Let's be clear, I was talking about the entitlement mentality displayed by some motorists and some cyclists. I really wasn't thinking of anyone in this discussion. But if I looked hard enough, I could probably find it. (But I'm not looking, so that's not what I'm talking about.)
I rode my cheap piece of junk bike for years. I didn't even own my own car in college until my junior year, so I know about riding in a major city, dealing with cars and bikes sharing the road. I don't think I've ridden 100K miles, maybe if you count all the time I was a kid being on the go from when I left the house in the morning until sunset. I think I've done about 10 miles of biking this summer, on dedicated bike trails, on a $200 bike I got back in 1996 that keeps on rolling. So those are my qualifications for this discussion.
Things may be a little tougher today compared to 1983, but what do I know? I know I see the folks riding on the road I mentioned before, sometimes single file, sometimes in a gaggle. I've lived here for over three years and I've yet to see a cyclist stop at the four-way stop. I have seen some close calls, and none would have been the fault of the motorist.
I don't know what's happened since 1983 when I went off to college to cause cyclists to no longer feel they have to follow traffic signals, but something has changed, and it's going to get someone killed.
Combine one of those not following the laws with some passenger behind the wheel too involved in her phone conversation or parenting their child in the back seat and you have the makings of a tragedy.
The entitlement mentality of both those who are passengers behind the wheel and/or that of those who feel they don't have to follow the traffic laws on their cycles will get someone killed.
Originally Posted By: JOD
Originally Posted By: javacontour
The rules/laws differ from state to state. If you read the IL Rules of the Road for bicyclists, it's clear they have to follow traffic laws which includes stop signs, give signals, etc, AND ride in a single file line. No riding side by side, no riding in the middle of the lane unless temporarily to avoid debris or hazards such as a storm drain.
As has been stated before, it's not the bicyclist or the motorist that is getting the animosity. It's the entitlement mentality displayed by SOME examples from each side of the discussion.
So the problem isn't about bicycles or cars. It's about selfish people who believe they are entitled to do as they please without regard to those around them.
I agree with your basic point (though you can ride double file in IL by law, as long as you aren't impeding traffic), but again I'd implore you to provide an example of anyone on this thread (namely me since I'm the only one responding) demonstrating an "entitlement attitude". I made it very clear in my first postthat I make it a point to ride in a courteous manner--and that sometimes, I'm going going to ride in the middle of the road if my safety is a concern--as is my right within the law. Somehow, following the law is seem as "entitlement" by some. I'm having a very difficult time with that concept. Some on this thread have made it clear that a cyclist shouldn't follow the law, based on what they feel, or feel its appropriate to endanger a cyclist because they're mad at them. That to me is unconscionable, but seems to be thrown around in a cavalier manner.
The other thing that really needs to be addressed is the business of 'staying as far to the right as practical'. The fact is, you aren't necessarily going to see the same hazards as a cyclist unless you're on a bike. So as I've said before, some people may be riding in the middle of the road because they're idiots--and they frustrate me as much as you. Others are avoiding junk in the road or staying away from car doors, avoiding obstacles that you may not necessarily see.
I'd simply ask for people to open their eyes a little more, and understand that a cyclist is a lot more vulnerable than a driver cloaked in a 2 ton shield. Car doors, road debris and shoulder conditions are a lot bigger hazard than some realize, as are cars trying to pass when they don't have the adequate room to do so.
