I have never heard or read about a pedestrian watching another pedestrian do something stupid and say: this makes us all pedestrians look bad! You mostly only hear this about cyclists.

Driving home from work today on local roads I saw maybe 5 or 6 cyclist. How many cars did I see? Maybe close to 100. How many drivers did bad moves? A lot, maybe 50% or more so no I don’t get pissed because there is so many of them. Now all you need is one of the five cyclist to do something stupid. Do you get what the OP is trying to say?

That the OP is a cunt who has never ridden a bike and thus hates all bikers?

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http://www.jt10000.com/

I think your thread title is misleading.

Bad cyclists don't make the rest of us look bad. However, they are used as a weapon by those trying to generalise about cyclists. The willingness to be prejudiced is the problem, but that's not specific to driving/cycling.

It may seem like I'm going a tangent but I don't think It's gotten worse everywhere in recent years, due in large part to the availability of broader communication via social media and "news" dissemination that's heavily influenced by feeding consumers what they want at the expense of balance, or even the truth in extreme cases.
This is patently obvious in certain spheres such as discussions about US poilitics, religion, and Brexit. It's a very worrying trend IMO. Democracy isn't so great. It may be the least bad system of government but it's very vulnerable to an ignorant mob mentality.

THIS.

And I feel sad when cyclists by into this weaponisation.

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http://www.jt10000.com/

“Bad cyclists don't make the rest of us look bad. However, they are used as a weapon by those trying to generalise about cyclists”

Yes. I agree with this.

Or the original turned to 11

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Mark E

It's a crazy mentality. Cars make illegal right on reds in front of other cars and cyclists. Cars will block intersections due to traffic, turn impeding oncoming traffic, weave in and out of traffic pretty much on every trip out I take in a car. Yet, one bad move as a cyclist and it's giving cyclists a bad name.

This guy definitely qualifies. Never heard if anyone actually figured out who this guy was or not......
I crossed paths last week in this area with someone that "looked" like this, but no way to be sure so made nothing of it....
https://www.facebook.com/...214726410527647/?t=0

Ok, this happen to me yesterday so I figure I'd ask so I don't give cyclists a bad name:

Do you stop for school buses? Or when they are stopping do you ride right around them? I was stopping to play it safe but wasn't sure.

I've seen that video.

dude's got to hit his interval target ftp. no time to stop for kids

50%?!? where do you live, India?

I was stopping to play it safe but wasn't sure.

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I'll add one little but very significant word to why you should stop. Courtesy. Yes it's the safe thing to do for everyone but it's also basic courtesy. The aren't looking out for cars or that fred who just can't stop on his bike when trying to get on the bus. They are kids half wont even bother paying attention, they'll just walk across assuming it's clear.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

I'd stop...then draft the bus for their whole route and make strava segments between each stop

Yes I do. If the driver runs a red light it pisses me off.

You really need to ask that question? Seriously?? I know you said you stopped (which is the obvious right thing and legal thing to do), but if you had any thoughts to blow by a stopped school bus..........

You would be pissed 24/7 here, if that bothers you. Just last night, during a 20 minute/5 mile commute home I saw a car pass a car that was already driving 5 over on a double yellow, a car go around a line of traffic to turn left at a light (in the on coming lane) and a woman on her phone look at the red light, then casually step off the curb and walk across traffic. When she got beeped at she gave everyone the finger and then slowed down to hold up traffic longer.

Although not last night, I have seen several times where drivers go down a right turn lane to avoid a line of traffic at a light so they can go straight at the last moment and force their way in. It is every person for themselves here, and you have to experience it to truly believe it.

I've lived on Long Island for a long time, and all I can figure is that no one gives a shit about traffic laws, right aways, or common drive etiquette here. When I'm out on my bike I ride like they drive and I assume everyone one of them is trying to kill me, or at least don't care if I do die.

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"...the street finds its own uses for things"

You stop... it's the law, period

Not really... I just don't get why we try to rationalize drivers misconception about cyclists.

I guess I should clarify, In town, for hands down no question I would stop

This was a gravel road, one side was a house, other side was 200 acres of corn fields. Kid wasn't going to run out into the cornfields.

I still think you stop for the just general courtesy to the bus driver and just as simple as this...."just because". But I'll also say I think there are instances that cyclists can "blow" through intersections, etc at the right times. I'm not going to come to a dead ass stop at every stop sign when I'm the only way within 300m of the intersection. I'm just not. I make what would be described as sound judgement.

Could you make the same decision/rationale with the bus stop in the middle of nowhere. Sure, I just think it's sorta a "common courtesy" to stop in those instances.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

The most criminal thing there is NYC bike punks using 80's hair band music for the soundtrack.

I can only imagine what drivers in the other cars must have been thinking. As a cyclist, it always pisses me off when other cyclists blatantly break the rules of the road.


It's a BIG issue.

If cyclists EVER want to be taken seriously, and gain the respect from motorists we want/need, we all have to be on the same page with regards to respecting the rules of the road.

The #1 COMPLAINT you most often hear from motorists about cyclists is that cyclists never follow the rules of the road. There is a good counter argument for this ( chiefly - cyclists are not killing maiming motorists it's the other way around) and thinly sliced situation by situation cases where it might be in cyclists best interest to push the envelop on the rules - but park that whole thing by the side of the road for a moment.

It's motorists PERCEPTION that all cyclists are reckless rule breakers - so, we collectively have to change that by, riding to the rules of the road, as much as we can - FULL STOP! All cyclists need to be onboard with this.

And there are other very important reasons as well - I attended an interesting session recently by one of the largest regional Police Forces in the Toronto area and a number of local cycling clubs. Two Police Officers who were also cyclists gave a great presentation. They made a compelling argument for riding to the rules of the road - if it ever came to some form of legal issue. They admitted that most Cops are not going to bust you for gradually rolling a stop sign, but say you did roll even gradually a stop sign, and then were struck in the intersection by a motorist, and wanted to seek legal/civil action against the driver - if it was determined that you did not come to a complete stop on your bike, you would have NO case, no matter how idiotic the driving of the motorist was! Think about that for a second!

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Bike messengers
FTFY
Criminal or not, it’s pretty cool GNR allowed him to use their music.

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Mark E