Bikers - use the BIKE path!

One day my father was running errands in my mother's car and heard a thump!
A girl on a bike had run into the side of the car (a little Subaru hatchback).

He called the cops, despite her protests, who then ticketed the girl for operating illegally on a commercial sidewalk and noted in their report that she admitted her brakes didn't work so she couldn't stop.

Several hours later he got a call from his insurance company because she had filed a claim against HIM!

He told the insurance company that 1) she was in the wrong per the police report 2) if they settled he was getting a new insurance company.

And that is why you ALWAYS call the cops, even for a minor accident!

I think the traffic speed on 98 is a bit high for bikers,

:clap: That is right.

:clap: That is right.

SIDE A: 'Kay. So I don't live down there, but this year was the first year in a long, long time that I didn't do a lot of extensive bike-riding on 30-A.

I rode the path. I left Gulf Trace and go east to the far side of Seagrove on the path/sidewalk, or I went west to where the path ended (before they extended it.) If I was feeling spunky, I went a little further on the right side of the road, obeying traffic laws. If a car was trying to get around me, I went as far over as I could without risking injury to myself.

If I came upon a walker/jogger/toddler on a trike who was going slower than I was, I told them that I was passing on the left. Then I moved to the right. I was burning calories and sightseeing, not training for the Tour de Georgia, though.

I never had a single, solitary problem with it. (Actually, yes I did. A couple of years ago in Watercolor, I let the front tire go off the sidewalk and I went down like a ton of bricks. Pure klutziness.)

SIDE B: I've been vacationing in SoWal for the last dozen years. If I'm in a hurry to get somewhere in my car, I stay on 30-A for as short a distance as possible. After all, it's a scenic route. Lots of bikers, pedestrians, dogs, small children, and people who aren't quite sure where they are or how much they actually drank recently.

SUMMARY: I would probably see things differently if I lived there full-time, but from here I'm siding with the "chillax" crowd. 98 will get you there in a hurry. 30-A should be friendly to road bikers (who should be courteous), path bikers, skaters, walkers, joggers, unicycle clowns, people on jwarnky skateboards, and the occaisional marathoner...

I just had an idea. Drivers who are in a hurry, could drive on Hwy 98 rather than 30A.

I just had an idea. Drivers who are in a hurry, could drive on Hwy 98 rather than 30A.

:clap: Seems simple enough to this tourist!

:clap: Seems simple enough to this tourist!

Due to heavy traffic on 30A, I decided to try riding on the bike path through Seagrove rather than on 30A as I do when traffic is light. I've never come close to being hit on 30A except for the time I was in a hurry and blew through a stop sign and was almost hit (stupid me). However, while on the bike path going west, a truck pulled out in front of me and missed me by a fraction of an inch. People pulling out of driveways on the southside of 30A and making right hand turns typically don't look to their right (FOR BIKERS, RUNNERS, ETC) before turning making collisions with serious bikers on the path a major issue. I'll stick to the road as it is the best place and safest place to ride.

Due to heavy traffic on 30A, I decided to try riding on the bike path through Seagrove rather than on 30A as I do when traffic is light. I've never come close to being hit on 30A except for the time I was in a hurry and blew through a stop sign and was almost hit (stupid me). However, while on the bike path going west, a truck pulled out in front of me and missed me by a fraction of an inch. People pulling out of driveways on the southside of 30A and making right hand turns typically don't look to their right (FOR BIKERS, RUNNERS, ETC) before turning making collisions with serious bikers on the path a major issue. I'll stick to the road as it is the best place and safest place to ride.

Although the rules of the road state that bicycles have the right of way to motorized vehicles, and pedestrians have the right of way to everybody else (assuming in both cases that bikes and pedestrians are following the rules, too) I learned on a motorcycle that I should always assume that every other vehicle is out to get me.

It's a good rule on a bicycle, too--assume that they don't see you, they won't stop for you, and they might hit you.

One time I was driving in my car and some rude person in another CAR ran a stop sign and hit me. If they had been obeying the traffic rules that would not have happened.

Another time I was driving in my car and a rude person made a u turn right in front of me and I hit him. If he would have been obeying the traffic rules I would not have hit him.

Sound familiar

I am curious. Is there a way to find out how many bike/car accidents occur on 30-A? I mean, is there any way locally to get statistics of these accidents, and how often they occur?

Bikers don't bother me, I just try my best to slow down and watch out for them, as well as pedestrians.

One time I was driving in my car and some rude person in another CAR ran a stop sign and hit me. If they had been obeying the traffic rules that would not have happened.

Another time I was driving in my car and a rude person made a u turn right in front of me and I hit him. If he would have been obeying the traffic rules I would not have hit him.

Sound familiar

Yes.

All driveways on the south side of 30A should be required by the county to have a stop and L@@K for bikers signs. :yikes: We've all seen how many people just pull right over it, easily forgetting about the bike path.
What 😱 's me is when people use it as their personal parking space and just block the whole thing off not even caring about its use as a bike path. Then you have to ride in the road. :roll:

:clap: That is right.

