Who has right of way?

[Kelpfish]

Bicycles here in CA think that they own the road, and that the rest of us are lucky they let us use them. I've had my share of issues with them when driving a car (got cited for crossing a double yellow when passing 3 of them abreast). N;ow I'm learning they're even worse around motorcycles.

Let me paint the picture here:

I'm coming up to a right turn, where I have right of way. One cyclist in the bike lane going in my direction, and I passed him about 50 yards before the turn. One is thinking about crossing in from of me, and another sitting WAY OUT in the middle of my right turn path. I signal, he stops, and the guy in the bike lane goes shooting between us! I swear, he had to speed up to get there so fast!

Who had right of way here? He would not have dreamed of speeding up to get between us if I was in my car.

<end of rant>

[Kelpfish]

Trish;

C'mon down onto the Peninsula, and they'll make you cringe. I used to live in La Honda, and the weekend warriors made me nuts. They came up from the the Palo Alto area, where everyone has a Prius in the driveway and a Suburban in the garage.

Friends have told me to not just "ride like they don't see you", but actually to "ride like they want to kill you". I guess cyclists around here have more respect for autos than MCs.

Lesson learned today. Don't like it, but lesson learned.

[ridley]

It stinks when others don't obey the rules of the road, kind of puts a crimp on your ride. And sometimes it's not the question of "who has the right of way" but rather giving the right of way to stay alive. No matter where you go, there's always going to be a driver (bike or auto) who feels they own the road, are late for a pointless destination and we're at their mercy. Go figure!!

[CieBme]

There are some of those moron bicyclists around here - but thankfully few and far between. Had a cluster of a.h.s riding this summer - about 20 or 30, and most were almost staggered to the right of the lane (on the traffic side of white line) ... the last two idiots thought there were somehow "blocking" for the pack of fools, so they rode in the middle of the road and squeezing onto the dashed yellow. Had it so f* up for so many miles (55 speed limit) and a caravan of angry vehicles waiting to pass the cluster f* that by the time I got alongside the two sobs, I truly wanted to throw something. Didn't. Held the anger in. Didn't honk. Didn't swerve - but I did ask God to give them a mighty dose of payback on the next five miles they had to ride. Rude and arrogant. Don't have to shop at Dick's for bike shorts to be a d*head, imho. When I come up fast behind someone (we have a lot of steep and twisty back roads) I give a gentle toot to make sure the person isn't startled by me. If it's one or two I pull way back and bide my time before passing. If it's one of those "gotta prove how good we are" packs, I just do my best to dial back my thoughts. All that's whether I'm on two or four.

For the most part, though, the local cyclists are awesome road partners ... I'm more than willing to throw a hand up to a neighbor.

[CieBme]

That's all the "passive aggressive" thoughts I try to curtail!!

The other day Hubby was following me down 288 to head through Richmond ... we were minding our own p's and q's and a moron in a small red car squeezed between us - caused Hubby to lock it up and skid about 100' or more... I couldn't even see him... I slowed to 45 on the highway and that idiot wouldn't even pass me then... I almost got over in the passing lane to ride beside them - if I ever had to do it again I'm afraid I might!! But - around here you have so many *blank* *blank* gang bangers ... anyway --- He was furious ... I was furious ... and the worse part - there wasn't an exit for a few miles! Hubby was even more furious because he thought THEY slowed to 45 - he couldn't see me! I did the wrong thing by slowing down (I could've been the skid mark! ) - but I'm sure it made them think about what game they were playing.

Situation like that (being passive aggressive and then getting run over) reminds me of the story my dad used to tell about an old bear walking on the railroad tracks. A train was coming up from behind. All the hunters pondered what was the last thing that went through the poor old bear's brain before he died ...

... his bear a$$.

Not ever intending on that being me!

[softail02]

My oldest sister who has been into bicycling in a major way for 35 years was reading some of my motorcycling magazines (AMA mostly) last month when she visited. She was amazed at all the traffic safety articles and rules she found in the magazines. Noticed how many of them would also pertain to bicyclists.

When I told her that the MSF Riders classes also taught traffic safety, she was surprised, thought it just taught the mechanics of mc riding.
Said a class like that is what they needed for bicycling.

I know the groups that ride out of our local bicycle shops definantely need to learn how to run and blend with traffic. They totally screw up traffic every week at the major intersection where the bicycle shop is.

[Angelfire36]

There's just no reason why we can't all share the road. Cars, MCs, and Bicycles. I always try to give bicyclists and pedestrians the right of way. I find a little courtesy and communication goes a long way. If I'm coming up on a turn and there's a bicycle there, I'll come up beside them and smile and say "go ahead" or gesture to them to ride on while I slow down. We have a few bicyclists around here, but large groups are not common. When I'm out riding, I'll wave at the bicyclists too, I can imagine they have alot of the same problems we have with cars not seeing them and crowding them on the road. The way I see it, It's us against them (the cars) and we are in this together. I am from the Bay Area and I remember how much in a hurry everyone was. And they still are, as I learned when we went back to visit and went up to Alice's Restaurant last summer. I haven't been tailgated like that since, well, since I lived in the Bay Area! I got used to it again after awhile, but it got on my nerves at first. Definitely have to be super defensive there.