Crazy driver harasses cyclists in Boulder

[sniper7]

According to the bicyclist, when the driver finally overtook the bicyclists, the bicyclist actually had to put his hand on the motor vehicle to prevent a collision. Thats too close and a violation. I don't know if they have video of that part of the encounter, but there might be fingerprints. At least nobody was injured. How would you feel if your kid was riding the bike, in this motor vehicles next encounter with a bicyclist?

My kid won't be a dipshit and spend an entire day riding his bike on 2 lane roads where vehicles are doing highway speeds. When he is an adult he can choose for himself and put his life at risk. These guys should have never been on that road to begin with. These guys didn't pull off to the side of the road when a car is honking at them. Why not take the quickest turnoff or dirt patch and stop your bike and get off. instead they continued to ride. The motorist, per the law did what he was supposed to do. He didn't pass them in the video. He honked like he was supposed to. The bikers didn't move over. I hope to see the bikers get a ticket, not the driver.

In the bikers mind they feel like they own the road. That is great in theory but they WILL lose if they get run over. The guy in the vehicle may or may not get in trouble but his body and his life are protected by a lot of steel. The ultralight bikes out there aren't going to save a bikers ass. The bikers need to think about that and GTF off the road and out of the way when vehicles are approaching.

It reminds me of the Ron White skit about the guy saying he can take on hurricane force winds. Same with these guys...I can pedal for days, I can ride 65mph down curving roads and blow through stop signs without getting ticketed.....yeah well you got a peterbuilt up your ass and a handlebar sticking out of your wind pipe.

[sniper7]

I agree, but most cyclists I know don't travel with their DL, so how would you issue the ticket? This could present a whole mess of problems- would it count against their driving record? Would it just simply be a fine? If a fine, then someone who could easily afford to pay it would just see it as a mild inconvenience and keep doing it? What other penalty options are available? What about youthful operators who are under 16 who violate the law on a bike?


This same problem occurs with me when going up and down Squaw Pass Rd... hundreds of cyclists every weekend go on that road, and with all the curves and what not it can get very dangerous, especially on the uphill where to your right is, at some places, 100's of feet of sheer vertical drop, I wouldn't want to be run off the road because someone is trying to safely pass a cyclist.

Like I added before. If they are going to be on the "road" and be "road bikes", then they need to be plated and carry a drivers license or an ID that shows they competently passed the required knowledge test and they understand the laws of the "road". Then when they break those laws, points and fines are assessed against them. Don't like it? Don't ride on the road. Don't want to follow the laws, get a ticket and points against you.
As for the kids, a phone call to the parents from the police, or a warning by the cops should be able to do something. parenting would be the biggest issue here in my mind. Most 15+ are going to be driving anyways with a learners permit or their license. Under that I don't think you are going to see very many kids out all day on road bikes for a sunday ride. most will be in town going to the movies or a friends place.

[sniper7]

I just want to point out the obvious here:
It's a Speed LIMIT, not a Speed Minimum.
It's completely legal to drive as slow as you want if there is no posted minimum speed. Sure people might call you an asshole for driving under the speed limit in your Audi A8 (or on your fancy Ceepo or Kestrel bike), but it's not illegal.

Just another instance where what some may call stupid isn't illegal, but it can still get you harassed, flamed, killed, etc.

some roads do have minimum speeds posted. There are also times when drivers need to pull off the road and give way to other motorists. Just like you see slow moving semis, tractors, slow moving cars etc do. why should bikers be any different...cause they can't get off their "pace"?

[Teufelhund]

Some of you have raised some interesting points. If I had been one of the cyclists in this situation, I would probably have just steered off the road and stopped so the SUV could continue on his way. It's really not worth it to fight a big ass truck when you're on a bicycle. Right of way doesn't mean dick if you're dead.

We can argue about who was right according to the letter of the law, but I think we need to concede that both parties were just being stupid in this situation. Acting according to the law is not always the most sensible thing. Either party could have applied some common sense at some point and avoided the entire confrontation.

[Jer]

Some of you have raised some interesting points. If I had been one of the cyclists in this situation, I would probably have just steered off the road and stopped so the SUV could continue on his way. It's really not worth it to fight a big ass truck when you're on a bicycle. Right of way doesn't mean dick if you're dead.

We can argue about who was right according to the letter of the law, but I think we need to concede that both parties were just being stupid in this situation. Acting according to the law is not always the most sensible thing. Either party could have applied some common sense at some point and avoided the entire confrontation.

