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Aren't bicycles suposed to stop at stop signs?



 
 
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  #1  
Old September 9th 03, 03:22 AM
Ken
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Default Aren't bicycles suposed to stop at stop signs?

Steve + Laura wrote in news:3F5D38C6.6050207
@yahoo.com:
I went on a charity group ride the other day, and saw hundreds of
bicyclists ride through 30 or 40 stop signs. The number of cyclists I
saw stop for a stop sign: zero.

Aren't you supposed to obey normal traffic rule on a bike?


Depends on the arrangement the charity has with the local police. Sometimes
they close the course so only cyclists are allowed on the roads. Sometimes
they have marshalls to direct traffic. Usually they don't.
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  #2  
Old September 9th 03, 03:32 AM
Joel Lowrie
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Default Aren't bicycles suposed to stop at stop signs?

cyclists are supposed to obey all traffic signals just the same as other
road traffic. many inexperenced cyclists don't realize this and run
stop signs.

Steve + Laura wrote:

I went on a charity group ride the other day, and saw hundreds of
bicyclists ride through 30 or 40 stop signs. The number of cyclists I
saw stop for a stop sign: zero.

Aren't you supposed to obey normal traffic rule on a bike? I even saw
riders blow through a stop sign at an intersection holding up a car
that had no stop sign. The driver stopped, but was more than a little
annoyed.

Is this how I'm supposed to ride on the street? Seems a bit unsafe...

Steve.


  #3  
Old September 9th 03, 03:36 AM
Rick Onanian
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Default Aren't bicycles suposed to stop at stop signs?

On Tue, 09 Sep 2003 02:19:51 GMT, Steve + Laura
wrote:
I went on a charity group ride the other day, and saw hundreds of
bicyclists ride through 30 or 40 stop signs. The number of cyclists I saw
stop for a stop sign: zero.


That's terrible. You should make a big stink!

Aren't you supposed to obey normal traffic rule on a bike? I even saw


Absolutely.

riders blow through a stop sign at an intersection holding up a car that
had no stop sign. The driver stopped, but was more than a little annoyed.

Is this how I'm supposed to ride on the street? Seems a bit unsafe...


No. Do not ride that way.

It's possible that there was some reason that
the charity group ride was supposed to do that,
but it's still terrible.

Cyclists will never be safe as long as some
ruin it for all like that.

Steve.

--
Rick Onanian
  #4  
Old September 9th 03, 03:36 AM
Fred
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Default Aren't bicycles suposed to stop at stop signs?


"Steve + Laura" wrote in message
...
I went on a charity group ride the other day, and saw hundreds of
bicyclists ride through 30 or 40 stop signs. The number of cyclists I
saw stop for a stop sign: zero.

Aren't you supposed to obey normal traffic rule on a bike? I even saw
riders blow through a stop sign at an intersection holding up a car that
had no stop sign. The driver stopped, but was more than a little annoyed.

Is this how I'm supposed to ride on the street? Seems a bit unsafe...

Steve.


In our state cyclists are required to obey traffic laws. Our club rides do.
They stop for lights and signs when they encounter them. I don't always do
it when I ride alone, though. I look out for traffic at an intersection and
I stop if I see anything. Otherwise I just go throug carefully.

My daily solo riding is on country roads at the crack of dawn and I rarely
encounter traffic so it isn't as dangerous as it would be in more populated
areas. In fact I broke a record just last Tuesday morning. I went 11
miles before I saw my first vehicle which passed from the opposite
direction. I saw only one additional one on the 16 mile ride and not a
single one in my lane. It is the only time I have gone that far without
having a single vehicle pass me. Good area for cycling.

Fred



  #5  
Old September 9th 03, 04:19 AM
David L. Johnson
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Default Aren't bicycles suposed to stop at stop signs?

On Tue, 09 Sep 2003 02:22:29 +0000, Ken wrote:

Steve + Laura wrote in news:3F5D38C6.6050207
@yahoo.com:
I went on a charity group ride the other day, and saw hundreds of
bicyclists ride through 30 or 40 stop signs. The number of cyclists I
saw stop for a stop sign: zero.

Aren't you supposed to obey normal traffic rule on a bike?


