Holy shit, bro! Were you late to whatever super-fucking important thing that asshole terrorist cyclist was keeping you from getting to in a timely fashion? Did you only get to sit for 10 seconds at that red light instead of 30?
Bonus points for the barely stealth "I hope you die" comment.
For enjoying an above intelligence, the Portland populous is quite slow to accept the fact there will be cyclists on the road at all times. Even the busy ones.
For every cyclist I see holding up traffic on 39th or Powell or MLK, (which, I agree, is unsafe and generally creates animosity towards all cyclists)... I see a hundred cars zooming recklessly through the bike blvds like Lincoln/Salmon/Clinton, etc... so that they can avoid congestion.
It's awesome that bikes can take the lane. Doesn't mean it's always appropriate to do so. There are plenty of gaps around town that aren't great for cycling-- PBOT calls these "difficult connections" on their bike route maps-- and that's when it's really great to have the law on your side.
But when I see someone enduring what is certainly a miserable commute down MLK or whatever on a bike, causing a rolling traffic jam behind them and acting as if they don't notice-- I've got to assume they're either an idiot, or they're an asshole.
We built these bike lanes, bike boulevards, multi-use-paths, even protected bikeways, and by and large they're awesome. But that small percentage of people refuses to take advantage of this stuff. If they're actively trying to prove a point, they're not changing anyone's minds. I'd argue that they're doing a better job of making all cyclists look bad.
The difficult connections are when it makes the most sense to take the lane. Trying to laneshare when there's no proper shoulder and the traffic is like 35mph+ is more dangerous than slowing people down and making them pass you in the other lane.
I recently moved AND switched jobs. No longer working downtown means that about half of my bike commute is a "difficult connection". I dislike it, but infrastructure seems to be focused on getting people downtown.
If you want my ass off of SE 11th, advocate for better bike infrastructure.
SE 11th is smack dab in the middle of bike-accommodation-land. I'd have much more sympathy if you said SE 111th. People in this town are spoiled rotten.
Actually, it isn't always legal. You are only supposed to take the lane if a shoulder or bike lane or sidewalk is unavailable. Then you are supposed to ride as far to the right as you can. State law says you are supposed to avoid hindering the speed of traffic.
Disastronaut, the point isn't that the cyclist held up this one guy, but that he probably held up 40 to 50 such people. It is an incredibly selfish and entitled thing to do for narcissistic people who can't weigh their own importance against dozens of others.
I drive and I also ride a bike. When I drive I try to avoid bike arrow roads but I also am not the guy that will sit on !-5 for an hour during rush hour or take three lights to make it a block on Powell or wherever. When I drive on bike routes I don't run bikes off the road freaking out to get around them, they have every right to be there. When I ride my bike I like to take a route that avoids traffic. Why ride on some busy ass street when you can go a block or two away and actually go faster without worrying about getting ran over? If you are stuck on a street without bike lanes why not jump on the sidewalk for a hundred feet if nobody is on it to let the cars pass you? Who wants to ride down the street with a line of cars on their ass? I ride like a car if for some reason I am downtown at the wrong time because I can go as fast as the traffic does and it's not legal to ride on the sidewalks because they are full of people. If I end up somewhere like Columbia I'm going to ride on the sidewalks because usually nobody is using them. I don't see why so many people have such a hard time with this stuff.
Did you actually type out a verbal pause? Doesn't matter, you can stay as ignorant as you like but you can still get ticketed for driving too slow. uh, FYI.
Bonus points for the barely stealth "I hope you die" comment.
the wind is blowing to the north, northwest
it smells like sands of the southern island
when a black cat crosses my path
Get with the program.
But when I see someone enduring what is certainly a miserable commute down MLK or whatever on a bike, causing a rolling traffic jam behind them and acting as if they don't notice-- I've got to assume they're either an idiot, or they're an asshole.
We built these bike lanes, bike boulevards, multi-use-paths, even protected bikeways, and by and large they're awesome. But that small percentage of people refuses to take advantage of this stuff. If they're actively trying to prove a point, they're not changing anyone's minds. I'd argue that they're doing a better job of making all cyclists look bad.
If you want my ass off of SE 11th, advocate for better bike infrastructure.
Disastronaut, the point isn't that the cyclist held up this one guy, but that he probably held up 40 to 50 such people. It is an incredibly selfish and entitled thing to do for narcissistic people who can't weigh their own importance against dozens of others.
But no, I didn't write this.
Do you not care/acting oblivious? Check.
Are you smug? Check.
Worldstar! Thee end.
Did you actually type out a verbal pause? Doesn't matter, you can stay as ignorant as you like but you can still get ticketed for driving too slow. uh, FYI.
VOTE NO!*
*on fluoride chemicals