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Somewhere in Porter Square, there's a very angry man who rides a bicycle
By adamg on Fri, 06/11/2010 - 11:21pm
Today's tale of bicycling angst - involving two guys who did NOT collide - comes to us courtesy of Salon.com:
... "F--- YOU!" he screams at me. Just like that. Then he pedals away.
"What?" I pedal after him. "Hey, man, wait a minute, hang on. It was an accident. I said I was sorry."
He stops, steps from his bike, and walks toward me. He's red-faced and fuming. "F--- YOU, asshole!" he yells. "Can't you ride a f----- bike? What are you f----- stupid, riding on the sidewalk?" His helmet has gone crooked and salvos of spittle are shooting from his mouth. He looks fiendishly, electrically angry. ...
Via Cambridge Day.
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Comments
Yeah, well, don't ride your
Yeah, well, don't ride your bike on the sidewalk, asshole. SideWALK, not sideRIDE.
I don't get the indignation
Wasn't the crazy guy ALSO riding on the sidewalk?
I wasn't specific in my ire;
I wasn't specific in my ire; both of them are assholes.
I was taught that you walk your bicycle to the rack from the road. I am quite stupid though.
Sidewalk of strip shopping center, not street
He's talking about the sidewalk that's between the parking lot and the stores of the Porter Square Shopping Center. This sidewalk has lots of bike racks on it, so people tend to ride on it a fair amount.
This is the problem with cyclists....
They always whine about not being respected when riding, but want to have 8 different sets of rules to govern them. Bikes are suppose to be ridden on the road and obey traffic laws. Not on the sidewalk because it is convenient. They also aren't allowed to run read lights if the feel like it, or ignore people in crosswalks.
Whenever a cyclist gets hit in an accident, part of the reason why is always because no one has any clue what to expect from them since each has their own set of rules.
Heres the crazy part about
Heres the crazy part about bikes: Theyre not cars, trucks, motor bikes or pedestrians, so yes, they have their own unique set of rules!
And the rules even say that they may act like a car, when they want (take full lane), or act like a pedestrian if they want (use sidewalks in most places, make pedestrian lefts). Makes sense, considering they can act like both (ride at 20mph or roll at 3mph)
Why is this a problem?
Trucks have their own set of rules too. Cant use this road, cant cross this bridge etc etc.
Not quite his point
His point was that each *biker* has their own set of rules they choose to ride by. Some act as if going the wrong way up a one-way is okay. Others act as if red lights and stop signs don't matter to them. Some act as if all of these examples are okay...others act as if none of them are correct riding.
Yes, there are some cars who drive the same...but they are much fewer and farther between.
Not what the rules say at all
Once again, consult Massbike.org before deciding whether or not a bike is a vehicle or a pedestrian. Answer: In nearly all but the most dire of circumstances, you and your bike are a VEHICLE and should abide by the rules for vehicular traffic. If there's a bike rack on the sidewalk, the best approach is to dismount and walk your bike over to the rack. Here's the sidewalk entry from MassBike's Same Roads, Same Rules section:
Myth: Riding on the sidewalk is where bikers are supposed to be/safer
Get on the sidewalk! (motorist to a cyclist)
I ride on the sidewalk because I am worried that riding in traffic is dangerous.
Reality: Riding on the sidewalk is a bad idea
1. Cyclists are legally vehicles; as such they have the full LEGAL right to use the road. This includes using the ENTIRE lane if they need to for safety reasons. Bikes are not holding up traffic, they are traffic.
2. Riding on the sidewalk might seem safe because there are no cars, but consider what is on the sidewalk. Opening doors (cars and buildings), people pulling out of driveways, turning cars that can’t see you (because when you are on the sidewalk you are often shielded from view by trees, parked cars, and other objects), pedestrians, skateboarders, strollers, dogs on leashes, bumps, roots, gaps, curbs, little kids, cats¦the list goes on and on. All these hazards can lead to a much less safe cycling experience.
3. If you are cycling on the sidewalk you should be going as slow as the slowest pedestrian.
4. It is hard to get going fast enough on a sidewalk to feel that good breeze. Why spend your whole time dodging fire hydrants when they’re miles of road waiting to be ridden on?
5. In many places in Massachusetts it is actually illegal to ride on the side walk. So if someone passes you in a car yelling get on the sidewalk it might be the same as screaming break the law! To find out if it is legal for you to ride on the sidewalk in your area contact your local government or police official.
Illegal to ride on sidewalk at this particular location
Regardless of the general Massachusetts laws, on this particular sidewalk it is illegal to ride your bicycle.
The reason: Cambridge bans riding on sidewalks in well-defined areas in each of their major "business districts."
This location lies within the Porter Square business district, as defined by the city's bicycle regulations, and hence the sidewalks are off-limits for riding. They're both wrong to be on the sidewalk there.
This sidewalk is on private property
specifically, that of the Porter Square Shopping Center. It adjoins the center's parking lot, not a street. It's up to the shopping center, not the city, to decide on the rules there.
Brave or foolish?
Before the bike-haters sign on, I'll say it -
My guess is that this was probably within a "business district" where, as we've all heard before, you're not permitted to ride on the sidewalk. There.
That said, talk about looking for trouble - you pedaled after this guy? That's like pulling up next to the crazy guy who has been road raging for the past five miles and saying, "you MF, you cut me off!" Stand up for yourself, but hell, following someone who is clearly off his rocker like that? This is still the city, man (even if you're on the "crunchy" side of it), where even slightly portly 50 somethings can do some serious damage.
NIce touch on the LED light, though.
Man...
Look, it sounds like the guy realized his mistake and tried to apologize for it. When you make an honest mistake, isn't that pretty much all you can do? Sure, it's up to the offended party to decide whether or not they want to accept that, but for God's sake, it's NOT okay, period, to continue to rail against the person and threaten them with physical violence. And from the entirety of the pilot's posting, it sounds like he basically has his head/heart/whatever in the right place, which is more than I can say for an idiot who feels no compunction about acting like an overwrought goon. Big tough guy; God I hate people like that. I don't ride my bike often for the very reason of stories like this-- everyone's ready to kill everyone else. People...
Riding and Righteousness
I was the author of that story.
Here's the deal: I sometimes ride on the sidewalk, yes, when I feel that a particular street/area is particularly hazardous. Aggressive drivers, convoluted intersections, etc., can make the sidewalk a better and safer option.
However, when I do opt for the sidewalk, I ride slowly and carefully, giving pedestrians a wide berth. I know that I'm not supposed to be there, and I do my best to be courteous.
On this particular occasion I made a mistake. I just as easily could have made such a mistake riding in the street. I apologized and no harm was done. But for the guy that wasn't enough. He responded with fizzing righteousness and threats of violence.
I am really disturbed by the number of people, on this and other forums, who tell me that I * deserved * this guy's over-the-top wrath.
Patrick Smith
Somerville
There are a lot ....
... of (seemingly) almost perpetually angry people who post on Universal Hub. Luckily there are also plenty of people who are (usually) reasonable. ;~}