login
I saw a stupid cyclist this morning
-
No new posts
|
 2009-07-15 11:34 AM |
Champion  8766       Evergreen, Colorado |  Subject: I saw a stupid cyclist this morningI saw a stupid cyclist this morning. I was doing an out and back. I was on the "back" portion when I see this guy riding in the opposite direction. He's on the correct side of the road but...NO HELMET. I think to myself, "Stupid cyclist." He apparently had the same out/back idea because eventually he comes up behind me. Still wearing no helmet and I think, "Stupid cyclist." I can see him ahead of me and I see him cross the road to the left hand side. There's a cross street just ahead of him so I figure he must live down it. Except he bypasses it...and is riding down the wrong side of the road. And I think to myself, "Stupid cyclist." Then he bypasses the next cross street. Still riding the wrong way. AND a third one. Finally ducks in at a parking lot of a corner shopping center after going more than half a mile down the wrong side of the street. I'm still riding on the right hand side and I come up to the light at this corner shopping plaza, look behind me and cross over to the left turn lane. It's clear and I have a green arrow so I make my left hand turn. Some idiot on the other side of the intersection is making a right on red (while I have a green arrow). He isn't even looking at me. I flow in behind him but have to work to make it happen...apparently he was too impatient to wait for all of our turning traffic to go through...because yes, I'm not the only one making a left. Okay, back to stupid cyclist. I make the left and THERE HE IS. Stupid cyclist now riding on the wrong side of THIS road. It appears he did all this riding on the wrong side of the road so he would not have to make a left hand turn on a protected green arrow. WTF? Last I saw him he was swerving around (near oncoming traffic of course...becasue he's on the wrong side of the road) trying to get across the street to the correct side again. I'm not sure WHY things like this irk me so badly...they just do. |
| 2009-07-15 11:40 AM in reply to: #2287012 |
Pro 4612 MA | Subject: RE: I saw a stupid cyclist this morning jldicarlo - 2009-07-15 12:34 PM I saw a stupid cyclist this morning. I was doing an out and back. I was on the "back" portion when I see this guy riding in the opposite direction. He's on the correct side of the road but...NO HELMET. I think to myself, "Stupid cyclist." He apparently had the same out/back idea because eventually he comes up behind me. Still wearing no helmet and I think, "Stupid cyclist." I can see him ahead of me and I see him cross the road to the left hand side. There's a cross street just ahead of him so I figure he must live down it. Except he bypasses it...and is riding down the wrong side of the road. And I think to myself, "Stupid cyclist." Then he bypasses the next cross street. Still riding the wrong way. AND a third one. Finally ducks in at a parking lot of a corner shopping center after going more than half a mile down the wrong side of the street. I'm still riding on the right hand side and I come up to the light at this corner shopping plaza, look behind me and cross over to the left turn lane. It's clear and I have a green arrow so I make my left hand turn. Some idiot on the other side of the intersection is making a right on red (while I have a green arrow). He isn't even looking at me. I flow in behind him but have to work to make it happen...apparently he was too impatient to wait for all of our turning traffic to go through...because yes, I'm not the only one making a left. Okay, back to stupid cyclist. I make the left and THERE HE IS. Stupid cyclist now riding on the wrong side of THIS road. It appears he did all this riding on the wrong side of the road so he would not have to make a left hand turn on a protected green arrow. WTF? Last I saw him he was swerving around (near oncoming traffic of course...becasue he's on the wrong side of the road) trying to get across the street to the correct side again. I'm not sure WHY things like this irk me so badly...they just do. Coz they give cyclists a bad name and *we* suffer due to that. |
| 2009-07-15 11:46 AM in reply to: #2287012 |
| 95 | Subject: RE: I saw a stupid cyclist this morning This reminds me of Mall Rats. "The kid is BACK on the escalator!" Some people just do stupid things that give us all a bad name. |
| 2009-07-15 11:51 AM in reply to: #2287012 |
Elite 2998 Fishers, Indiana | Subject: RE: I saw a stupid cyclist this morning It bothers me too. I actually yell at people like this. I don't yell things like "stupid cyclists" (though that's what I'm thinking. I yell things like "It's against the law to ride against traffic and you might get killed." But, I'm also the person that has no problem swimming directly into the teenagers who have half the pool to play in, but think it's okay to goof off in my lap lane. It must be the MP in me, but I have no problem directly confronting people I don't know if they are disobeying a law, protocol, procedures, etc. Doesn't mean they'll change, but at I figure I at least address the issue because maybe it was they just didn't know....and knowing is half the battle!  |
| 2009-07-15 11:57 AM in reply to: #2287089 |
