Snapshot: bike lane indicators get straight to the point

Via Sean Bonner's tumblr, no idea where it's from.

Update: This photograph was taken by Carlton Reid, and the stencil street art it documents is the work of Peter Drew of Adelaide, Australia.

Boing Boing editor/partner and tech culture journalist Xeni Jardin hosts and produces Boing Boing's in-flight TV channel on Virgin America airlines (#10 on the dial), and writes about living with breast cancer. Diagnosed in 2011. @xeni on Twitter. email: xeni@boingboing.net.

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Anonymous

My kids and I ride bikes to get to school rather than take the bus. We love doing this every day, it is great time together and great exercise. The only problem I have ever had with bikes on the road is that they want to share the road, but the don’t want to obey the traffic rules. Stop signs for example…
nutbastard

oh that said, i did lose 10lbs at burning man last year, in no small part from all the bike riding. but it was a bad 10lbs to lose – at 6’1″ it’s no good to drop down to 150lbs.
Anonymous

Ulti, image envisages the fact. Commendable creativity. Supporting bike as it produces ZERO Carbon footprint for the sake of precious earth and priceless life. I earn money to live life longer and happier. Bike ride helps for burning fats and saving money at present and in future(hospitalization costs) and forever (green environment).

Didnt read all comments but i read first comment by WhittyCommentar, its hilarious dude… Drink and Drive is legal only for Bicycle :)
delt664

Tell you what…..

Let me ride my motorcycle in bike lanes when I want to get around traffic, and I will ignore the several bicyclists I see illegally lane splitting, running red lights, hopping on and off sidewalks, and riding crosswalks on a daily basis.

If not, maybe its time to push for licensing and registration of ALL vehicles that operate on the road……
Anonymous

Except that you can get a ticket for both, and I know people that have.
Anonymous

A 30 mile bike ride should only take 2 hours max. But, for many would take 1.5 hours.
SeattlePete

I’ve gotten 2 tickets while riding a bike before. Both were classified as moving violations, but did not impact by auto insurance. Both times I was in a situation where I was not able to stop safely, and so chose to A) change lanes without signaling and B) pass through an intersection while a pedestrian was in it.

Both times I was actively jeered by the people in their cars as I was getting the ticket (and both times this was a motorcycle cop that pulled me over). “Lock him up!”…”cuff him!”…”use the taser!”…people were soooo excited to see me getting a ticket on my bike. At first I was kind of pissed about it, but as the abuse continued I realized that I was making these peoples day. They were on their way, like me, to another soul-sucking day of drudgery at the office, but now they were excited, elated and thrilled to get to work and tell all their friends about the schmuck on the bike who got pulled over.

I guess what I am trying to say is…cops suck.
- Anonymous
  
  Pete,
  You do cycle commuting a hugh disservice. Your wrecklessness should be ticketed – sorry you don’t feel responsible for your actions.
- Neon Tooth
  
  Those seem like ridiculously trivial things to get a ticket for, I imagine that while you were getting your ticket a number of more serious car violations were probably taking place all around you. I’m not surprised to hear about the drivers whoopin’ it up, we live in a culture that’s very anti-bike. Jealously, stupidity, ignorance? Maybe all three.
  - Brainspore
    
    I’m not surprised to hear about the drivers whoopin’ it up, we live in a culture that’s very anti-bike. Jealously, stupidity, ignorance? Maybe all three.
    
    There are assholes on all sides. My wife recently had a front axle break while driving with our infant twins. A passing bicyclist took the time to chew her out for attending to the screaming babies instead of pulling the rest of the way off the road, despite the fact that the front wheels were obviously pointing in different directions.
    - Neon Tooth
      
      Well I drive as well as bike so I see both sides. Regardless, of your run ins with the occasional biker who happens to be an ass this IS an anti-bike/pro-car culture. Nobody’s going to scream at every car that goes by to “get off the road!” that you have the legal right to be on. Not so with bikes. There’s a general larger animosity that has nothing to do with a cyclists actual behavior.
    - IronEdithKidd
      
      Gods, I hope your wife hailed the biker with a hardy “fuck you!” Or “why don’t you just pick the fucking van up and move it over, then, you insufferable prick.”
- WhittyCommentary
  
  Once again, I would LOVE it if Cops would enforce ANY law concerning bikes. Over the summer I have…
  
  -Seen bikes run stop signs
  -Seen bikes run red lights
  -Seen bikes occupy entire lanes
  -Seen bikers drinking while riding
  -Seen bikers ridicule cars while occupying an entire lane
  -Seen a biker ride the wrong way down a one way street and not seem to concerned about the barrage of cars coming towards him
  -Completely unprovoked, had a biker throw a full slushee on my windshield
  
  It’s not even worth it to count the number of times they do things without reflectors or lights (helmets aren’t required in my state) or don’t bother to use hand signals. And yet they still act like they’re Lords of the Environment because they ride a bike when the city isn’t covered in snow.
  
  And spare me the “Not all bikers are like that” lecture. I actively look for bikers following the law. I lean out my window and openly applaud them when I see it. The anger outnumbers the applause.
  - Anonymous
    
    Wow.
    I’ve seen all the infractions you mention from the seat of my bicycle. All of them involving cars.
    
    I no longer cycle. Why? It’s too easy and cheap to drive. I do miss my fitness and stamina, but I am having such a good time sitting here typing nonsense, gaining pounds.
  - Anonymous
    
    In most places, bikes count as vehicles and are entitled to occupy an entire lane if they choose to.
    - Donald Petersen
      
      In most places, bikes count as vehicles and are entitled to occupy an entire lane if they choose to.
      
