A place to discuss problems of car centric infrastructure or how it hurts us all. Let's explore the bad world of Cars!
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In the absence of a flair system on lemmy yet, let’s try to make it easier to scan through posts by type in here by using tags:
People on bikes may be rude and may not follow the rules, but can't be aggressive.
When a man with a .45 meets a man with a rifle, the man with a pistol will be a dead man.
Original stripe from the Onion: https://www.theonion.com/bum-rush-hour-1846606314
Cross-posted from: https://mastodon.uno/users/rivoluzioneurbanamobilita/statuses/113615912203015089
And when they have their own lane:
Literally me every day going solids 35km/h on the bike lane passing the cars stuck In traffic. Is delicious.
I am visiting Boston. I am looking forward to using their transit, but their biking has not left a good impression so far. In one spot, they had a bike lane symbol, but it was just on a busy street between parking and traffic with no actual lane. In another spot, there was an actual lane, but people were parking on it. And just in general, there aren't a lot of obvious places to bike around. People are making it work, but it just looks dangerous.
Wait, this artist is serious and not mocking drivers with this opinion? Lol
Poe factor means you can't tell. (And either side may claim it and use the imagery regardless of authorial intent.
Pretty sure that's the onion
No
Well. There are some really dumb bicyclists out there.
I have a real world example from just over an hour ago. I work overnights. I have to travel to different locations during my shift on certain nights. Tonight was one of those nights. I'm headed up to a location on a city street, 40mph speed limit, when I catch sight of a cyclist in my lane when I'm maybe 20ft from him. He's peddling for his life but only doing 12-15mph or so.
Why didn't I see him until he was that close to me? Was I playing on my phone? Tired because I work overnights? No. He is a black guy, wearing a black hoodie with black sweat pants, on a bike with no reflectors on it. Riding down a city street in the middle of the night. I'm pretty sure this is the second time I've encountered this guy too (same ninja cosplay both times). The first time was at least half a year ago. Honestly I'm surprised he's still alive, or at least uncrippled to the point that he can bike.
People are insufficiently conscious of their visibility. Last night, in the dark and rain, a jogger came running full speed to cross a crosswalk from a dark wooded area between buildings who was completely wearing black. I would have hit her if it weren't for the two inches of white socks that extended above her black sneakers which allowed me to slam the brakes just a moment before.
I know it can be hard to introspect about your own visibility. My partner has pointed out to me how to be better visible when I go out on my bike. More people should think about it.
It would be very good for pedestrian deaths if somebody spray painted a garbage can black, put it on that crosswalk in the middle of the night, and filled it with bricks. That way, all the people who drive their cars too fast will crash into it and learn to be more careful.
How about we build a raised crosswalk so cars naturally have to slow down to cross it, which will make them more aware of anyone attempting to cross at the crosswalk and lower the speed, which will lower impact forces, if they still get hit.
Then you need actual bike lanes
So you almost ran a guy over, but it’s his fault for being black?
I mean, that’s one way to live your life.
EDIT: just saw the user name. Totally ate the onion. Leaving the comment up to commemorate my shameful action.
No, as a driver you are always responsible for your actions.
However, being a driver does not absolve any cyclists of their responsibility as cyclists. In this case the issue is the lack of reflectors and lack of bike lights. That is part of the responsibilities that comes with being a biker.
Any reference to race, outside of the reflective properties of different colors that might actually be relevant in this case, are yours.
Yea bud, except the amount of stupid drivers out there far exceeds both the amount of stupid bikers and the danger they pose. You’re just used to it because the standard of driving skill is so abyssmally low and you’re a) probably part of that group whether you like it or not and b) familiar with what to look out for while bikes might be rarer.
In all my time driving I rarely see people who aren’t way too close to the limit of their driving skill. One little mistake followed by someone else not making up for it and bam, problem.
That's why your car has lights. If someone could have spray painted a garbage can black, filled it with bricks, and put it in the street, would you have smashed into it and damaged your bumper? If the answer is yes, then you were going too fast. Drivers have a responsibility to drive to the conditions. You're the one operating the deadly machinery.
Could he have benefitted from putting on reflectors? Sure, yes he could have. But that is a decision for his own benefit, it doesn't affect you. If he's an idiot, then he's only being an idiot to himself. If a car driver is an idiot, then someone else could die. That's why idiots should all be on bicycles.
And the same people are the loudest complainers when bike lanes are installed so this doesn't happen.