Champion 8540 the colony texas | Subject: RE: I saw a stupid cyclist this morning sorry my bad  it irks me also, I'll ask them if they realize they took off without their helmet since I've done that, got 5-10 min down the road and realize it |
| 2009-07-15 12:26 PM in reply to: #2287012 |
Expert 606 Lakeville, MN | Subject: RE: I saw a stupid cyclist this morning Was he wearing headphones?... |
| 2009-07-15 12:57 PM in reply to: #2287012 |
Master 1359 South of SLC | Subject: RE: I saw a stupid cyclist this morning I hade another cyclist try a u-turn in front of me this morning AFTER I had yelled "On Your Left" when I went for the pass. I came about three centimeters from t-boning her. Of course she was wearing headphones and said she didn't hear me. I just smiled and thought of BT...then used the adreneline to ride really fast... Mike |
| 2009-07-15 1:13 PM in reply to: #2287012 |
Expert 1170 Southern Pines, NC | Subject: RE: I saw a stupid cyclist this morning If he's riding the wrong direction, there's nothing a helmet will do to help him in a collision with a several-thousand-pound vehicle traveling at speed... This is one of those examples of smart riding being far more protective than any helmet. |
| 2009-07-15 1:13 PM in reply to: #2287197 |
| New user 476 | Subject: RE: I saw a stupid cyclist this morning cooutdoors - 2009-07-15 1:26 PM Was he wearing headphones?... LOL This was exactly what I was thinking when I clicked on the thread! Too funny. |
| 2009-07-15 2:28 PM in reply to: #2287282 |
Expert 1049 Burnaby, BC | Subject: RE: I saw a stupid cyclist this morning Rollin' Thunder - 2009-07-15 10:57 AM I hade another cyclist try a u-turn in front of me this morning AFTER I had yelled "On Your Left" when I went for the pass. I came about three centimeters from t-boning her. Of course she was wearing headphones and said she didn't hear me. I just smiled and thought of BT...then used the adreneline to ride really fast... Mike With a name like Rollin' Thunder you should have just plowed through leaving a pile of debris in your wake! |
| 2009-07-15 2:40 PM in reply to: #2287012 |
Expert 640 Sun Prairie, WI | Subject: RE: I saw a stupid cyclist this morning For some reason Darwin's survival of the fittest comes to mind. He will eventually be extinct, however he will give all cyclists a bad name in the mean time. |
| 2009-07-15 2:54 PM in reply to: #2287053 |
Expert 1394 Wilmington, NC | Subject: RE: I saw a stupid cyclist this morning andysrc - 2009-07-15 12:46 PM This reminds me of Mall Rats. "The kid is BACK on the escalator!" Some people just do stupid things that give us all a bad name. I actually drove out to a county park/lake to ride this morning. This area is used by lots of cyclists but it is a bit country and has twisting, rolling roads. I am about 1 mile from the entrance and 2 cyclists are headed towards me riding 2 abreast with about 4 cars lined up waiting to pass them. Seriously people. I believe we have a right to the road, but be considerate to drivers if you want them to return the favor as opposed to mowing you down. Out on the country roads do you really think the redneck in his jacked truck i snot going to buzz you when you are 2 abreast and causing traffic to wait on you. Cyclists can irk m ejust as much as cars because they often cause cars to get pissed at us. |
| 2009-07-15 3:03 PM in reply to: #2287574 |
Elite 3395 Raleigh | Subject: RE: I saw a stupid cyclist this morning GRB1 - 2009-07-15 2:40 PM For some reason Darwin's survival of the fittest comes to mind. He will eventually be extinct, however he will give all cyclists a bad name in the mean time. And probably not before passing on the defective genes to some equally inept offspring. |
| 2009-07-15 3:12 PM in reply to: #2287012 |
Master 3127 Sunny Southern Cal | Subject: RE: I saw a stupid cyclist this morning All cyclists are stupid. They should get off the road. |
| 2009-07-15 3:30 PM in reply to: #2287012 |
Expert 1007 Missouri | Subject: RE: I saw a stupid cyclist this morning Serious question about this - |
.| 2009-07-15 3:40 PM in reply to: #2287729 |
Expert 1049 Burnaby, BC | Subject: RE: I saw a stupid cyclist this morning soccermom15 - 2009-07-15 1:30 PM Serious question about this - To be a true WestCoastCyclist^TM you must hang the helmet from your handlebars. You then proceed to cross the street when traffic is busiest with little regard to traffic and ride the half mile swerving in all 5 lanes. When you get to the destination, cut across traffic again with the assumption that they will all slow down or stop for you. Ride the half mile on the sidewalk in first gear or go past your destination and turn around to go with traffic from there. |
| 2009-07-15 4:52 PM in reply to: #2287012 |
Lethbridge, Alberta Bronze member | Subject: RE: I saw a stupid cyclist this morning The riding sure sounds stupid, but it appears there are varying views on the helmet thing: http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk:8080/web/public.nsf/Documents/maxi-... http://www.cyclehelmets.org/index.html |
| 2009-07-15 6:10 PM in reply to: #2287012 |
Member 10 Carson | Subject: RE: I saw a stupid cyclist this morning I must say i feel your pain... I see people do the worst things (no helmet, wrong direction being one of them!), dont we all? I used to get a wild about things like that, but now i just let it slide, its their life not mine... As for crazy drivers, another sad thing, i just let it all slide, i rather alive than dead and right. Edited by tri1984 2009-07-15 6:10 PM |
