How a significant part of public opinion sees people on bikes
People on bikes may be rude and may not follow the rules, but can't be aggressive.
When a man with a .45 meets a man with a rifle, the man with a pistol will be a dead man.
Original stripe from the Onion: https://www.theonion.com/bum-rush-hour-1846606314
Cross-posted from: https://mastodon.uno/users/rivoluzioneurbanamobilita/statuses/113615912203015089
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Well. There are some really dumb bicyclists out there.
I have a real world example from just over an hour ago. I work overnights. I have to travel to different locations during my shift on certain nights. Tonight was one of those nights. I'm headed up to a location on a city street, 40mph speed limit, when I catch sight of a cyclist in my lane when I'm maybe 20ft from him. He's peddling for his life but only doing 12-15mph or so.
Why didn't I see him until he was that close to me? Was I playing on my phone? Tired because I work overnights? No. He is a black guy, wearing a black hoodie with black sweat pants, on a bike with no reflectors on it. Riding down a city street in the middle of the night. I'm pretty sure this is the second time I've encountered this guy too (same ninja cosplay both times). The first time was at least half a year ago. Honestly I'm surprised he's still alive, or at least uncrippled to the point that he can bike.
People are insufficiently conscious of their visibility. Last night, in the dark and rain, a jogger came running full speed to cross a crosswalk from a dark wooded area between buildings who was completely wearing black. I would have hit her if it weren't for the two inches of white socks that extended above her black sneakers which allowed me to slam the brakes just a moment before.
I know it can be hard to introspect about your own visibility. My partner has pointed out to me how to be better visible when I go out on my bike. More people should think about it.
Across the board, nighttime visibility on US roads has gotten worse for drivers and cyclists alike imo.
It would be very good for pedestrian deaths if somebody spray painted a garbage can black, put it on that crosswalk in the middle of the night, and filled it with bricks. That way, all the people who drive their cars too fast will crash into it and learn to be more careful.
How about we build a raised crosswalk so cars naturally have to slow down to cross it, which will make them more aware of anyone attempting to cross at the crosswalk and lower the speed, which will lower impact forces, if they still get hit.
Great idea!
Pretty sociopathic
Cars have crumple zones. Nobody would be hurt, and it would prevent pedestrians from being hurt in the future.
Except for the fact that people sometimes get seriously injured in 15 mph accidents all the time
you realize that not everyone is as healthy/strong as the average man. do you really want an elderly person or a chronically ill person subjected to a head on collision ?
If they don't want to smash into things, they can drive to the conditions. Their cars have lights, it's just a matter of using them properly by driving at an appropriate speed.
the 'conditions' dont include a maniac camouflaging dangerous objects to purposely make innocent people crash.
If they didn't smash into the bin, then sooner or later they'd risk smashing people instead. Drag would rather bins be run over than people. They won't be innocent when their reckless driving gets someone killed.
Actually, I agree! We should also shoot dead drug users and lowlifes... otherwise they're going to hurt someone eventually!
Then you need actual bike lanes
Yea bud, except the amount of stupid drivers out there far exceeds both the amount of stupid bikers and the danger they pose. You’re just used to it because the standard of driving skill is so abyssmally low and you’re a) probably part of that group whether you like it or not and b) familiar with what to look out for while bikes might be rarer.
In all my time driving I rarely see people who aren’t way too close to the limit of their driving skill. One little mistake followed by someone else not making up for it and bam, problem.
I'm going out on a limb here. On average car drivers and cyclists are equally rubbish in traffic. After that it becomes a numbers game. I don't see any reason why the mode of transportation has any bearing on my skills in traffic.
As I told my kids when they started venturing out in traffic by themselves:
Me: expect anyone in traffic to be a moron Them (in a got ya-snicker): But that means you, too! Me: yes.
We all have bad days in traffic, regardless of how many wheels are at our disposal. Plan for it.
Probably the main point to follow this on is that bike collisions likely do happen, involving pedestrians or other cyclists. They’re aggravating and occasionally require intense treatment, but generally nowhere near as lethal as car collisions.
So, the risk factor makes a big difference. Like walking to your desk with a full cup of coffee, vs a pinless grenade.
Thank you for your insight, @psycho_driver@lemmy.world
I think most cyclists are great but there are also jackasses. when I used to have to drive to work in Houston, TX, I was coming home at night. Cyclist with no bike lights wearing all black just blew through a stop sign with a wall that ran all the way to the sidewalk. I slowed down because that intersection has poor visibility and people just yolo'd through it frequently, else i'd've hit them. I did notice one thing as they shot out: white earbuds in so also not listening to what's going on around then.
I’m pretty sure in this case, the indication was that his skin color literally made him harder to see at night.
What's more visible at night, an all-black outfit or a rainbow outfit? A: The all black outfit because antidenialistbot doesn't see color
Which non-natives did you steal your country from?
