Idiots riding, talking in cell phones, holding dog leashes, no helmets - what could possibly go wron

[mpre53]

Since I can't find how you embed a YouTube clip on this new platform, you'll have to rely on a link.

Headphones, checking texts, and generally "just ridin' along" in an organized ride with thousands of riders---pushing his 50-12 combo at about 15 rpms.

https://youtu.be/6cPRmD-Hbyk

 

[coffee_minion]

There are a lot of people who just don't seem to take cycling very seriously, and I have to say that I strongly believe that they are the reason that us cyclists in general get such a bad name among the motoring world. I can't believe the number of people who don't even bother to wear a helmet when they're riding, even though protecting your head is by far the most important thing that you should be doing on a bike. There are so many people who don't take it seriously, and this needs to change for sure. Always make sure that you're careful and sensible, as it could change your life one day.

I completely agree. Probably a lot of them don't wear helmets because they don't "look good" or ruins your hair, but I'd rather have helmet hair than be in the hospital for a serious injury.

 

[Jcycle]

That kind of behavior is just daft. Given enough time they will meet with disaster. Hopefully for them it wont be more serious than a learning experience and they will change their behavior.

 

[Froze]

Ask those people and they'll tell you nothing can go wrong...

Crazy? you want to hear crazy, I'll tell you crazy, I was driving my car in Columbus Ohio on the 270 last winter with some ice and slush on the road when I see one of those crotch rocket motorcycles doing about 70 on slush...that wasn't the crazy part, as crazy as that sounds, the crazy part was he was text messaging with his thumbs and steering with his elbows! I don't think he has or had a long life planned out for himself.

 

[mpre53]

I completely agree. Probably a lot of them don't wear helmets because they don't "look good" or ruins your hair, but I'd rather have helmet hair than be in the hospital for a serious injury.

Hospital bed hair is 100 times worse than helmet hair. So is having to use a drool cup to drink the rest of your life due to permanent brain damage.

 

[jbepp]

There are indeed a lot of things that could go wrong for us cyclists, but also for motorcyclists and drivers. I honestly don't understand how can you ride and talk on the phone at the same time, that's just asking for injuries or maybe something worse. I feel like the kind of cyclist that you mention are twhat give the other cyclist a bad name. They seem to think that cyclists don't have any rule whatsoever.

 

[Novelangel]

Driving any vehicle while distracted is a recipe for disaster. As if the dog on the leash isn't unpredictable enough, it becomes worse when you are giving your surroundings only a momentary bit of concentration and the rest of your focus is on your phone. Even the simple act of walking down a street can turn a person into a duck from the shooting gallery if that person is staring at a phone, texting while walking. Good way to become a brand new hood ornament on someone's old beater.

 

[Dilof]

The worst people are the ones who ride with no hands as if they're cool whilst having their music on full blast through a massive speaker placed on their thigh... Surprisingly a lot of these idiots in the UK.

 

[AryaSnark]

I can't wrap my head around the idea of talking on the phone while cycling - don't these people value their life? On top of thta, they never seem to be in such a hurry that they couldn't stop for a couple of mintues.
I might be very cautious, because I don't even listen to music or anything with headphones while riding. I don't like to loose the ability to hear anybody approachig from behind me, especially if I'm on the road and cars are around.

 

[sharkantropo]

The worst thing is that They are not going to stop until an accident actually happen, and It, hopefully, may never occur. The most you can do for them is to give a warning for the consequences of their idiotic behaviour when hitting the road.

 

[Jcycle]

Distracted cycling needs some regulation and stiff penalties. I say this because it negatively impacts the people around them in addition to being dangerous for the cyclist. No helmet, their problem. Talking on a phone, wearing headphones, etc...? That shouldn't be legal.

 

[Froze]

I had a guy jaw jacking on his cell phone while walking and he walked right out in front of my car, when I slammed on the brakes he then realized what he had done and the look of shock on his face was priceless but at least he wasn't lifeless.

 

[Jcycle]

I had a guy jaw jacking on his cell phone while walking and he walked right out in front of my car, when I slammed on the brakes he then realized what he had done and the look of shock on his face was priceless but at least he wasn't lifeless.

Distracted walking? LOL Some people truly amaze me.