I was riding on a two-lane road a couple of years ago. I heard a car approaching from behind, and he went really wide into the opposite lane to pass me. This was thoughtful of him except that there was a white van coming the opposite way which had to get almost all the way over to their curb to avoid hitting the car passing me head on. The driver of the white van stuck his head out of his window and yelled at me "YOU'RE GONNA GET SOMEBODY KILLED!"
I watched someone do that (without the screaming) right in front of a cop car going the other way, to the point where the cop had to hit the brakes to avoid a collision. I had to laugh.
Naturally nothing came of it. You know, driving dangerously isn't a ticketable offense, for some reason.
Most assholes in cars can't be bothered to stop for twenty seconds -- like they're supposed to -- when there's an obstruction in their lane. They think there's some unwritten rule that they absolutely have to be moving no matter what's on the road in front of them.
The proper thing to do in these "squeezed by a bike" scenarios is to just let the fucking bike determine the pace for a little while, and then wait until the other lane is free and you can pass using it.
They think there’s some unwritten rule that they absolutely have to be moving no matter what’s on the road in front of them.
I've experienced that more times than I can count from cyclists on sidewalks that think that I should be expected to dodge out of their way just because they ring their little bell.
Maybe they just want to warn you so you don't startle when they pass.
Mixed use paths are not great for commuting.
Yeah also the Adjuster that killed that CEO was seen leaving on a bike!1!1!1!
Weird that you link directly to the post of original comic, but then share a lower quality, fuzzy version.
Why not just use the image in the original post you linked to?
I think some lemmy instances use thumbnail caching.
Drivers in my city liberally use the bike lane as an impromptu turn lane, especially if another car is behind them even more if a bike is in the lane.
Really high Poe factor. I can't tell if the cartoonist is posting this ironically or not.
I've heard enough people regard bicyclists as a menace (and feeling ashamed in the cases when I'm quiet about being a bicyclist) that this really is how we're seen.
ETA the source explains a lot. Not knowing where it came from, though, seriously high Poe.
IMO. Bicyclists have liberal disregard for traffic laws here. But so do the following groups: pedestrians, motorcyclist, big rigs, cars.
German right wing party AfD had one just like this, but unironically
They've done studies with motorcycles and a big problem we need to overcome is: For some reason our brains ignore people on bikes sometimes. It sounds silly but it's a real thing I promise. I support anything anti car related, but any Bike lane shouldn't come within 50 ft of a road cars use. The mainstream trend of all cars bad lends too much ammunition to the pro car crowd. It's not pretty or satisfying but it's true. It's a nash equilibrium and there's only so much we can do.
Edit: Just putting this here for google. Working towards a car free world is going to be a ton of work. Our efforts here are focused on appeasing the car centrists. I want independent bike lanes away from heavy machinery and toxic exhaust chemicals. I want the cars we do have to use, relegated to roads where their bulk and fumes aren't affecting anyone. Picking a fight with anyone not towing the party line is stupid, and should be below this community.
"Mainstream trend of all cars bad" which mainstream is that? Because last I checked Australia, Canada, the US and the UK are all still extremely car centric. This also completely ignores the fact that it is car centrism that causes the disregard for pedestrians and people on bikes. Finland and Denmark certainly don't seem to have an abundance of poeple developing bike blindness and they have mixed traffic zones all over the place.
No evidence for my claim, however I think a lot of the not noticing bikes while driving is just an expectations thing. People expect large metal boxes with 4+ wheels barreling down the place. They don't expect something smaller, with fewer wheels, and in some cases completely silent. Because they don't expect it, they don't process it.
What's this mean? Well, for one it means we don't simply "ignore" people on bikes. That's a facet of our limited attention and expectations. It also means this trend can be changed. If we condition people to expect and look out for bikes/motorcycles, people will probably be FAR less likely to not see them.
You are absolutelt right. There is at least a study that proved that drivers who also use bicycles are better at noticing stuff. The rationale would be that if you are also a cyclist you know thst the road is not only used by cars.
If you are interested I can problably find that study.
I CAN’T HELP IT UR HONOR! MY BRAIN JUST DOESN’T SEE BIKES! IT’S SIMPLE BIOLOGY REALLY!
No what I hate about bikes besides everyone saying it doesn't happen is them not following the rules of the road
Man, if only they had like a place to fuck off to, so they don't have to be on the road... Maybe like an area completely off the street? COUGHS IN DUTCH
like not parking or driving in the bike lanes ? Like not speeding on every street because of the "cushion" ?
like driving without a license ? or insurance ?
oh you were whining about the human powered vehicle not the one the needs gas/coal/oil. My bad.
This comic is woefully inaccurate. There's no way there are three people in that car. Also it's not a car, it's an SUV or a truck.
Reminds me of my bike messenger days.