That's why your car has lights. If someone could have spray painted a garbage can black, filled it with bricks, and put it in the street, would you have smashed into it and damaged your bumper? If the answer is yes, then you were going too fast. Drivers have a responsibility to drive to the conditions. You're the one operating the deadly machinery.
Could he have benefitted from putting on reflectors? Sure, yes he could have. But that is a decision for his own benefit, it doesn't affect you. If he's an idiot, then he's only being an idiot to himself. If a car driver is an idiot, then someone else could die. That's why idiots should all be on bicycles.
Could he have benefitted from putting on reflectors? Sure, yes he could have. But that is a decision for his own benefit
Back in ol' England, it's illegal to ride without reflectors, and illegal to be without lights at night.
You can't even buy a bike in the US without reflectors.
Some years ago in the Netherlands, I was cycling home through a pitch black cycling path covered by trees (so not even moonlight) with my very decent bike light illuminating the path ahead of me.
Before I could even process that there was another cyclist coming towards me, a dark figure zips past so closely that I feel their jacket brush my left hand. It startled me so much that I needed to stop and catch my breath. I could only imagine what would have happened if I had hit him head on with us both going 25 km/h.
I'm curious to hear how that incident was my fault.
At what speed should a car travel at night in a 40mph zone?
The textbook answer, the one you have to learn when you take drivers education around here at least, is that traffic should travel at a speed that is safe in the current situation (taking into account the environmental conditions, the condition of the road etc) but not exceeding the maximum velocity.
Poor visibility is one of the main reasons to reduce speed. As is things that affect handling, like snow or wet conditions.
So, “At what speed should a car travel at night in a 40mph zone?”
I don’t know. But if you almost ran someone over, you probably took a risk you shouldn’t have.
At a speed at which the driver has time to break whatever the driver may encounter on that road.
Wild life are notoriously bad at wearing high Viz clothing, although I've heard the Finns are making progress on the issue.
I mean the answer obviously depends on what the road is like. Near me, for example, I have 2 different roads that I drive on most often at night, both with speed limits around 35-40. One of them is in town, and has streetlights, stoplights by the crosswalks, and is just generally way better lit. Even so at night visibility is worse, so I'll go like 10 below the speed limit (maybe only 5 bit depending on if I don'y see/think people are out walking or if I'm not as worried about visibility). The other road is basically a country road. It has trees and farm fields on either side, no lights, and is extremely hilly. Because of all that I go like max 20 or 25 pretty much, so I have enough time to brake for a biker I missed when I went over a hill, or for a deer or other animal that jumps out in front of me.
The dangerous thing in a crash between a bike and a car is definitely the car, so it should also fall more on the car to be safe. Not to say a bike has no responsibility for their own safety obviously, but a car should be traveling slowly enough that they have the ability to stop without hitting something if they have a sudden need to, and that means potentially going much slower than the speed limit at night.
This weirdo is clearly here to troll. One of the more bizarre profiles I've seen within 5 seconds of looking at it
Ey surely prefers reading to commenting or posting, at least for the most part of the last year.
So you almost ran a guy over, but it’s his fault for being black?
I mean, that’s one way to live your life.
EDIT: just saw the user name. Totally ate the onion. Leaving the comment up to commemorate my shameful action.
No, as a driver you are always responsible for your actions.
However, being a driver does not absolve any cyclists of their responsibility as cyclists. In this case the issue is the lack of reflectors and lack of bike lights. That is part of the responsibilities that comes with being a biker.
Any reference to race, outside of the reflective properties of different colors that might actually be relevant in this case, are yours.
Any reference to race, outside of the reflective properties of different colors actually relevant in this case, are yours.
The way OP listed the person’s skin color along with other attributes that are supposedly relevant for visibility looked to me like HE was implying it was relevant.
Usually, I would let it slide, but (at least over here) “lol black people are hard to see at night” is unfortunately still a very harmful trope that gets bandied about, even in the aftermath of crashes.
So you can see why I thought it was worth calling out.
Now I think it’s all moot, a guy called “psycho driver” posting in “fuck cars” is probably not posting in good faith. But still.
“Black peoples are more likely to be criminals” is a harmful trope, and evokes racism through stereotyping. But “black people are hard to see at night” is…just true.
What the hell?
Yeah, your shameful comment makes you sound like the racist, idiot...
Uhh, ok.
Your post history is 90% name calling and deleted comments, so I’m sure it’s me who is the problem here.
Ok. My post history makes you not look like a dumbass.
Yup. That's how it works. Lol
Edit: I've never once seen somebody who is actually debating in good faith check post history. As I've said to others, I don't give a flying fuck. But going immediately to an ad hominem attack? Like, could you look any more like a stupid asshole?!?
You ad hominem'd first lmao.
