Cyclists versus skateboarders - Opinions accepted here!
- Thread starter bizutch
- Start date
Skate and Die man!
Asheville.
Asheville.
What ever keeps another car off the road is fine by me.
On a personal note, I deal with runners and skateboarders in the bike lane, plus the occasional scooter or motorcycle and the less-rare errant car driver.
The runners are totally clueless, assuming being on foot means they are safe from getting hit by a car or interfering with bicycles. That's why I tap them on the shoulder as I pass them, or if they are running towards me, I wave hello putting my hand right at their face.
The skaters are actually not too bad. They roll with the direction of traffic and they are doing about 8-12mph a hour. Any slower and they are on the sidewalk.
But usually the skaters are in the bike lanes at night, no lights or helmets. The helmets are their problem, but no lights could be mine.
And maybe in an area which is relatively flat, this isn't an issue, but with the steep hills of SF, any wheeled vehicle can pick up a lot of speed. I don't think a skaterboarder can put on the emergency brakes like a biker.
The runners are totally clueless, assuming being on foot means they are safe from getting hit by a car or interfering with bicycles. That's why I tap them on the shoulder as I pass them, or if they are running towards me, I wave hello putting my hand right at their face.
The skaters are actually not too bad. They roll with the direction of traffic and they are doing about 8-12mph a hour. Any slower and they are on the sidewalk.
But usually the skaters are in the bike lanes at night, no lights or helmets. The helmets are their problem, but no lights could be mine.
And maybe in an area which is relatively flat, this isn't an issue, but with the steep hills of SF, any wheeled vehicle can pick up a lot of speed. I don't think a skaterboarder can put on the emergency brakes like a biker.
Seriously ?
Skaters around here like to keep to themselves. I think it's because they all do Heroin and stuff. Almost without exception if the kid has a skateboard he/she is on some dope. Just stay clear and you'll be fine.
.....
Ok sure, if they start letting me into the public skate park on my MTB
No love for inline skates?
Mostly sex offenders. We hate them too....
Sure.
Yesterday, a runner in the bike lane forced me into the right lane of traffic. While it wasn't exactly life-or-death, there is a reason why there is a bike lane and the sidewalk.
I could yell "GTFO the way", but a light tap seems to get the message across, especially when it shocks the runner. It does highlight to the runner that he/she is totally unaware to his/her surroundings.
I developed the face wave a few weeks ago in Central Park in NYC when a few riders were bombing down hills going the wrong way on the one-way road, coming right at me. I figure if you have no regard for my safety, the least I can do is reach out and touch someone.
For runners coming at me, the same thing. You can see me and the oncoming cars but if you still choose to block my path, the least I can do is wave hello. In every instance, I was the one who had to merge out in traffic.
But just so we are absolutely clear, are you in a regular situation where someone else forces you into oncoming traffic? Tell me how you handle it?
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Geez, I bet you also think people who ride recumbents are mostly retired college professors who are such titanic damp caves they won't even drop $5,000 on a Colgano and ride a real bike.
And let me guess, before I even read your post....none of them know the rules of the road?
You spend entirely too much time thinking that the world revolves around you and that it is your job to make it known to everyone that you are right and they are wrong.
Tap me on the shoulder or stick your hand in my face to be an ass (which you are clearly being) and I'd take your ass right off your bike metta world peace on james hardin style.
I'm just curious how tall (short) are you? 5'5"?
We'll put them on the Hatred List for now. Pending approval we will hate them as well...
So you would assault someone for tapping you on the shoulder or waving hello? And you are telling me that I have a problem?
On a different note, I don't seem to have these kinds of problems in NYC or New Orleans, the two cities I visit regularly. For one thing, residents understand there that obnoxious behavior will eventually meet with a crazy a-hole who won't be as polite as I am. People there keep their head down and are relatively considerate.
And if your question about my height is what I think it is, I'm actually only 5'2". Please look me up if you are in San Francisco.
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How tall are you while wearing your inline skates?
I am very certain that with your posts you are only intending to politely wave to people or tap them. I mean that's completely your intent right? sticking your hand in their face? trying to startle runners?
confronting drivers...
confronting drivers...