| 2009-07-15 6:56 PM in reply to: #2287012 |
| Uxbridge | Subject: RE: I saw a stupid cyclist this morning This morning I was walking because I was injured in a cycling accident. I saw a young boy ride by on a bike without a helmet. I yelled"hey buddy" and he turned around. I proceeded to tell him that I was a cyclist who had had an accident last week and broke my jaw. I showed him my stitches in my face. He was impressed. I told him if I hadnt been wearing a helmet my brains would have been in the road. I asked him to go home and get a helmet. He smiled and turned around. I dont care what any article says...I know for a fact that having a helmet on made a difference for me. I will tell my story as often as possible....in hopes that it helps just one person! |
| 2009-07-15 7:17 PM in reply to: #2287674 |
| Veteran 294 Boston | Subject: RE: I saw a stupid cyclist this morning a) I don't understand that last comment about all cyclists being stupid...was that a joke? I mean considering the fact that this is a triathlon forum.. b) 'When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return. --Leonardi da Vinci' - This quote is awesome - I've never seen it before. (Sorry to get off topic but its hard to find great quotes that haven't banged you over the head a million times) c) I'm glad to see other people also nearly-intentionally swim into kids who decide to jump into your lane when you are clearly doing laps and while there is also a large portion of the pool dedicated to messing around - that really irks me. But cyclists not wearing helmets really bothers me (although I've contemplated it once when I left my helmet in China and didn't have enough money to buy a helmet for 5 days) and riding against traffic (assuming ignorance is probably not the reason for doing so) really bothers me too. I always try to concede to cars even if I have the right of way for the mere reason that I know that many cyclists do these kinds of things and thus many cars probably hate me just by association and I don't want to be the object of their frustration. |
| 2009-07-15 8:02 PM in reply to: #2288141 |
Elite 2998 Fishers, Indiana | Subject: RE: I saw a stupid cyclist this morning cam224 - 2009-07-15 7:17 PM a) I don't understand that last comment about all cyclists being stupid...was that a joke? I mean considering the fact that this is a triathlon forum.. b) 'When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return. --Leonardi da Vinci' - This quote is awesome - I've never seen it before. (Sorry to get off topic but its hard to find great quotes that haven't banged you over the head a million times) c) I'm glad to see other people also nearly-intentionally swim into kids who decide to jump into your lane when you are clearly doing laps and while there is also a large portion of the pool dedicated to messing around - that really irks me. But cyclists not wearing helmets really bothers me (although I've contemplated it once when I left my helmet in China and didn't have enough money to buy a helmet for 5 days) and riding against traffic (assuming ignorance is probably not the reason for doing so) really bothers me too. I always try to concede to cars even if I have the right of way for the mere reason that I know that many cyclists do these kinds of things and thus many cars probably hate me just by association and I don't want to be the object of their frustration. No, the poster that wrote that wrote it in the italic red whiche = sarcastic font. Truly, that is really what that means here on BT. So if you ever intend to write something sarcastic you can do it with html by putting sarc and /sarc in brackets [] |
| 2009-07-15 9:23 PM in reply to: #2287012 |
Master 1402 Highlands Ranch | Subject: RE: I saw a stupid cyclist this morning Perhaps a European? They use the other side of the road over there... |
| 2009-07-15 10:16 PM in reply to: #2287012 |
New user 99 Hendersonville, NC | Subject: RE: I saw a stupid cyclist this morning The only european countyr that does that is England. They drive on the left side, all other european contrys drive on the right side. |
 2009-07-16 6:46 AM in reply to: #2287012 |
| Subject: ... This user's post has been ignored. |
| 2009-07-16 12:20 PM in reply to: #2287547 |
| Master 1359 South of SLC | Subject: RE: I saw a stupid cyclist this morning daijoubu - 2009-07-15 1:28 PM Rollin' Thunder - 2009-07-15 10:57 AM I hade another cyclist try a u-turn in front of me this morning AFTER I had yelled "On Your Left" when I went for the pass. I came about three centimeters from t-boning her. Of course she was wearing headphones and said she didn't hear me. I just smiled and thought of BT...then used the adreneline to ride really fast... Mike With a name like Rollin' Thunder you should have just plowed through leaving a pile of debris in your wake! I took that name because when I started doing tris I was at about 210 -- the clydesdale division was awesome. But, over the last five years, I have lost enough weight so that I am usually running between 175 and 180. Tris are awesome. Mike |
|
|
|
|
View profile
Add to friends
Go to training log
Go to race log
Send a message
View album
CONNECT WITH FACEBOOK