs of dozens huddled together blocking entire lanes and refusing to "line out" even when cars are stacked up behind them with horns tooting.

His solutions, to what he sees as a problem, involves wider bike lanes, making cyclists pay a road tax, setting a maximum legal size for groups of bicyclists traveling together, and "decreeing some county roads simply too narrow, winding, high-speed and dangerous to allow for bicycle traffic at all."

New Bike Law Will Just Cause More Problems

While the wider lanes idea seems a good one, the other ideas are totally unworkable.

The cost alone, in enforcing those notions, would be a problem for state governments, and citizens, especially in these hard economic times.

Setting group size, when there's no guarantee the whole group is even together at any given point on the ride?

A tax?

Does that mean toll booths are every major intersection?

A tax would especially be unfair to the poor...especially those who don't own cars, and rely on their bike as part, or all, of their transportation options.

Telling cyclists they can't travel on certain roads because they are dangerous?

When part of the problem causing the dangers on such roads can be laid at the feet of the motorists cyclists share the road with?

Because They DO Hate Us: Thoughts of a New York Bicyclist

The article in the New York Times begins with memories of cycling in NY, in the 80's.

The 1st inking that the reader gets that Robert Sullivan has something serious on his mind is the next section, describing a moment in time, on one of his rides thru the city:.

.....as the light changed, I began to pedal and a biker went racing by and nearly killed me.

Well, not literally. Literally, he only scared the bejesus out of me and brushed my arm, no big deal. The crossing guard shook her head. “Jerk,” she said.

When I got to Atlantic Avenue, a street I would be nervous about crossing if I were in an armored vehicle, I stopped to wait for the light as a helmetless man, riding with his child on a seat, weaved wobbly between me, the taxi and the pedestrians trying to cross, uttering not even an “on your right.” He pulled silently out into traffic, stopping halfway across the intersection to let a tractor-trailer wail by before he finished crossing against the light, the toddler in back thinking heaven knows what.

Meanwhile, another biker was about to pass him, and pedestrians in the intersection now scattered like deer. And I was thinking, “No wonder they hate us.”

Because they do hate us, they being nonbikers and us being bikers.

He writes that the city is doing more for cyclists, though there are many issues related to this activity, these days, that cars kill more cyclists than we do each other, and that we still live in a world ruled by the car.

He admits to being troubled by seeing cyclists doing things on the road that put them, and others at risk.

Then he gets down to discussing the meat of his piece:

As someone who has been honked and screamed at by drivers when I am proceeding carefully along a wide, bike-friendly street, I acknowledge that my blood boils, just from a public relations standpoint, when I see a guy do that.

Because again, they hate us.

The nature of the hate has changed. Once, they hated us because we were a rarity, like a rat in the kitchen, a pest. Now, they hate us because we are ubiquitous.

When you read the stats he quotes about the increase in cycling in NY, think about how cycling is increasing in your small town, or big city.

Are you seeing more people riding bikes to work?

Are you seeing more cyclists on the Commuter Train, or Bus?

In recent days, thanks to Twitter, I've found clogs, and websites related to Bike Commuting.

That right there should tell you SOMETHING.

He writes about how while cyclists have been on the receving end, he believes we cyclist have some GIVING to do.

He has a modest proposal that cyclists should take the high road.

Now, as much as we would perhaps prefer not to, we must stop to look at ourselves and realize that we have a little giving to do. I am talking about perceptions, about the things we should do outside the letter of the law, like the way we try not to kill the person in front of us in the revolving doors.

Too many cyclists take the "The Car is Our Enemy" credo way to far, and other cyclists, not as knowledgeable in the issues because all they want to do is ride their bike, not change the world, get too angry, or intimidated, by encounters on the road that they stop riding, rather than consider what they can do, thru their behavior, to improve the view of non-cyclists toward the cyclist.

In New York, he says cyclist are, in some ways, losing the Publicity Wars.

He even points out that, as Life is slowly improving for Cyclists, many cyclists are starting to treat pedestrians like motorists treat them.

As the ENEMY.

Is this happening where you live?

Not a good thing, people.

Despite the presence of bike lanes, we see many bikes on the sidewalk, and the bikers riding the wrong way down streets, alarming cabdrivers at the light.

For biking to make it to the next level, for bikes to be completely accepted as the viable form of city transportation that they are, bikers must switch sides.

They must act like people and stop acting like cars.

Acting like people means slowing down.

This includes stopping at traffic lights.