Yep. Exactly why I choose to no longer ride motorcycles on public road ways. Sure, I might be right in the 'accident' but what good does right be if you're dead? Had these bicyclists been messing with a deranged lunatic off his meds they might have gotten run over. Then what good does 'being right' mean?

Common sense is becoming increasingly uncommon.

[sniper7]

Some of you have raised some interesting points. If I had been one of the cyclists in this situation, I would probably have just steered off the road and stopped so the SUV could continue on his way. It's really not worth it to fight a big ass truck when you're on a bicycle. Right of way doesn't mean dick if you're dead.

We can argue about who was right according to the letter of the law, but I think we need to concede that both parties were just being stupid in this situation. Acting according to the law is not always the most sensible thing. Either party could have applied some common sense at some point and avoided the entire confrontation.

very true. It would have been much better if the bikers got off the road and let the vehicle pass. or it would have been better for the vehicle to pull off. take a few minutes and then continue on his way on an alternate route if he had one.

[theGinsue]

My kid won't be a dipshit and spend an entire day riding his bike on 2 lane roads where vehicles are doing highway speeds. When he is an adult he can choose for himself and put his life at risk. These guys should have never been on that road to begin with. These guys didn't pull off to the side of the road when a car is honking at them. Why not take the quickest turnoff or dirt patch and stop your bike and get off. instead they continued to ride. The motorist, per the law did what he was supposed to do. He didn't pass them in the video. He honked like he was supposed to. The bikers didn't move over. I hope to see the bikers get a ticket, not the driver.

In the bikers mind they feel like they own the road. That is great in theory but they WILL lose if they get run over. The guy in the vehicle may or may not get in trouble but his body and his life are protected by a lot of steel. The ultralight bikes out there aren't going to save a bikers ass. The bikers need to think about that and GTF off the road and out of the way when vehicles are approaching.

It reminds me of the Ron White skit about the guy saying he can take on hurricane force winds. Same with these guys...I can pedal for days, I can ride 65mph down curving roads and blow through stop signs without getting ticketed.....yeah well you got a peterbuilt up your ass and a handlebar sticking out of your wind pipe.

Like I added before. If they are going to be on the "road" and be "road bikes", then they need to be plated and carry a drivers license or an ID that shows they competently passed the required knowledge test and they understand the laws of the "road". Then when they break those laws, points and fines are assessed against them. Don't like it? Don't ride on the road. Don't want to follow the laws, get a ticket and points against you.
As for the kids, a phone call to the parents from the police, or a warning by the cops should be able to do something. parenting would be the biggest issue here in my mind. Most 15+ are going to be driving anyways with a learners permit or their license. Under that I don't think you are going to see very many kids out all day on road bikes for a sunday ride. most will be in town going to the movies or a friends place.

some roads do have minimum speeds posted. There are also times when drivers need to pull off the road and give way to other motorists. Just like you see slow moving semis, tractors, slow moving cars etc do. why should bikers be any different...cause they can't get off their "pace"?

You & Me: Kindred spirits!

I couldn't have said it better myself.

[hatidua]

I live in North Boulder on a street heavily used by cyclists. If I were to put a video camera out front, I'd have a very simple time recording AT LEAST 200 cyclists per hour, all day, any day of the week, blowing through the 4-way stop sign as if it didn't exist.

I've been given the finger on multiple occasions when I proceeded at a 4-way stop when it was my turn....because a cyclist didn't see it their duty to stop at all.

A cyclist got honked at a bit? I'm weeping in sympathy...oh, the tragedy of it all

[sniper7]

I live in North Boulder on a street heavily used by cyclists. If I were to put a video camera out front, I'd have a very simple time recording AT LEAST 200 cyclists per hour, all day, any day of the week, blowing through the 4-way stop sign as if it didn't exist.

I've been given the finger on multiple occasions when I proceeded at a 4-way stop when it was my turn....because a cyclist didn't see it their duty to stop at all.

A cyclist got honked at a bit? I'm weeping in sympathy...oh, the tragedy of it all

you should set up a cam and send it to the boulder police. email it to them and the boulder camera every day all day. maybe some state senators and congressman and get a bill set up to put these asshats in their place. either follow the laws of the road or get off it.

[sniper7]

You & Me: Kindred spirits!

I couldn't have said it better myself.

I love having a kindred spirit!