Is it not also correct that 98 has far fewer cross streets/intersections which is the primary source of potential accidents than the speed of the cars?

Tim; from your posts it would seem that you are not a biker. It is far easier for you in a car to drive to 98 to get to your destination.I live off 30a, as i know you do. If I have a destination on or near 30a, I am not riding up to 98 to get there on my bicycle, just so the 30a flow is not interrupted! Further, the high speed and volume of traffic on 98 is absolutely nerve racking on a bicycle! As for flow on 30a, you know that bicycles are a very minor inconvenience compared to slow tourist traffic. I am NOT complaining about that...just saying! I ride the path and it is dangerous. There are no stats on accidents because most are not reported. Two friends have had collisions with cars on the path in the past month that I know of. In both cases it was cars crossing the path without looking! I'm saying chill. If you are in a hurry, turn north at any intersection and stomp down and consume fuel!

Is it not also correct that 98 has far fewer cross streets/intersections which is the primary source of potential accidents than the speed of the cars?

Timmy, Timmy, Timmy... We need to get you on a road bike on the multi-use path on 30A and see how you do. I wouldn't take the speed of the cars on 98 over the driveways crossing the multi-use path on 30A, and vice versa. IMO, death is more likely to occur from getting ran over on Hwy 98 by drivers traveling at high rates of speeds, than from bikers running into drivers who don't think to look and yield to foot, skate and bike traffic on the multi-use trails.

One other thing, there are signs posted in Seaside beside the sidewalk (multi-use trail) which note that no skates or bicycles allowed. As I mentioned before, that has to be confusing to a normal person who takes the time to read them, much less people who removed their thinking caps for the vacation.

In regards to requiring Stop and Look signs to be posted on every driveway which crosses 30A, most signs around here are ignored. I don't think that would help much. Also, one problem is that some driveways crossing 30A, do not have good visibility due to landscaping (or lack of appropriate landscaping) and the drivers have to stop on top of the multi-use path in order to see.

One last thing, it is still legal to ride a bicycle on the road. 😀

I thought the no skates/bikes signs in Seaside were only posted on the sidewalks off 30A - the ones around the amphiteatre, by the gelato shop, andin Ruskin Place. I ride my bike on the 30A sidewalk/path all the time.

We're talking about issues of courtesy and safety, and how we can best peacefully co-exist, not whether bikes or cars are better, which have the right of way etc.

It seems that the bikers think the cars should go out of their way to avoid them, watch out for them, and conform their driving habits to the bikers' speeds and routes, and that anyone who voices a dissenting opinion is anti-bike.

Drivers think it's the bikers fault, bikers think it's the driver's fault.........and both of them respecting each other and watching out for each other would solve the problem!

It seems that the bikers think the cars should go out of their way to avoid them, watch out for them, and conform their driving habits to the bikers' speeds and routes, and that anyone who voices a dissenting opinion is anti-bike.

...and both of them respecting each other and watching out for each other would solve the problem!

Where the heck do you come up with that thought? I don't ride my bicycle in the middle of the lane. I ride the white line as the road allows. I gladly share the road with motorists. It is the motorists who have been complaining about the road bikes being ridden in the road. They have been the ones telling us where to ride on the roads if we must. You can call it anti-bike, but I haven't said that. IMO, anti-bike people would say not to ride bicycles at all. 6th Gen has suggested that we shouldn't ride them for transportation, but his statements were about as close to being anti-bike as any I've read. Still, I don't think he is anti-bike. My post suggesting that if Timmy has a problem with the speed of bicyclers on 30A, maybe he needs to drive his car on hwy 98, was playing off of his previous post suggesting that road bikes get off of 30A and ride on hwy 98 with drivers who are traveling 75+mph.

Most of the last sentence in your last paragraph is very true. I have respect for auto drivers whether I'm on foot, bike or auto. I try my best to follow the rules of the road. I even do fairly well with following the laws regarding speed.

Hope this man doesn't come ride:

NWFlorida Daily News 6-7-07.

Bicyclist arrested for road rage
Jill Nolin

Tuesday June 5th, 2007

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A bicyclist was charged with aggravated assault and criminal mischief Saturday after he became enraged at a motorist whose vehicle was blocking a sidewalk access on Miracle Strip Parkway in Fort Walton Beach.

Edwin Mark Christenson, 50, who has no known address, was riding his bicycle in front of the Acura Dealership when he found the vehicle blocking his path, according to a Fort Walton Beach police report.

Christenson began to yell obscenities at the woman driver and then struck the hood of the vehicle, leaving a large dent, the report stated.

He then waved a pocket knife outside the passenger side window and continued to yell obscenities.

The vehicle was occupied by three females and an infant boy.

O.K. this dead horse has been beaten to death. Stay out of the way while I'm on my Big Wheel and my Green Machine!!!!!!:floor: View attachment 5280

Edwin Mark Christenson, 50, who has no known address, was riding his bicycle in front of the Acura Dealership when he found the vehicle blocking his path, according to a Fort Walton Beach police report.

Sounds like the guy was riding his bicycle on the sidewalk. He should get a ticket for that.