usedto
Lunatic Member
I think most of today's problem with bikes is the proliferation of the younger generation careless riding and many IMO have no business on a bike. It has lead to all of us being clumped into a stereotype of being reckless and deserve what happens to us by other motorists.
As a non-bike rider, I am afraid I must agree with you. I was raised in the country on a farm, and I learned to respect everyone's right to use the road, including bicycles, motorcycles, farm equipment, and even farm animals. Over the years I have retained most of that respect with the exception of cyclists, both motor and bicycle.
I can't count how many times I have come upon a bicyclist in town riding in the traffic lane, which is their legal right, holding up traffic, which is also their right, and then running a stop sign or red light.
Then, there's all the times that motorcyclists (around here, anyway) will go on a run in "groups". They'll come to a stop sign, and one of them will block the intersection so all of their buddies can stay together. What? Are you too stupid to find your way on your own? Need to follow someone?
A few months ago, a local motorcycle rider was killed on his way home from work. He was a local boy, graduated from the local high school, and worked tor a local financial institution. He did volunteer work in the community, so he was fairly well known. The story was the headline in the paper. He pulled out to pass a car on his way home from work, and a car pulled out of a driveway at the same time he pulled out to pass, and they hit head on. The article said speed may have been involved, too.
What the article DIDN'T tell you is that he was on his rear wheel, in excess of 80MPH. That's why he didn't see the car pull out of the driveway. I've seen him go by my place here on the street (55 MPH) doing closer to 100 on his rear wheel several times. I'm sorry that he's gone, but I feel even worse for the poor lady involved in the wreck that will have to live with that for the rest of her life, even though she had no fault in the accident (there were tons of witnesses).
I'll give any biker all the respect he deserves. No more, no less.