is bicycling a right or a privilege???

[machete]

Come to Indy and get horn heavy and come very close on me. It usually turns out very bad for your headlights. I am tired of being buzzed by cars so I have mounted a 3 foot fiberglass rod with a 4oz lead ball on the end. The smart people don't stop. The dumb ones get a ticket on top of their broken headlight for failure to yield the right of way to a cyclist.

that rod is a really bad idea and will get you in a lot of trouble... you cant prove where you were when you hit a car,,,so youll be getting a misdemeanor violation,,,or worse if your weapon hits someone in a low convertible

two people in a car say you veered into their lane,,,one on your bike... you lose...

and someone is going to take that stupid stick off your bike and beat you with it...

or theyll just go around the block come back and splatter you with a two liter bottle of pop as they go by at 50 and you cant see them...

when you ride around with a rod and a lead weight hanging off it,,,like a mace,,,youre asking for trouble...

its like a little girl closing her eyes and swinging her fists and saying im not swinging at you,,,im just protecting this space...

thats an epic bad idea...

 

[machete]

As of July 1, 2010 the law requiring a vehicle overtaking a cyclist to give a right of way no less than 36" went into effect. Once again this is where the public education comes in. This is why I do not get charged for the damage to peoples cars when they hit me.

if youve caused damage to more than one car,,,admit it,,,its you

and if you get sued,,,youll have to fess up in discovery to every accident youve been in...

 

[machete]

I am not talking about a coaster brake I am talking a fixed gear bike. And I seriously doubt that alot of them in bloomington can do it.

the brake on a fixed gear bike is a blown knee or ankle,,,anyone who says a fixed gear bike has a brake isnt being honest...

they had those bikes to start with in the 1800s,,,then they invented brakes...

 

[machete]

He didn't say he'd smash your car, he said he mounted something on his bike that you will only hit if you break the law by passing too close to him. You would be smashing your own car with a fiberglass rod.

and its illegal to get to close to me,,,so ill just walk around the mall out with a sword drawn...

 

[trnsplntfrmohio]

He didn't say he'd smash your car, he said he mounted something on his bike that you will only hit if you break the law by passing too close to him. You would be smashing your own car with a fiberglass rod.

ok, i drive a compact car. im going to install steel pipes that extend past my mirrors to the width of the wides vehicle that is allowed on the road without having to have pilot cars and warning signs.

does that make any sense? do you think i wouldn't get pulled over every time a cop saw me, if someone veered into my lane a bit and my steel pipes shattered their window, it's their fault?

 

[bstewrat3]

And most of this is not even a factor as most people are illegally riding bicycles on the road with out a device that produces a sound audible from over 100 feet.

I was born equipped with the audible device at birth and use it often on my commute. It has an infinite number of sounds and is instantaneous in application. My vocal cords.

 

[bstewrat3]

Alright we have had some constructive conversation here and we seem have gotten a little fired up. I have one more before I let this subject go, and that is proper signaling of lane changes, turns and stops. I do use my hand signals even though the majority of people in the areas I ride in do not understand them. It is a common misconception that all signals must be done with the left arm which is only accurate for motor vehicles. I commonly use my right arm to signal right turns. Stops and left turns I always use my left.

 

[bstewrat3]

that rod is a really bad idea and will get you in a lot of trouble... you cant prove where you were when you hit a car,,,so youll be getting a misdemeanor violation,,,or worse if your weapon hits someone in a low convertible

two people in a car say you veered into their lane,,,one on your bike... you lose...

and someone is going to take that stupid stick off your bike and beat you with it...

or theyll just go around the block come back and splatter you with a two liter bottle of pop as they go by at 50 and you cant see them...

when you ride around with a rod and a lead weight hanging off it,,,like a mace,,,youre asking for trouble...

its like a little girl closing her eyes and swinging her fists and saying im not swinging at you,,,im just protecting this space...

thats an epic bad idea...

I use a GoPro Hero camera mounted on my rack on my rides since the installation of the fiberglass pole just to show how close people get to me on my rides. Both of the cars that have hit the ball so far have "intentionally" deviated from their original line of travel to hit it. I also have a Netbook in my pannier to connect the camera to and show the footage on scene. Yes I am prepared.

