Pedal vs. Metal

Yeah, its a pain to hop off the bike at every stop sign and light but I rather be safe than sorry. Since I tend to lose my balance when using hand signals, I get off my bike at lights and stop signs, wait for the the lights to change and walk across in the cross walk. It is much safer. Much of Bicycle safety is common sense. Follow the rules of the road, wear a helmet. Don't hog the road, ride with traffic and as far over to the right as possible and stay off the side walks. Common sense and curtsy will go a long ways. There also needs to be a push for bicycle lanes, preferably separated from the road.

Cyclists in Texas ride on the wrong side of the street facing traffic, disregard traffic signs like red lights and stop signs. Then they wonder why the heck they got run over?

Insurance companies not paying for injuries if not wearing a seat belt? Sounds good, I'd sign that waiver for lower insurance rate.

I ride a road bike and notice that there are a lot of idiot drivers and cyclists, and these are the ones that we hear about. The percentage of bad drivers/cyclist are probably the same. I see bikers riding more than one across when they know cars are coming and I see cars hogging the right side of the road...both are wrong, but this will not likely change. We cannot have bike paths on every road...it's just not possible. People have to be more understanding, patient and less intimitated when these idiots present themselves on 2 or 4 wheels. I cannot count the number of times drivers have passed me on a blind corner and just missed oncoming traffic when they could have slowed and passed after the turn. They would be no farther behind. I've also seen plenty of bikers riding the wrond side of the street and crossing traffic at bad points. Natural selection takes care of some of these idiots, but they do seem to breed faster.

Perhaps if all the "bike haters" would lobby their local government to use more of the collected tax dollars to widen roads (i.e. more bike lanes), it would alleviate some of the tension and allow more space between cars and bicycles. Perhaps there's some jealousy that the cyclist isn't paying $4+ per gallon while they're doing something healthy for themselves and the planet. ALSO, if motorists would quit talking on their cell phones while driving they might be more aware of their surroundings (including cyclists and motorcyclists) and it would speed up reaction times.

I have noticed a series of these articles being published by the corporate owned media outlets over the past few months.

While I don't mind cyclists on the roads I must complain about their disregard for traffic laws. Almost everyone on a bycycle ignores stop signs and signals. Yet if I were to hit one of them while they were blowing a red light I would be the bad guy.. The cyclists also disregard one way streets and lanes.
The game is the same for cars and bikes, You have to obey the rules of the road.

In my area, (close to Portland) we sell more bikes to adults than to children. Most of these adults own homes, cars and work so they DO pay a boatload of taxes. (As do I.) The first two incidents in this article were not due to bike/car problems. They were due to ALCOHOL problems. People, do not drink and ride/drive. It's illegal, wrong and evil! The whole issue is being blown WAY out of propotion, but it sells newspapers.

Bike riding and using it for commuting to work and for running errands is the wave of the future.
I'd like to see the roads for bicyclists, and just one lane for cars.
That'll help get rid of our dependence on oil coming from places that hate us.

Cyclists have as much right to be on the road as everyone else. I agree it can be frustrating to be caught behind a cyclist if there are no shoulders for him/her to ride one. However, that is not the fault of the cyclist. You can very easily pass them (safely) and put them behind you (and out of your way). Perhaps instead of hating cyclists (or taking your anger out on them), you should lobby your local government to spend some of your tax dollars on widening roads so there will be room for both cars and the cyclists. After all, we all live together in our communities, and we should be able to co-exist peacefully. Neither group is more important than the other and we need to be able to get along. Maybe there's even a little jealousy that the cyclist isn't spending $4 + per gallon on gas AND they're doing something healthy for themselves and the planet.

I live in the DC area, and I hate bike riders riding on busy roads and highways. It causes a major disturbance in already aggressive traffic, as it causes cars to trail behind bikes at 25 mph. It is completely selfish, inconsiderate and dangerous for bikers to do this, considering that that there are bike trails along the road all over the place!! I mean wth, seriously. It should be illegal for people to ride their bike on a road.

All I can say to motorists is get used to it. Instead of whining about cyclists maybe you should go after the barons selling gas for 4-5 bucks a gallon!

In Sc the cyclist is at a disadvantage. I personally have experienced cars left of center when meeting them head-on. Coming from behind they get right up close to you and hit the horn. It's a sudden shock that could cause you to fall into the cars path. It is not unusual to have a full beer bottle zing by your head or a dog bare his teeth while chasing you. The resutls have been, two of my ride friends now carry a concealed weapon when we ride. I doubt they could responed without falling, but it sends a message to the perp." You're not going to get away with your actions!" I personally don't like the gun thing but, for most situations, the cyclist is not at fault. They can't always move over for automobiles to pass, and the drivers don't have to go so fast in areas where there are a lot of bike riding. Also cyclist should not ride on any US highways except where it is designated. Why? Because a cyclist can't match the posted minimun highway speeds. Some dummy riders don't get it and cause a lot danger for all of us.
Upstate South Carolina is now home to the Us Pro Cycling Championships. We are the most popular destination in the East to ride. However, there are those drivers that get to close. I don't beleive they realize they are squeezing you off the road.
I sometimes wish I had the gun, for those *** with road-rage who just want to prove they have the power to move you out of their way. And yes, the Highway department still lets the dumbass have a license here too! There is no state laws to protect the cyclist. Pedestrians have the right of way but, beyond that , cyclist are on there on.

The kid thing is a preposterous thought. As legal guardian, I am required to be responsible for all my child's actions.......
As for the road tax, it is true that it comes from the purchase of fuel. As such, it is supposed to be used for road repairs, upkeep, etc. It even pays to have those nice bike lanes put in....

I ride a bike to work, but I have a lot of alleys and back roads to use. I tend to stay off the main roads and avoid the whole road rage thing in the first place.