This brings him to his modest proposal, one with 4 parts:

1.  How about we stop at major intersections?

2. How about we ride with traffic as opposed to the wrong way on a one-way street?

3. How about we stay off the sidewalks?

4. How about we signal?

I'd add a 5th: STOP WEARING HEADPHONES!

Oh, and a 6th!: STOP RIDING YOUR BIKE WHILE JABBERING ON YOUR CELL PHONE!

I agree with these sentiments of his:

Bikes don’t kill people; cars kill people.

I know this, I feel this (big scar on head), and when I think of my bike heroes and bike role models, when I imagine the tone of the new bike culture, I think of civility.

I've got scars of my own, from a lifetime of cycling encounters with cars, trucks, and people on foot, but the important thing to remember is that we all share the same space, in one way or another, and it is important to strive for civility in the sharing.

Your can read the whole essay here: The Wild Bunch.

There have been over 300 comments on his essay at the Times, and they are no long accepting any more, but I welcome comments, and debate, here, all the time! (Being a working stiff I will approve comments as soon as I can get to them!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cyclists Get Improved Mention in 2009 CA. DMV Drivers Handbook

I have been writing about the issue of Sharing the Road, and Trail, on this blog, for years, and here is my archive of stories, and images:

Share the Road and Trail! Safety Matters!

In over 2 years of writing state senators, assemblymen (women) and other state representatives, the Ca. Share the Road Campaign is seeing its efforts finally paying off.

They may not have their hoped for license plate yet, but they have succeeded in helping get some good verbiage in the new 2009 DMV drivers handbook.

Visit here to see for yourself.

Page 26, and 27 are a good place to start.

I especially like the wording, and images, related to passing a cyclist.

Now they hope to get them to add the bicycle and share the road signs to the "sign" pages (pg. 11-15) for 2010.

 

3 Measely Feet! Is That to Much to Ask For From Motorists?

Cars, SUV's, RV's, Busses, and Trucks, OH, MY!!

No matter how safe a cyclist you are, no matter how properly you share the road with the 4 to 18-Wheeler Majority, the problem of how close, is too close, is a daily concern to Recreational Cyclists, and Bike Commuters, alike.

The US states with "3 Foot Laws" are: Florida, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Oregon, Illinois, Tennessee, Minnesota, Utah, Wisconsin, Arizona, South Carolina, Washington, Oklahoma, and Maine...other states aren't far behind.

What can people in the other 36 states, and in countries around the world, do to influence others to get on board?

How about making the point with a bold, and clear, FASHION STATEMENT?

Joe Mizereck thought that was a brilliant idea! ;-D

The 3 Feet Please Campaign and Cycling Jersey were born!

The battle for space between cyclists and motorists is intensifying--worldwide.  And the need for space has never been greater.  More must be done to educate motorists of the importance of sharing our roads and giving cyclists at least 3 feet of clearance when passing.

As a cyclist who spends a lot of time on the roads in traffic I have experienced numerous close calls.  After one frustrating ride I decided to act.  I designed a jersey with the words "3 Feet Please" on the back.  I shared this idea with several fellow cyclists who thought this could make a difference.

I, too, think it will help.

If nothing else it will get the attention of those we share the road with.

Oh, and, um, if not...when you are flattened from behind, by that SUV, and the cops show up to question the person driving the thing, they can ask him/her if they noticed the words on the shirt you were wearing. ;-D

Check out the website of the 3 Feet Please Worldwide Campaign.

On the Media Page of the website is an amazing 5 min. video report by Fox News in Wisconsin with footage that will blow you away.

Jeff Frings is an ordinary cyclist, and he’s tired of being treated unfairly on the roadways.

His experiences show it’s not just ordinary motorists who put us at risk, it’s municipal workers and even police officers.

So he mounted a couple of video cameras to his bike and put together a blog.

His hard work has successfully gotten the authorities to issue motorists a number of reprimands and traffic citations, and his blog has gained national attention thanks to an article in Velo News.

Check out Jeff's Bike Blog for more information.

On his blog Jeff makes this important point:

He, and Joe, are not alone:

There are people who are wearing/selling jerseys or have started using cameras on rides and calling the police.

Whatever they are doing, the point is they are doing something.

I commend anyone who is trying to make the situation better.

I would also urge anyone who is doing something to talk to your local media about your efforts.

I think educating the public is the key to improving the situation.

To all those who've had enough and decided it's time to do something, thanks and keep up the good work.

As for my own humble efforts, I have a whole archive of personal investigative reports, photos, and reports on other stories: Share the Road, and Trail: Safety Matters!