 

[pwarbi]

This is something that annoys me aswell and cyclists aren't helping themselves. We're quick to complain about pedestrians stepping out in front of us and car drivers not paying attention, but when some are cycling round carelessly aswell, it paints a bad picture in the rest if us that do ride safely.

 

[Froze]

Distracted walking? LOL Some people truly amaze me.

I actually see this all the time on the bike path, walkers walking with their headphones on or yappin on their phone zigzagging back and forth across the path as if they're the only ones on the path, myself and others will be screaming to get the attention of these dopes and most of the time they don't hear us, then if I pass someone too close because they're zigging they'll flip me off like it's my fault for not paying attention even though it was me who was screaming for them to wake up that they never heard. I don't flip them back or say anything, sometimes if they're particularly vocal and are using sign language I'll laugh. It is funny how people think.

 

[Jcycle]

I actually see this all the time on the bike path, walkers walking with their headphones on or yappin on their phone zigzagging back and forth across the path as if they're the only ones on the path, myself and others will be screaming to get the attention of these dopes and most of the time they don't hear us, then if I pass someone too close because they're zigging they'll flip me off like it's my fault for not paying attention even though it was me who was screaming for them to wake up that they never heard. I don't flip them back or say anything, sometimes if they're particularly vocal and are using sign language I'll laugh. It is funny how people think.

I see this a lot as well. On a bike path I totally side with the cyclist. On a sidewalk however I don't. Cyclists should be on the road unless there is no other option but to be on the sidewalk, and even then they should probably dismount and walk the bike until it is safe to get back on the road. Don't get me wrong, the behavior of the pedestrians is equally annoying in both places, they just have right of way on a sidewalk. Pedestrians should yield on a bike path though.

 

[pwarbi]

For me, that's the whole point of having the different sections though. Roads, pavements and cycle paths, should be used by those they're put there for.

If a pedestrian gets run over by a car for stepping out into the road without looking then it's there own fault, not the car drivers. Often though, if they step into or walk in a cycle lane in front of a bike, it's the cyclists fault for not braking in time or going to fast. So what's the difference?

 

[Froze]

I see this a lot as well. On a bike path I totally side with the cyclist. On a sidewalk however I don't. Cyclists should be on the road unless there is no other option but to be on the sidewalk, and even then they should probably dismount and walk the bike until it is safe to get back on the road. Don't get me wrong, the behavior of the pedestrians is equally annoying in both places, they just have right of way on a sidewalk. Pedestrians should yield on a bike path though.

Unfortunately we had a dope for a bike path planner, I think he may had ADHD, anyway in one his genius moments he took the bike path and ran it onto a sidewalk in the heart of the city where peds are all over the place walking about, so it's the cyclist who has to watch out for them and ride real slow, but I just use the street. I don't care if the peds are yakking on the phone or listening to music on that section because it is actually a sidewalk for peds and not a bike path even though the signs say it's a bike path. Weird to explain.

 

[Froze]

For me, that's the whole point of having the different sections though. Roads, pavements and cycle paths, should be used by those they're put there for.

If a pedestrian gets run over by a car for stepping out into the road without looking then it's there own fault, not the car drivers. Often though, if they step into or walk in a cycle lane in front of a bike, it's the cyclists fault for not braking in time or going to fast. So what's the difference?

Unfortunately due to laws that if a bike path is constructed and signs erected stating it's a bike path the law permits peds to walk on it as well. Don't ask me why that is because I don't know, but I found this out in Santa Barbara Ca when they first put in the bike path along the ocean and peds galore started to use it, when I asked a city council member about it they said the law prohibits limiting a bike path to just bikes and has to allow peds but can exclude motor vehicles of any sort, and that same thing is true here in Fort Wayne In so I assume it's true everywhere. So I resort to riding on the street if the bike path is too congested with peds which kind of defeats the purpose of having a bike path which is what pisses me off about bike paths in that I pay taxes to have one only to find myself using the street because the peds have taken it over even though they have a sidewalk on the street that I have ride my bike on that they could be walking on!! ARGH!!!

 

[pwarbi]

There been a long running debate as to whether pedestrians are allowed to use cycle lanes or not, especially here in the UK.

From what I gather, a pedestrian is only allowed to use a cycle lane if they haven't got a pavement to walk on, just like a cyclist should only use the road if there isn't a cycle lane provided, but that might not be the case in every country.