Awareness Test

RedSHED · 03-14-2008, 10:53 PM

There are a couple of blogs I visit sorta' regularly, and today, one of them had this link to an Awareness Test. It's actually a PSA, and since we're getting into travel season, quite the timely little gem.

safari57 · 03-14-2008, 11:41 PM

Well, it got me.

This is good.

Thanks,
Barry

Fyrzowt · 03-15-2008, 12:23 AM

Me too.

I ride a bit too, and always try to be curteous to bikes. It really burns me up when you get a group of riders that insist on riding in a group in the lane and won't move over for cars. Maybe it's just a California thing?
Dave

henw · 03-15-2008, 04:48 AM

Great test. I cycle the road several times/week. I can't tell you how much it burns me when incredibly rude and impatient motorists are out and about.

Tom

Alumatube · 03-15-2008, 05:50 AM

What gets me are the bicyclists who insist on riding on roads that are in no way amenable to bikes and cars together (twisty, hilly, no-shoulder, small-lane roads), and they ride in the middle of the lane. Imagine your shock as you, going the speed limit, come around a tight curve or over a tall hill and there is a bicycle immediately in your sights! I ride a bike and know well how to share a lane in my car, but I don't bicycle roads that are just stupid dangerous for bicyclists to ride on, no matter how "fun" or "challenging" they are for the rider.

Bicyclists MUST share the road as well. It's a give and take situation and should never be entirely on the automobile driver, but unfortunately, many bicyclists don't see it that way.

Susan

Jaxon · 03-15-2008, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fyrzowt

Me too.
I ride a bit too, and always try to be curteous to bikes. It really burns me up when you get a group of riders that insist on riding in a group in the lane and won't move over for cars. Maybe it's just a California thing?
Dave

Nope... it's not just a California thing... I've seen some riders taking up a full lane in morning traffic. Cars backed up with some drivers getting increasing... uh.. frustrated. I've had the same thing happen that Susan described - out on a winding, hilly country road, taking the turn and coming up on a couple riding their bikes in the middle of the road. Thank god I wasn't going fast.

Sharing the road is indeed a shared responsibility.

balrgn · 03-15-2008, 07:32 AM

Got 12 passes, no bear till I watched it again....
Here too, we have groups of cycles that tend to take up the road. No choice in most cases, narrow roads. I find it is not so much the "packs" that cause a problem but the 2's and 3's that like to ride side by each.

I have ridden for years and have had my share of

, that was close!

jdalrymple · 03-15-2008, 07:34 AM

I didn't notice the PSA, or even try to count the passes, I was waiting on the moster/scary pic to jump out and scream at me...

markdoane · 03-15-2008, 08:15 AM

We have a critical mass of bicyclists, and sometimes they get downright unruly.

If this hasn't happended yet in your city, it will soon.

Jaxon · 03-15-2008, 10:50 AM

Several years ago, a group of riders did something similar during morning rushhour traffic on Lamar Blvd. (a major street here). Rather than garner sympathy for their cause, it seemed to backfire and garnered instead, a boatload of resentment to say the least.

When I first learned how to ride a bike, I learned pretty quickly you don't play chicken with a car... highway road rage is provoked for things a lot less meaningful!

safari62 · 03-15-2008, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alumatube

What gets me are the bicyclists who insist on riding on roads that are in no way amenable to bikes and cars together (twisty, hilly, no-shoulder, small-lane roads), and they ride in the middle of the lane. Imagine your shock as you, going the speed limit, come around a tight curve or over a tall hill and there is a bicycle immediately in your sights! I ride a bike and know well how to share a lane in my car, but I don't bicycle roads that are just stupid dangerous for bicyclists to ride on, no matter how "fun" or "challenging" they are for the rider.

Bicyclists MUST share the road as well. It's a give and take situation and should never be entirely on the automobile driver, but unfortunately, many bicyclists don't see it that way.

Susan

I think this post exposes your preference for being behind the wheel and not on the bike. Sharing means bikes can use the road also and not just the edge of the road, espesially on a small country road where a bike can get up the speed. Why should the rider try to stay close to the edge and risk going off the edge and crashing just to make room for the motorist?
and if you are travelling at a speed around a corner where you may not be able to react to something around that curve you are probably going too fast.
It is an odd phenomema the makes the driver of a large vehicle more aggressive towards bicycles, and even smaller cars and motorcycles. Even if you do not ride a bicycle, Just drive around a small car for one day and feel what it is like to be undersized.
I say check your own attitude while driving as you come upon a bicyclist next time....feeling a little aggressive and put upon because they are on YOUR road?
that is the problem.
And stupid dangerous is trying to pass when there is not enough room....too close to the rider, or at a upcoming hill in the lane of other cars. Want to see STUPID? ride on a bike and watch the drivers.
But why should the vehicle have to WAIT? They own the road after all!

cooperhawk · 03-15-2008, 11:03 AM

A couple of years ago they resurfaced the highway where we live and paved a wide shoulder. We usually have bikers on the road every day, even in the Winter, and it gets to be a real pain.

Once they paved the shoulder we thought that would solve the problem, but nay, nay. Now they like to ride three and four abreast and take up not only the shoulder, but spill into the lane as well. And they call us Rude!

Here we have bike rallys that put these people on our roads all weekend in the summer.

We don't like it!!!

safari62 · 03-15-2008, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cooperhawk

A couple of years ago they resurfaced the highway where we live and paved a wide shoulder. We usually have bikers on the road every day, even in the Winter, and it gets to be a real pain.

Once they paved the shoulder we thought that would solve the problem, but nay, nay. Now they like to ride three and four abreast and take up not only the shoulder, but spill into the lane as well. And they call us Rude!

Here we have bike rallys that put these people on our roads all weekend in the summer.

We don't like it!!!

How much does that actually happen?
The bike lane. I suppose if you see the town work crew sweeping the lane in spring you will complain about that too. Oh yea, where all the glass, sand and gravel is pushed. Bike lanes are part of the answer, but attitudes like this are the problem, not that more people are riding bikes.
The driver has a steeling wheel, brakes and an accelerator to go around the bicyclist. But why bother doing that if they are on your road. Just drive real close and let them know who's boss.
that's not rude.

safari57 · 03-15-2008, 11:26 AM

So, about that bear.

I found it interesting that none of the folks I sent it to picked up on it either until another look. At first I thought the second showing was a trick one so I went back out and logged back in again and sure enough, there it is.

Dang, if it had been a dog or kid I might just have missed them.

I do know a bunch of years ago I was driving my very lowered '64 Chevelle SS on the highway and the truck in front of us suddenly lost his entire exhaust from the front of the muffler to the rear differential. With a car on my left and a semi on my right I was a bit distracted as the car in particular was weaving over my way a bit and suddenly it was "bang". Tore the oil pan right off. The truck guy glanced in the mirror and kept right on going.

This is a good reminder that there is a lot more going on and we get lulled while driving down the road.

Barry