Don't Get Violent, Don't Stoop to Their Level

Cyclists frequently threaten me. I've received death threats, cyclists have told my wife they are going to rape her. And that is just the beginning of the hate cyclists spew at those who disagree with them. Go back and ready every post on this blog. In all cases we at Spare the Road always preach safety and non-violence. One of the reasons we want to get cyclists off the roads is so we can create friendlier and safer streets for us all. Not everyone shares our view though. Violence against cyclists seems to be a growing trend. This is sad. Many people see no other choice but to resort to the same dirty and violent tactics cyclists do. Look, I get that it's a war out there. Cyclists are legislating themselves more and more power on the roads, including the power to kill others, and it's frustrating and scary out there for people with jobs, families, and lives. But we can do this non-violently. Call you local politicians and let them know you want cyclists off the streets. Stop with the violence please.

Kentucky Case Could Be Huge Step to Getting Cyclists Off the Streets

In Kentucky the unthinkable has happened, government officials have begun to consider that driving 30 MPH under the speed limit is dangerous, and illegal. A female cyclist, Cherokee Schill, has spent the past year riding her bike from Nicholasville to Lexington, KY every morning. She does so in the middle of the lane, during rush hour. From the article Schell is driving 18 miles in 90 minutes, or 12 MPH on a major US highway. Odds are the speed limit is between 45-55 MPH on that road. Common sense prevailed, for once, when it came to cyclists, and people begun to speak up. This lead to Schill being ticketed 3 times, and she is in court fighting for her right to cause massive traffic delays.

Truth be told Schill is not your average cyclists, she is not wearing spandex, and most of all she is actually going somewhere, to work, unlike most cyclists who are out on the roads solely to cause clog streets and run red lights.  Even so, she is still going out of her way to cause traffic issues by riding on main, high speed, high traffic roads and doing so slowly and in the middle lane. She also couldn’t wait to run to the news outlets and whine that county officials were trying to promote safety art her expense. It’s still “Look at me!”.

This case could have huge implications on cyclists riding on the streets, not just in this country but around the country. Jessamine County Attorney Brian Goettl had this to say, "It just creates a very dangerous situation when you've got somebody on a bike that's difficult to see to begin with, on a very highly traveled road, with significant speeds and a lot of people don't pay attention to what they should be while driving, so it all compounds itself." He is currently trying to get a judge to ban Schill from riding on the highway until the case goes to court in August. The judge denied the request, but it is far from over. Even cycling advocates admit this case could have lasting impact on road cycling across the country. Here’s to hoping common sense prevails. If Jessamine County can get this woman off their streets, there is hope for all of us.

Link: http://www.wkyt.com/news/headlines/Jessamine-Co-bicyclist-charged-with-reckless-driving-sparks-court-case-257068461.html

Cyclists Pitch Fit Over Being Treated Equal

A South Carolina state representative tried to propose legislation that would give cyclists what they claim to want, the same treatment as other vehicles on the roads. Of course cyclists were upset. Rep. Wendy Nanney from Greenvile proposed a bill that made cyclists get a license if they are over 15 and ride on roads with speed limits 35 MPH and over, in other words, common sense.

After cyclists bitched and moaned, and also probably threatened her, she withdrew the bill. Apparently there is an "action alert system" that sends out emails to local cyclists when someone is trying to make the road safer. Nothing and I mean nothing will keep a cyclist up at night like the thought of safer roads. A hungry child? A single mother with 3 kids who just got diagnosed with cancer? Genocide? Cyclists could care less. Safer roads? Send out that ACTION ALERT!!!!

Hopefully stories like this open your eyes. I've been telling you for years the power these nutjobs have when it comes to local politics and stacking the laws in their favor. In a matter of hours they got a bill for safer streets taken off the table.

Cyclists claim they want to share the road and abide by the same rules of the road as other vehicles. Of course this is a huge lie. They wants special treatment that lets them create havoc on the streets and bring traffic to a crawl. By being able to ride without a license they are more free to run red lights and break other laws. Not to mention they ride tax free on the roads.

Another shameful move by cyclists, and we let them get away with it.