 

[trnsplntfrmohio]

I don't have a problem with cyclists following the rules, and if it is state law I'd give you plenty of room. However when you start blowing through traffic lights, stop signs and riding 8 wide I get pissed.

 

[dross]

I don't have a problem with cyclists following the rules, and if it is state law I'd give you plenty of room. However when you start blowing through traffic lights, stop signs and riding 8 wide I get pissed.

As long as they aren't holding anyone up, and they're being safe, why do you care if they run a stop sign?

 

[trnsplntfrmohio]

As long as they aren't holding anyone up, and they're being safe, why do you care if they run a stop sign?

because they still have to follow the same rules as a car?

 

[Love the 1911]

Yeah, no point in trying to scare a cyclist, just because they are being an idiot. Honk, return the salute, and carry on. However, these roving packs of spandex-clad biker gangs do give other cyclists a very bad name.

My wife actually hit a cyclist once. The guy tried to stop traffic so his buddies could run a stop sign (cross-traffic did not have a stop sign). He stopped right in front of her, held up his hand, and BAM! She couldn't get stopped in time, and knocked him over (no real damage or injury, thankfully). Cops showed up and cited HIM for failure to yield. Idiot somehow tried to argue that bikes had the right of way like pedestrians.

Back to bicycle registration: seems pretty silly in Indiana. I could see it in very bike-heavy cities. On the west coast, for instance, almost EVERYONE bikes, and the local .gov spends a huge amount on bike lanes, signals, paths, parking, etc.... Letting cyclists pay their own way makes sense. Registering my little girl's tricycle? Not so much.

I would have charged that idiot cyclist with misdemeanor traffic obstruction as it would have better protected the innocent party (your wife) from a frivolous lawsuit being filed. Doesn't look like it went that way but a little preparation doesn't hurt.

 

[paddling_man]

I drive a car. I've owned a big truck. I've ridden many, many miles on a road bike and even competed in some races. I still ride a motorcycle. Oh, yeah... I walk some too.

To the OP: Is riding a bike a right or a privilege? On your private property? A right. On a public roadway? A privilege. A privilege that can be revoked or curtailed if you impede the public good or disrupt it for everyone else via reasonable standards, IMHO. Should bicycles be tagged or taxed? Only if there is evidence to indicate that their continued usage requires more public funds to maintain their enjoyment of the public roadways... or if they need to be more easily tracked and accountable for their actions should their negligence cause damage or accidents for others.

To some, be patient. Whether it is a pedestrian, bicyclist, old lady, semi or slow-butt tractor. That extra 90 seconds won't kill you unless you have emergency lights flashing on your roof. To others? Chill out and don't go out of your way to "get" others. Whether it is by intentionally operating a 3,000 lb vehicle to close to another or whether you're putting stuff out there to intentionally damage another person's property if they make a mistake.

 

[Duncan]

https://myweb.in.gov/BMV/mybmvporta...strationFees/FarmVehicleRegistrationFees.aspx

By statute, you can and the tractor must be plated with XXX miles of the farm where the tractor is used. It isn't enforced, and the person I spoke with at the BMV said that she has only sold one (1) plate in the 24 1/2 years that she has been at the BMV.

I'll be damned ..learned something new .. now they even make using a tractor on the county roads a privilege

Thanks
DA

 

[Duncan]

I drive a car. I've owned a big truck. I've ridden many, many miles on a road bike and even competed in some races. I still ride a motorcycle. Oh, yeah... I walk some too.

To the OP: Is riding a bike a right or a privilege? On your private property? A right. On a public roadway? A privilege. A privilege that can be revoked or curtailed if you impede the public good or disrupt it for everyone else via reasonable standards, IMHO. Should bicycles be tagged or taxed? Only if there is evidence to indicate that their continued usage requires more public funds to maintain their enjoyment of the public roadways... or if they need to be more easily tracked and accountable for their actions should their negligence cause damage or accidents for others.