As further explanation, only in the Bay Area do I have to deal with self-entitled fools who think running on a busy roadway is a great idea. I've tried the direct approach, whether it was nice or mean, and it is usually fails. The only thing which seems to sink in and also keeps me from boiling over is an indirect approach, like my face wave.
Whether they get the message or that I am screwing with them, I don't invest much emotionally. Also given their inconsiderate behavior, I think most would not get a direct warning, otherwise, people would be more considerate to begin with.
Here is an even more mild example that happened a few days ago: after locking my bike, a girl tapping on her smart phone was ready to walk right into me as I crossed her path. But when I tilted my head forward, putting my bike helmet in line with her face, she looked up, hesitated for a half-step and let me pass by her.
San Franciscians are bombarded by societal mores: recycle, diversity, respect, awareness, politeness etc. While I am not particularly bothered by them, I think a lot of people feel uncomfortably restrained and react in an unpolite, passive-aggressive manner.
I got some confirmation when I joined the Bay Area Riders Forum, a local motorcycle site. Take a look if you want to see what I am talking about.
Whether they get the message or that I am screwing with them, I don't invest much emotionally. Also given their inconsiderate behavior, I think most would not get a direct warning, otherwise, people would be more considerate to begin with.
Here is an even more mild example that happened a few days ago: after locking my bike, a girl tapping on her smart phone was ready to walk right into me as I crossed her path. But when I tilted my head forward, putting my bike helmet in line with her face, she looked up, hesitated for a half-step and let me pass by her.
San Franciscians are bombarded by societal mores: recycle, diversity, respect, awareness, politeness etc. While I am not particularly bothered by them, I think a lot of people feel uncomfortably restrained and react in an unpolite, passive-aggressive manner.
I got some confirmation when I joined the Bay Area Riders Forum, a local motorcycle site. Take a look if you want to see what I am talking about.
On my annual Xmas mountain bike poach, I greet every hiker with the same response, a super-cheery "Merry Christmas".
I've noticed most hikers will respond in kind with a holiday greeting. But the hikers who look pissed off get even madder that I just wished them a Merry Christmas.
These hikers are mad not because I rode in a dangerous or inconsiderate manner. I never ride like that, particularly on poaches. They are mad because they are self-righteous aholes who get off hassling people who are harming no one simply because they are ignoring unjust rules.
If they were nice people, a Merry Christmas doesn't make you mad.
I don't swerve over to touch a runner. I ride in the same position, on the outside of the bike lane, runner or not. If a runner gets out of my way, I don't bother screwing with them. But even if I did reach out to wave or tap, the runner moved out of arm's length, giving me plenty of room to pass!
Over the years, I just decided to deal with inconsiderate behavior with an indirect approach. I don't tell people to go F off or be angry that I did nothing.
I do something harmless (and in this case, tapping and waving is harmless) but points out that exactly how inconsiderate the other person is being. In this case, giving me no room in my lane to maneuver.
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There are some really dumb pedestrians out there. On wheels or on your feet, GO TO THE RIGHT!
If you guys saw downtown Asheville, you'd laugh and vomit at my post simultaneously. It's the biggest cluster. It's all built on one tiny hill, takes less than 5 minutes to ride a bike through and their idea of bike lanes is to stick a line on a street here and there. There are no "bike lanes". To suggest it's OK for skaters to use them is the equivalent of being told to go take a dump in the dry patch of water in a pond.
That's not San Francisco.
There is a maze of bike routes: heavy traffic routes, major thoroughfares, quiet park paths, roads through gang neighborhoods, and lots and lots of cars.
yup...
Reminds me of the dude who used to show up with old school disco-style skates and blast big airs on our half pipe in the late 80's. Since we were all riding day-glo bmx gear at the time, we weren't really in a position to take his man card. But we did anyway.
As sketchy as the Skater probably is being a sex offender and all. The guy in the shorts wearing a helmet for no apparent reason to be doing so while wearing two different shoes? He seems dangerous to me....
Wrong. In RI the bikepaths have walkers on the left and bikes on the right. Makes it WAY easier to pass because they can see you coming.
What goes on in the idiotic behavior club stays in the idiotic behavior club. 
Gotta watch out for those suicidal fatties in the power chairs too. I saw one guy in Boston going against the flow of traffic on Commonwealth Ave in a bike lane that splits two lanes of cars, traffic was heading right into blinding sun too. Disaster waiting to happen.
