Why are Bicyclists rude and dangerous?

Question

I live in Portland Oregon and drive a car. We are very bike friendly and although its not my thing I'm all for supporting them when its good for the environment and clears congestion...However I notice that many many times they never follow traffic rules when riding on the road. They run red lights and stop signs, it's physicaly impossible for them to follow speed limits (more of an annoyance than a danger if your behind them), and they are VERY rude.

One time I slowed down waiting for a bicyclist to merge because he gave the hand signal in on a very busy street durring morning rush hour. Because he never did and was slowing a huge line of cars behind me I was just going to go around him after his arm went down and I waited a little more. He then darted infront of me, turned around and screamed obsenities and cut oncomming traffic to turn down a side road. And this was man that looked well to do. What gives? What can I do to change things?

Because cars are dangerous and pose a life-threatening risk to them on their every day commute, especialy when "road rage" is a big problem now days, it is logical to verbaly antagonise drivers and dart around traffic as if the bike is surrounded by a ships force feild from star trek?

Answer 1

Because drivers are more rude and dangerous than they are.

Answer 2

Here are some of the errors that bike riders frequently commit which greatly increase the chances of a collision with a motor vehicle:


1. They do not follow the traffic laws for vehicles when operating a bicycle. Instead,
a) they may use the traffic laws for pedestrians and thus ride on the sidewalks or the wrong way on the streets,
b) they may follow the traffic code for vehicles part of the time but not all of the time,
c) they may adopt a policy of hiding from motor vehicles rather than riding in the traffic lanes,
d) they may be guerilla cyclists deliberately breaking the law,
e) or they just might not think about how they are behaving.
2. They don't have lights mounted on their bikes when riding at night.
3. They ride along in the gutter or weave in and out between cars.
4. They don't pay attention to nearby vehicles.
5. They haven't learned how to control their bicycles effectively.
6. They panic when motor vehicles approach.
7. They don't keep the bike in sound mechanical condition.
8. They ride when too tired (or even drunk) to do so safely.

Answer 3

First of all, not all cyclists are rude, just as not all drivers are rude. Most rude cyclists are angry because drivers have been rude to them. As a cyclist it can be very easy to get angry at most if not all drivers. For example, I have been hit by a lady talking on a cell phone while pulling out into the street as I was riding (legally) down the side of the road. Afterward she got angry about how I hit her car even though it was completely her fault. It's easy when drivers are jerks to cyclists, for the cyclists to get their own "road rage". And it's often times easier to spot an angry cyclist than an angry driver. A lot of drivers don't think that cyclists should be allowed on the roads and therefore show these beliefs in the form of honks, obscenities, and other forms of aggression (sometimes using their vehicle as a weapon).

As for breaking the traffic laws, on a bicycle it's not as easy to stop from a high rate of speed and start again as it is in a car, so cyclists will often run red lights, stop signs, and yield signs. Bicycles are also more maneuverable (in the right hands) than cars so cyclists will sometimes dart in and out of traffic because they know they can react fast enough to not get hurt. And some cyclists are down right jerks and don't like cars so they break the traffic laws to piss you off, there are no two ways about it.

Your cyclist may have put his hand up for a long time to make sure you knew what he was doing,and then put his hand back on his handlebars because it's easier to turn with two hands than one, and got angry when you started to go around him just as he saw an opening in the traffic. Or he might just have been yelled at by a single commuter in a big SUV and was a little angry. You can never really tell.

What you can do it just be courteous - to both drivers and bikers, because if a driver is angry, they might get angry at a biker, who might get angry at you.

Answer 4

Well it's fair to say no matter what mode of transport you choose, you will always encounter someone who is rude. The old phrase "The minority spoil it for the majority" comes to mind here.
I am a cyclist and a driver and have been on the receiving end from both cyclists and drivers being annoyed by something I was unaware I had done.
I know cyclists can be frustrating at times, but remember, they might not have seen a gesture to move in front of you in the quick rearward glance, and a cyclist isn't surrounded by a big shell of metal if something goes wrong, so a delay may just be a very over cautious person!
Please bear with us! and for those who do run lights or simply mount the pavement (sidewalk)....STOP IT! I always stop, it's not just for your safety, it's also for those who are around you!

Answer 5

In my opinion, behavior like this stems from the cyclist's attempt to straddle the definitions and regulations between that of vehicle operators AND pedestrians.

Most adult bicyclists can probably tell you, to your face that a bicycle is a vehicle and should be given a share of the road, the same as a motor vehicle. And yet, many of these same bikers will zip on and off of sidewalks, ride in crosswalks, and, as you mentioned, not bother with stop signs and turning lanes. And worse, ride the wrong direction on the shoulder!

It is gratifying to, sometimes, see an officer pull over one of these idiots and issue a citation for one of the more dangerous offenses.

Answer 6

Not all cyclists are rude.

In addition, many have been treated rudely and/or nearly killed by bad drivers, so the ones you run into who are rude, may be ones who've had bad encounters with cars.

In some locations, bikes are legally allowed to "run" stop signs (not sure about stoplights), if there is no cross traffic.

Answer 7

Well I do this just to release stress. Nothing really against the motorist....more so just need to vent on some things that are going on and you were there to vent.

Answer 8

because everyone is a lousy driver except me

Answer 9

Because they think they're better than you... oh and they own the road.