Depends on the arrangement the charity has with the local police.
Sometimes they close the course so only cyclists are allowed on the

roads.

Doubtful. Besides, there were cars there, according to the OP. On our
rides we always say that you have to obey all traffic laws. It doesn't
help much.

Yes, as long as yahoos on bikes ignore the laws, we will not be treated
decently by drivers -- and cops. But also, as long as we are marginalized
on the roads, there are cyclists who will feel that they get no protection
from the law, so have no respect for it.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not
_`\(,_ | certain, and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to
(_)/ (_) | reality. -- Albert Einstein


  #6  
Old September 9th 03, 04:33 AM
Robin Hubert
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Default Aren't bicycles suposed to stop at stop signs?

"Steve + Laura" wrote in message
...
I went on a charity group ride the other day, and saw hundreds of
bicyclists ride through 30 or 40 stop signs. The number of cyclists I
saw stop for a stop sign: zero.

Aren't you supposed to obey normal traffic rule on a bike? I even saw
riders blow through a stop sign at an intersection holding up a car that
had no stop sign. The driver stopped, but was more than a little annoyed.

Is this how I'm supposed to ride on the street? Seems a bit unsafe...


It's like all large group gatherings where sheep bleat in unison. Critical
Ass mentality takes over and anarchy reigns.

I recommend ignoring it or go ride your bike somewhere else.



--
Robin Hubert



  #7  
Old September 9th 03, 10:10 AM
Steve McDonald
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Default Aren't bicycles suposed to stop at stop signs?


Riding bicycles through stop signs in the U.S. is much like the
colloquial practice of using dangling prepositions at the end of phrases
and sentences. It isn't correct, but most of us do both routinely.
Some would say that this almost unanimous behavior makes it excusable.

I ride many miles every day and I'm sorry to say that I only rarely
see any other bicyclists observing either stop signs or red lights,
unless cross-traffic makes it necessary. It would make an interesting
study, to try to determine why so many of us behave like this.

Steve McDonald

  #8  
Old September 9th 03, 12:25 PM
Peter Cole
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Default Aren't bicycles suposed to stop at stop signs?

"David L. Johnson" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 09 Sep 2003 02:22:29 +0000, Ken wrote:


Yes, as long as yahoos on bikes ignore the laws, we will not be treated
decently by drivers -- and cops.


I think this, although often claimed, would be very difficult to prove. From
my personal experience, I don't believe it to be true at all. Motorist and
police irritation seems to be based completely on the perception of cyclists
causing delays to motor traffic. They don't want you to behave, they just
don't want you there in the first place.


  #9  
Old September 9th 03, 12:33 PM
Peter Cole
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Default Aren't bicycles suposed to stop at stop signs?

"Rick Onanian" wrote in message
news
On Tue, 09 Sep 2003 02:19:51 GMT, Steve + Laura

..

Cyclists will never be safe as long as some
ruin it for all like that.


What do you mean by that? Whether a cyclists stops or not is of little concern
for me. I never assume bikes or cars will stop, see me, or travel the right
way, or right side of a road. That's the only way to be safe.


  #10  
Old September 9th 03, 01:38 PM
Brunswick_kate
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Default Aren't bicycles suposed to stop at stop signs?

Steve + Laura wrote:
I went on a charity group ride the other day, and saw hundreds of
bicyclists ride through 30 or 40 stop signs. The number of cyclists I
saw stop for a stop sign: zero.
Aren't you supposed to obey normal traffic rule on a bike? I even
saw riders blow through a stop sign at an intersection holding up a
car that had no stop sign. The driver stopped, but was more than a
little annoyed.
Is this how I'm supposed to ride on the street? Seems a bit unsafe...
Steve.




Yes. Cyclists are supposed to stop at stop signs. We're vehicles and
we're traffic and all the traffic rules apply. That said, I'll claim
guilty as charged. I have gone through stop signs without coming to a
full stop, particularly when I'm on a trail where the trail is to yield
to road traffic. The "slow down, look both ways, boogie if there's no
traffic" is more laziness on my part than anything else.

I'm also aware of the fact that if I blow through a stop sign and get
smacked for my stupidity, it's my fault and not the drivers.



--
Insanity has its price -- Please have exact change.

Insanity has its price -- Please have exact change.

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