Alert Today Alive Tomorrow

[urbaknight]

At least this time, the driver was hurt as well. I say, "Good for him! He got what he deserves! God forgive me, but if he dies, good riddance! I wish that would happen to all of the inconsiderate-ass drivers!

[TheCat]

At least this time, the driver was hurt as well. I say, "Good for him! He got what he deserves! God forgive me, but if he dies, good riddance! I wish that would happen to all of the inconsiderate-ass drivers!

Your rage is misplaced. This was an accident. No need to wish death on people. 

[JayBird]

At least this time, the driver was hurt as well. I say, "Good for him! He got what he deserves! God forgive me, but if he dies, good riddance! I wish that would happen to all of the inconsiderate-ass drivers!

Your rage is misplaced. This was an accident. No need to wish death on people. 

I tend to believe rage is the causing factor actually.  Allow me a moment to explain:

Growing up in central Jersey, my great hometown of Bridgewater was 38 square miles of suburban development, dairy farms and the beginning of horse country.  On the weekends, our roads would clog with bicycles out for pleasure or exercise.  As the community grew, so did those groups until they were 3 and 4 wide taking the whole lane.  Around this time, road rage started becoming a matter of routine instead of the exception and the car would get close to the bikes, hitting horns and trying to run them off the road.  Just the personality of someone who is out there getting exercise (driven, type a) lead them to fight back.  This got steadily worse until 1994 when the police chiefs daughter was passing a large group, in a turn and went head on into an oncomig vehicle. She did not survive and though most likely personally motivated, the chief then started treating bicycles as motor vehicles, just like NJ laws state.  After six months of ticketing them for everything from riding more than 2 abreast to not yielding properly, things finally settled down and to this day they get along typically well. 

This was just my personal experience with the sharing the road phenom but I believe a big part of it is that you have personality clashes that cause these hostile feelings and fits of rage.

The reason I was wondering if media blew the events out of proportion is because in NYC one group is petitioning the DOT to remove bike lanes because they have studies that allegedly show it is actually creating more hazards.  That riders treat it as their own personal space and nobody not on a bike should ever be in it. 

As for me, I have been driving since 1997 in NJ, NY, TX and FL and have never had an issue with bicycles, which leads me to believe it may not be the roads that need to be changed, but the mindsets of the people on those roads.

[Tacachale]

As for me, I have been driving since 1997 in NJ, NY, TX and FL and have never had an issue with bicycles, which leads me to believe it may not be the roads that need to be changed, but the mindsets of the people on those roads.

It's both. You don't have to look very hard to see the unfriendly design of roads, especially big arterials. There's also an unsympathetic driving culture that not only makes things rougher directly, but indirectly by pushing us to create even more unsafe roads.

[JayBird]

As for me, I have been driving since 1997 in NJ, NY, TX and FL and have never had an issue with bicycles, which leads me to believe it may not be the roads that need to be changed, but the mindsets of the people on those roads.

It's both. You don't have to look very hard to see the unfriendly design of roads, especially big arterials. There's also an unsympathetic driving culture that not only makes things rougher directly, but indirectly by pushing us to create even more unsafe roads.

Okay that actually makes more sense. I can see where someone would certainly not want to bike down Blanding, or even Park in some areas.  So with that knowledge, which I'm sure was no breakthrough for those in the know, I am surprised FDOT hasn't aligned with a civil engineering class from UNF, FSU, FAMU or UF to suggest reasonable solutions to address both through motorist awareness/rider education and roadway planning.

[tufsu1]

not to nitpick, but FSU and FAMU would be the same engineering class

[JayBird]

not to nitpick, but FSU and FAMU would be the same engineering class

Oh okay, knew they were both in Tallahassee but thought they were separate from each other.

[urbaknight]

At least this time, the driver was hurt as well. I say, "Good for him! He got what he deserves! God forgive me, but if he dies, good riddance! I wish that would happen to all of the inconsiderate-ass drivers!

Your rage is misplaced. This was an accident. No need to wish death on people. 

I tend to believe rage is the causing factor actually.  Allow me a moment to explain:

Growing up in central Jersey, my great hometown of Bridgewater was 38 square miles of suburban development, dairy farms and the beginning of horse country.  On the weekends, our roads would clog with bicycles out for pleasure or exercise.  As the community grew, so did those groups until they were 3 and 4 wide taking the whole lane.  Around this time, road rage started becoming a matter of routine instead of the exception and the car would get close to the bikes, hitting horns and trying to run them off the road.  Just the personality of someone who is out there getting exercise (driven, type a) lead them to fight back.  This got steadily worse until 1994 when the police chiefs daughter was passing a large group, in a turn and went head on into an oncomig vehicle. She did not survive and though most likely personally motivated, the chief then started treating bicycles as motor vehicles, just like NJ laws state.  After six months of ticketing them for everything from riding more than 2 abreast to not yielding properly, things finally settled down and to this day they get along typically well. 

This was just my personal experience with the sharing the road phenom but I believe a big part of it is that you have personality clashes that cause these hostile feelings and fits of rage.

The reason I was wondering if media blew the events out of proportion is because in NYC one group is petitioning the DOT to remove bike lanes because they have studies that allegedly show it is actually creating more hazards.  That riders treat it as their own personal space and nobody not on a bike should ever be in it. 

As for me, I have been driving since 1997 in NJ, NY, TX and FL and have never had an issue with bicycles, which leads me to believe it may not be the roads that need to be changed, but the mindsets of the people on those roads.

I grew up in Jersey too, I have family in Brick. That part of the state is infested with bad drivers, kinda like here. But with one important exception, bad driving is a punishable crime, unlike here where drivers can do whatever the hell they want. They're even allowed to park on the sidewalks here.

[JayBird]

Well small world Urbanknight, grew up in Warren then Bridgewater and spent summers in Bay Head and the only thing I remember about Brick was sitting in 88 traffic forever!

But yes, I think that people in Florida or at least northeast Florida tolerate a lot more than any place I've ever lived.  And I thought Kileen, TX was docile.  I need to search for it, a few years ago the Star-ledger did a study in worst drivers in northeast and surprisingly jersey was 3rd, behind #1 northeast Pennsylvania and #2 the Bethesda/DC/Arlington region.