Thanks to Myles for sending the link

http://www.thestate.com/2014/03/25/3347252/new-sc-bill-would-require-bicycle.html?sp=%2F99%2F205%2F&ihp=1

Top Gear UK Nails Cyclists on Running Red Lights

Anyone who has ever stopped at a red light knows that cyclists blow through them like a Kardashian at a pro basketball game. Top Gear UK came up with this great parody advertisement that blasts cyclists for being unsafe at traffic lights. Needless to say cyclists are upset over someone speaking the truth.

Spring Is Here, and So Are Cyclists.

March is here and with it comes spring, and sadly that means cyclists are about to hit the roads in full force. Yes, in the coming weeks prepare for traffic to be slowed to a crawl due to spandex warriors driving 20 MPH under the speed limit on major road ways while riding in the center of lanes. 

Most of the US experienced a particularly cold and eventful, weather-wise, winter. While cyclists do like to create havoc on the road, they also hate being cold, so while ice and snow were keeping drive times long and cars at a standstill, cyclists stayed home. But as the snow melts and temperatures rise, a nuisance even worse than ice and sleet will start affecting our roads. Atlanta was crucified by the media for the traffic jams created by a couple inches of snow and some ice, but what the media didn’t report is that the traffic in many areas is usually equally bad due to cyclists clogging up the streets. 

Be safe out there and we can only hope an abnormally warm summer is close behind and will sweat this menace off the streets by the end of May.

Cyclists Lose in VA

In most states, 40 actually, it is illegal to open your car door in the path of a cyclist. In Virginia it is not. In a shocking turn a bill to do just that, was defeated. It's been mentioned before, the cycling lobby rarely loses one of these battles.

Of course this mostly applies to areas where people park on the streets. Normally cyclists drive in the middle of lanes to maximize their effect on traffic, but in areas like these they all of the sudden want to hug the shoulder where people park. Of course this is because they are looking to get hit by a car door to further their cause and possibly collect from lawsuits.

Unfortunately for cyclists, Virginia has some members of their state legislator with brains who understand a vague law that automatically find the car at fault isn't something that should be passed. This is another example of cyclists looking for special treatment despite crying constantly they just want the same rights of the road as other vehicles.

Every day the rest of the wheeled worlds goes through the day trying to avoid having a parked car door get struck by a vehicle traveling down the road.. It requires both drivers to be paying attention and using common sense. Cyclists are disgusted by common sense, but also they do not want to be bothered with "paying attention" to anything other than trying to create havoc on the roads.

Glad to see some states are starting to wake up the the laws these cycling nuts are trying to get passed so they can make an even bigger mess on our nation's and state's roadways.

Link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/local/wp/2014/02/25/virginia-house-panel-again-shoots-down-bill-to-protect-cyclists-from-dooring/

More Cyclists in NYC Means Less Rule Breakers???

Cyclists in New York are getting better at following the rules, at least according to a study done by Peter Tuckel and William Milczarski of Hunter College at the City University of New York. This is confusing because, per cyclists, they were already following the rules. How could they get better at it?

The real interesting part is that the increase in rule following coincides with more people riding bikes in New York. So what’s at play here? A few things. One is an increase in women cyclists in the city. When we discuss what causes people to take up cycling; it is usually involves how cyclists are often sad, lonely individuals who resort to cycling as a way to empower themselves, by keeping people with actual lives from getting to places of importance. This applies mostly to men. And it is why men make up the majority of cyclists. Women who ride bikes are much more likely to do so for a real reason, either to exercise or to get from A to B. This makes them much more likely to cycle in a safe matter (like kids who ride bikes).

And that brings us to the main reason this has happened, this influx of new cyclists, aren’t real cyclists. These are people trying to get home to their family, or to work. And with traffic what it is in NYC, have taken to using a bike. Nothing like your average cyclists in the US or UK who is only out to slow traffic to a crawl.

More cyclists isn’t a good thing, but it is good that these new wavers are following the rules. NYC is one of the rare US cities that is a walking city. Certain areas of other cities are, but New York is one of the few where you don’t need a car to get around, and one of the few where something like this makes sense.  Unfortunately, in other cities we are still going to see the vast majority of cyclists be the kind we are used to, just out for a joy ride and trying to create as much havoc as possible on the roads. 

Links:

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2014/02/new-york-more-cyclists-has-led-better-biking-habits/8299/