Bike Lanes - A Recipe for Butthurt

[andygates]

Elsewhere there's a discussion about drivers parking on bike lanes - specifically, short-stop drivers like post vans.

See, this is one of those things that makes cycle lanes daft.  The obvious place for anything to stop is the side of the road.  Nobody's going to park in the middle of the road, or two hundred metres away.  Things stop on roads.  A and B are arbitrary points that can be anywhere, after all.

If a cycle lane is drawn on the edge of the road (and it has to be because they're for timid riders who are scared of going too far from the illusory safety of the kerb) then it's always going to be obstructed ad-hoc. 

The whole concept is a recipe for butthurt on all sides.  Cycle lane users get butthurt because their lane is blocked.  Delivery drivers get butthurt because all of a sudden they can't park any more to do their drop-offs.  The council get butthurt from both sides.

And I get butthurt listening to "wah sad cycle lane" tales.  Use the roads like grown-ups.

Comments

[calum]

I dont cycle often, but when I do, I find..

1) Cycle lanes are a waste of time - the safety I gain from using them is lost in the risk I take pulling out round parked vans..

2) I really DONT feel safe riding in traffic - I'm so much slower than the cars. Maybe if I was faster..

[ravenbait.livejournal.com]

You need to come out with me!

I feel perfectly safe riding in traffic.

Why?

Because THE GODS WON'T HELP THEM IF THEY TOUCH ME.

Drivers generally don't want to hit you, after all. So it's a question of making it as easy for them as possible. This means riding where they can see you and where they are looking for things not to hit. The next step is ignoring their butthurt. I'm doing it for their own good.

[andygates.livejournal.com]

I feel a need for bike shorts with a cartoon "glowing spanked arse" design and "butthurt" faux tattoo.

It'll pass.

[ravenbait.livejournal.com]

I WANT BUTTHURT SHORTS.

Oh! We could make that part of the League jersey design! Derek throwing scorn upon butthurt!

[calum]

You need to come out with me!

Would love to, but I'd feel I was slowing you down.. a lot.

[ravenbait.livejournal.com]

I can pootle!

I have bikes that will pootle!

Not the new one, though. No. Not that one.

[calum]

Ok, well lets find a time - puzzle and I can borrow bikes from the nice shop again, and we can go ride somewhere.

[andygates.livejournal.com]

Haul 'er down to the kayak people, too. :)

[skean.livejournal.com]

Frickin other cyclists are my bugbear tonight. Warping downhill, two lane one way road. Coming up to set of lights at about 50kmh. Green for me. Cyclist on perpendicular road RIDING ON THE PAVEMENT just decides they are going to ignore the red light, pull out in a nice sweeping wide 90 degree turn about into the middle of the two lanes, then meander back to the cycle lane on the right hand side and pootle along their way. My incoherent scream of and froth of rage appeared to have no effect.

Mitigated by overtaking two Hell's Angels chatting up a girl on a scooter going uphill :-)

[andygates.livejournal.com]

Did you seduce her with your snakelike hips?

[skean.livejournal.com]

Possibly my extremely worn through in the seat area tri suit may have had some effect.

[andygates.livejournal.com]

Booty call!

[ladyjulian.livejournal.com]

You forgot "other motorists get butthurt because they see a cyclist riding next to a perfectly good cycle lane and not in it because it's full of parked cars."

Someone the other day tried to tell me, apparently seriously, that he thought I should be riding in the cycle lane "where it wasn't blocked" i.e. bob in and out of it like I'm stripping the frickin willow of something, between the parked cars. Tchah.

[andygates.livejournal.com]

Ah yes, that one. We take slices of their road, then we still get in their way, and its their road tax that pays for EVERYTHING even FATHER CHRISTMAS.

The butthurt, it is strong.

[andygates.livejournal.com]

Also, props for a country-dancing reference.