To some, be patient. Whether it is a pedestrian, bicyclist, old lady, semi or slow-butt tractor. That extra 90 seconds won't kill you unless you have emergency lights flashing on your roof. To others? Chill out and don't go out of your way to "get" others. Whether it is by intentionally operating a 3,000 lb vehicle to close to another or whether you're putting stuff out there to intentionally damage another person's property if they make a mistake.

You're correct it is a privilege under law .
Now ask this question ... should it be ?
What is just law ... why did men make laws ?
What was here first man , property , government or law .
Is it a privilege to ride a bicycle on the open road ?
If not what is it , a right ?
Where do rights come from ?
How does something become a privilege ?
If it was never a right ... then what was it before it became a privilege ?

Again I recommend the Reading of :

http://bastiat.org/en/the_law.html

The Law

The law is the organization of the natural right of lawful defense. It is the substitution of a common force for individual forces. And this common force is to do only what the individual forces have a natural and lawful right to do: to protect persons, liberties, and properties; to maintain the right of each, and to cause justice to reign over us all.

 

[s-works]

I just wish they would start ticketing bicyclists that ride 8 wide, the wrong way, roll stop signs, cut off cars etc. It really becomes a danger when it gets warm out. I get horn heavy if I see a bicyclist doing something stupid. I usually get the finger and then get very very close to them.

I spend quite a bit of time on my bike. My forum name is representative of my love of my bike and the sport.

I feel just as strong about bike safety as I do about the government restricting our right to bear arms.

I can tell you guys a couple things. Cycling and gun ownership are quite similar. A few idiots make a bad name for the majority. Those that are in the respective communities hate these idiots.

I probably have a greater chance statistically of being killed by a car or truck than I do by another person's firearm.

I ride in groups of 20-40 people on a weekly basis. We are never 8 wide and we follow the law. Do we roll stop signs? Yes we do. We don't fly through intersections and if we do come to a stop we yield to other cars. If the street is empty yes we do roll em. I see people doing the same thing in their cars every day. The only time that I see motorists inconvenienced would be during events like the hilly hundred or other racing events.

I have been buzzed quite a bit. Once a motorist made the point of coming over a complete lane over because they felt I shouldn't be on the road. At the point of being buzzed I was traveling at 23mph 40 miles into a ride. I was able to catch the car at a light a bit up the road by getting up to 35 mph. Let's just say their rear quarter was less aerodynamic by the time the light turned green. I was out of breath but ready to throw down. Racing through a red light on a bike is ignorant, rude, and unsafe. The same can be said for buzzing cyclists in a car.

Everyone needs to be on the lookout for cyclists and motorcycles.

I hate tax. But it is every cyclists goal to be considered a finely tuned motor.

I would also like to say I am not trying to start an argument here.

 

[s-works]

Also, it wasn't smart to bash in the car's quarter panel. I was pissed. The other 99 times I have been buzzed it was followed by nothing more than a scowl.

I would have accepted any consequence be it a reciprocal ass beating (I have been on both sides of a losing fight due to 6 years of rugby) or civil punishment.

 

[Dbusby2009]

I have a motorcycle and a road bike and I probably enjoy my road bike more during the summer months. I have rude people honk all the time and sometimes even people try to pick fights at intersections but I just ignore them and move on down the road. There have been alot of cases of bike riders getting mugged on the monon trail in indy therefore when riding in rual or questionable areas I always have my glock 26 in my rear bag .
all in all bicycling is a right I believe. its using your own energy to get places and as long as you obey laws and have respect for other drivers and riders then there shouldn't be any problems. I believe you would have a better chance being injured in a car accident than a bike and car collision.

p.s. wear bright clothes when riding in dark. also use lights

 

[OAK]

Objectively you have a right to travel from place to place, but the means of travel can be regulated. I think that in most cases that as a society we accept far too many regulations on the means of travel but I would say that by strict definition bicycling is more a priviledge than a right. I do not agree with putting license plates on bicycles, but I would agree for example that a person on a bicycle could have restrictions like not riding down the railroad tracks and getting in the way of a train.

I could not have written it better! +1

 

[rambone]

Everyone needs to be on the lookout for cyclists and motorcycles.

I hate tax. But it is every cyclists goal to be considered a finely tuned motor.

I'm not clear what your position is. Is bicycling a natural right, or a privilege that can be taken away from you?