Share the road?

[BeachRob]

You know... 30a is pretty crowded. And despite having a bike path, the spandex crowd still wants to ride on automotive blacktop. I suppose that is all fine and well. But something yesterday got under my skin.

I was driving through Alys Beach. I stopped to let a family on beach cruisers cross the road. And, so they did. But, a "Lance Armstrong" was oncoming. And he had to stop as a result. He shook his head and cursed. I thought, "You a-hole! You want cars to accommodate you. But you won't accommodate single speed bikes or pedestrian traffic."

Maybe be its time we paved scenic 30a with bricks.

 

[James Bentwood]

I always stop for bikers to be safe. Even though the law is that if you are on a bike you have to follow the rules a car does and you should be seen as a car by drivers. Except people in South Walton stop for bikes all the time because quite often it's kids and adults who don't know the laws. If we didn't stop for bikers we'd be running over them all the time. They think cars are going to stop for them, and they often do. Cars shouldn't stop for people on bikes according to the law - even though you are being nice, you shouldn't stop except for pedestrians in designated crosswalks.

The spandex biker sounds like an uptight (pun intended) dude who wants other bikers to follow the law.

If you are on a bike follow the same rules as if you're in a car. If you want cars to stop for you then you should dismount and walk your bike. Then you become a pedestrian and cars have to stop for you.

 

[Will B]

If this happened at a designated crosswalk, then, the cyclist was in the wrong, but if it didn't, he had no obligation to stop. The finger can be pointed in either direction depending on where it happened.

 

[Leader of the Banned]

I do know, at least in Florida, no one actually has the right of way. The law only says who is supposed to yield. If someone just happens to violate the yield rule and is obstructing you as a driver, then you are absolutely required to either slow down or stop in order to avoid a collision. If a pedestrian is taking his time crossing the street somewhere other than a crosswalk, as a driver you are required to to stop. If you are a cyclist encountering this situation, you are absolutely required to stop regardless of whether or not the other parties might have been in the wrong. That cyclist may or may not have been rightfully pissed, but he has no legal ground to back it up.


http://www.123driving.com/flhandbook/flhb-right-of-way.shtml

Open Intersections
An open intersection is one without traffic control signs or signals. When you enter one, you must yield the right-of-way if:

• A vehicle is already in the intersection.

 

[Zebraspots]

A cyclist annoyed that he had to stop for other cyclists to cross the road is just an ass.

 

[Leader of the Banned]

Of course he's an ass, and I don't believe he can justify his dickishness with traffic laws either.

 

[BeachRob]

Was at a crosswalk.

 

[Lake View Too]

I say we lynch him...he's the one in the tight pants, right?

 

[Everytime]

I saw a similar scene on 30-A in front of the Seagrove Tom Thumb at the crosswalk to the beach access. I was across the street (on a mountain bike) on the multi-use path. Several cars from both directions had stopped to let pedestrians (families with kids, etc) and a few people with bikes cross. As some kids were crossing the road (and while vehicular traffic was stopped), a group of the "Lance Armstrong" cyclists as referenced above came riding down te right side of the westbound lane at a very good pace. The rider in the lead yelled ahead at the kids/families to get out of the road and that they wouldn't be able to stop. They proceeded to pace on through while everyone else was stopped.

Are there exceptions to traffic laws and road courtesies for certain types of cyclists? If so, we need to make the rest of the public, whether on foot or in vehicles or second-rate bikes aware of this so everyone knows to always yield to them appropriately.

 

[John G]

Locals Only....

I saw a similar scene on 30-A in front of the Seagrove Tom Thumb at the crosswalk to the beach access. I was across the street (on a mountain bike) on the multi-use path. Several cars from both directions had stopped to let pedestrians (families with kids, etc) and a few people with bikes cross. As some kids were crossing the road (and while vehicular traffic was stopped), a group of the "Lance Armstrong" cyclists as referenced above came riding down te right side of the westbound lane at a very good pace. The rider in the lead yelled ahead at the kids/families to get out of the road and that they wouldn't be able to stop. They proceeded to pace on through while everyone else was stopped.

Are there exceptions to traffic laws and road courtesies for certain types of cyclists? If so, we need to make the rest of the public, whether on foot or in vehicles or second-rate bikes aware of this so everyone knows to always yield to them appropriately.

We spent almost $2m under Com. C. Jones to have a "Bike Path" put in. NO ONE seems to use it except tourist baby buggies, unlicensed golf carts, causual bikers, etc.

Now this "monster" rears it very ugly head... Lance want to be's, beware, you are unwanted on our roads. Our local small businessesl cannot tolerate your abuse of FSS. They cannot survive.

We have gulf carts and other things to deal with...

Bike riders be damned...

Wear a helmet and cite FSS. Our sheriff won't enforce it...