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Things people blamed on bicycles

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Re: Things people blamed on bicycles

#421
post #317
post #266

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you get too drunk to ride a bicycle every time you go out for drinks?

The good thing is, "too drunk to ride a bike" happens much earlier than "too drunk". And while with a car some push it and still drive drunk (sometimes with horrendous consequences), a bike has this safety mechanism where they simply cannot be ridden when drunk.

That just isn’t true. I’ve cycled while extremely drunk on multiple occasions (which, to be clear, I think is a bad idea).

Re: Things people blamed on bicycles

#422
post #266

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Going out for drinks? Bike. As long as you don't actually drink anything hah. Everyone's a designated driver with bikes.

Do you get too drunk to ride a bicycle every time you go out for drinks?

When I've cycled to work and gone for drinks afterwards, I'll leave my bike at the office and pick it up the next day, using public transport to get there.

Re: Things people blamed on bicycles

#423
post #325

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree. In Copenhagen multiple bas stops just go onto bike traffic. And they DO NOT CARE that a bus just stopped and people are about to come out.

I live (and bike) here too. I think what you mean to say is that it can feel kind of hectic and dangerous to step out of a bus onto the bike lane. I can promise you that every biker care. If nothing else, then at least for their own safety. And in the 35 years I've been biking around here, I've never seen a collision between someone stepping out of a bus and a bike coming from behind.

I've also never seen a car going over a bycicle in my life… Doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

Re: Things people blamed on bicycles

#424

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem of dangerous interactions between drivers and cyclists is much smaller here in the Netherlands, mainly due to two reasons. The first reason is the infrastructure, both visible and invisible. Separated bicycle lanes are commonplace and in the few places where they intersect with car traffic, care is taken to make crossing safe and comfortable. This visible infrastructure is complemented by the concept of "…

> Going out for drinks? Bike. As long as you don't actually drink anything hah. Everyone's a designated driver with bikes.

We had a friend who got into an minor accident (fall really) after drinking and cycling. He was wearing a helmet and he’s become a helmet evangelist.

Re: Things people blamed on bicycles

#425

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Quoted post unavailable.

seems like a cheap shot at vegans for no reason though

A lot of people are annoyed by the evangelical aspects of many peoples' veganism, as it comes across as virtue signalling.

Re: Things people blamed on bicycles

#426
post #392

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tbf, the danger of drunk cycling is significantly lower to third parties vs driving in a car. And you're unlikely to succeed if you're too drunk as well, as you still need to balance - which drunk people can't. It's still illegal in most places however, so your point stands

Drunk cyclists can. Back in my wild years, on some occasions walking to the bike was the difficult part. Bikes are much better at self-stabilizing than legs. The main danger (outside of going too fast, if you happen to have the training) is losing track of traffic. This isn't much of a problem on deserted night-time streets, but can easily be overwhelming during the day. Don't ever consider the bike when planning for…

I'm not drunk if I can track stand.

Re: Things people blamed on bicycles

#427
post #414
post #330

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bah, in my experience bicycle users behave really badly on average. Certainly no better than car drivers. For example they will be ready to crash on a pedestrian who is walking on a bike lane for good reason (most common ones are: an excavator made a trench on the sidewalk, the snow clearing machine took all the snow from the road and made a mountain on the sidewalk). However when there is no bike lane available, the…

Take a look when outside and see if you ever see strollers or children with training wheels on bike lanes. Then ask, why don't you hear about the many deaths that should occur when those 50km/h bikes are crashing into those helpless children. The average speed of a bike, as measured in Netherlands, is around 15km/h. When there is snow the speed is generally even lower. It is also fairly common where I live to see par…

Parents don't let kids go on bike lanes until they are somewhat proficient. Certainly nobody with training wheels is going on trafficked bike lanes. Because most parents realize that would be reckless.

> Mopeds are not allowed where I live to use bike lane

Welcome to Sweden I guess… I think they are not allowed but they don't care. Electric or benzin engine alike.

Re: Things people blamed on bicycles

#428
post #330

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bah, in my experience bicycle users behave really badly on average. Certainly no better than car drivers. For example they will be ready to crash on a pedestrian who is walking on a bike lane for good reason (most common ones are: an excavator made a trench on the sidewalk, the snow clearing machine took all the snow from the road and made a mountain on the sidewalk). However when there is no bike lane available, the…

I wonder where they’d get an electric bicycle going 50, considering it’s impossible to buy or import ones going more than 20 km/h in most of the EU.

It's easy to remove the safety mechanism. Still, I don't see people going 40+ where I live although maybe that happens in other countries. My experience is that in a city at 30km/h you are passing everyone and with significant speed difference as well.

Re: Things people blamed on bicycles

#429
post #377

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wonder where they’d get an electric bicycle going 50, considering it’s impossible to buy or import ones going more than 20 km/h in most of the EU.

Electric cycles reaching 45km/h are regulated in most of EU, no? On the most powerful ones it takes not too much effort to push to 50 (from experience). That being said, where I commute I practically never encounter anyone doing that (they just do the maximum they can do with assistence, like 42-45 depending on brand and model, or less to save battery/effort) except downhill, where you can reach 50 with a normal cycl…

Eu regulates this by classification. A two-wheel vehicle with an electric motor that can assist up to 25 km/h is classified as an electric bike. If the two-wheel vehicle can reach up to 45 km/h, or if it don't require the rider to peddle, then its an electric moped. If it exceeds 45 km/h then its an electric motorcycle.

The classification in turn determines which laws the seller and driver is under. A bicycle doesn't require a driving license or license plate. Mopeds and motorcycles require a license plate (registered) and have corresponding driving licenses. There might also be different taxes involved.

There is a similar classification with four wheel vehicles. There is electric four wheel mopeds, tractors and cars, each defined by the maximum speed. You can even convert a car into a moped or tractor by changing the gear box to limit how fast they can go.

Re: Things people blamed on bicycles

#430
post #292
post #255

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I see this nearly everyday and wonder how it took billions of years to produce a species which is so dumb?

A lot of the genetic evolutions for individual survival do not perform well in a group setting. It’s kind of like how our love for sugar once, it’s abundantly available, turns us into a diabetes machine.

And if you're in a position of power (on top of your massive SUV throne) evolutionarily you'd do better to run down your competitors.

So evolutionarily we should see men on SUVs riding down other men and rounding up women, I suppose.

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