      I sometimes have occasion to wonder if this is true even on roads with designated bike lanes. Every now and then I’ll be zipping along Forest Lawn Drive on my way to work, and I’ll come across a whole herd of cyclists, riding along in an actual peloton like it’s the Tour de Burbank or something. Shouldn’t they be in single-file in the bike lane? Or two-by-two? Is the sport so social that they have to hog their own lane plus a car lane, blocking everyone’s way like 9th-grade girls on their way to study hall?
      - skeletoncityrepeater
        
        Many people posting here seem to be in California. The Vehicle Code and its practical legal interpretations are easy to find on the DMV site and other bike-related sites. As I recall, it’s OK to ride 2 by 2, if there is more than one lane in that direction, but the pairs should flatten to 1 by 1 if impeding the lane. Also, bicylce lanes are pretty unsafe in most parts of town because they are right next to the unpredictable parked cars. Most cyclists (lawful and unlawful) would rather ride close to same-direction traffic than to hit a sharp, stationary car door. In general, the bike can have as much lane as is necessary for the rider to feel safe. (As a side note, I do stop at lights and slow nearly to a stop at stop signs, enough to see all traffic in all directions. And it’s not a considerable ‘waste of energy’ to stop, that is laughable, bikes are made for efficiency and start back up with the weight of the rider… I’m sure the guy who posted about that is not on a 25 pound Huffy Beach Cruiser.)
      - Anonymous
        
        In virtually all jurisdictions, cyclists are not compelled to ride in bicycle lanes. I personally almost never use them when they’re present, because they’re frequently next to parallel-parked cars whose occupants are prone to flinging the doors open or pulling out into the bike lane without looking. It’s a judgment call, though. I use them if they appear safe, but if they don’t (which is almost always the case), I don’t.
  - Olly McPherson
    
    There’s plenty of bad behavior from cyclists; I’ve become less inclined to make excuses for my fellow riders as I’ve seen it myself over the years.
    
    A couple notes, though:
    
    1. Bikes can generally occupy full lanes when it would be unsafe to do otherwise. That’s certainly the law where I live.
    
    2. Judging from my commute, I’m one of the more law-abiding bikers in the city I live in, but even I ride through every stop sign if there’s no one around.
    
    Sure, it’s breaking the law, but even the police don’t seem to care, and I’d rather break the law than waste the energy of coming to a full stop at every empty intersection.
    
    If pedestrians or cars have right of way, one should stop, obviously.
    - WhittyCommentary
      
      That’s a great point. I think I’ll start cruising through stop signs in my car. I mean….total waste of energy for me to stop.
      - Olly McPherson
        
        Yeah, they’re a perfect parallel, aren’t they? Bikes are different from cars, in turns of range of vision, maneuverability and the physical energy required to start and stop.
        
        If you Google “Bicycles Yield at Stop Signs,” you’ll see that a number of groups have proposed enabling cyclists to legally treat stop signs as yield signs (as they do in reality). This is currently the law in Idaho.
        
        Of course, cars follow the rules of the road without exception, so I can see where bikes riding through an empty intersection is infuriating.
        
        In any case, it seems you want to rant instead of having a discussion, so I’ll leave it there.
      - WhittyCommentary
        
        Well…if commenting due to having a slow work day is ranting….I guess I’m ranting.
        
        Let’s say there is an intersection in a residential neighborhood with a stop sign that is not a four-way stop. I know that I usually go about 15 to 20 mph in a neighborhood and a bike (in theory) could go that fast as well. So we have two moving objects going the same speed towards an intersection and one of them decides to run the stop sign.
        
        Car and car – Most likely a fender bender. Exchange information. Go about your day.
        
        Bike and bike – Nasty crash. Brush it off. “You all right?” Go about your day.
        
        Car and bike – Ambulance. Hospital. Funeral?
        
        So…yeah maybe I’m ranting about bike laws, but it’s not because bikes are slow or taking up my time or whatever other reason. I want everyone to get home safe and I’m upset because bikers are putting me in danger, but more than me they’re putting themselves in danger. And you could point out that that’s their business, but if they decide to sue me because they got hurt by my driving when I was following the law and they weren’t….that impacts me.
        
        And no…not all drivers follow the law. But when I watch the road, most drivers aren’t intentionally disobeying it.
      - Neon Tooth
        
        Let’s say there is an intersection in a residential neighborhood with a stop sign that is not a four-way stop. I know that I usually go about 15 to 20 mph in a neighborhood and a bike (in theory) could go that fast as well. So we have two moving objects going the same speed towards an intersection and one of them decides to run the stop sign.
        
        You conveniently ignored that the OP said: Judging from my commute, I’m one of the more law-abiding bikers in the city I live in, but even I ride through every stop sign if there’s no one around.
        
        New York Times ethicist gives it the thumbs up as well:
        
        http://gothamist.com/2010/05/16/video_ny_times_ethicist_gives_ok_to.php
        
        You sound like many people who simply don’t/can’t/won’t ride a bike and are angry at those that do.
      - Anonymous
        
        I think you may be painting bicyclists with a broad brush. I did too, when I used my car as my primary vehicle. However, since choosing to bike instead of drive ~3 times per week, I noticed that there are far more safe and polite cyclists (and drivers) than not.
        
        Yes, I see cyclists who zip through stop signs/lights without looking around. Those people are rude and a hazard. I’ve seen people ride the opposite way down roads. Illegal and very dangerous.
        
        I’ve also experienced drunk drivers slam into my grandparents, my dad and 13-year-old step-sister (put dad in a coma, killed step-sister). I’ve seen cars driving the wrong way on one-way streets; accidents due to drivers talking on their cell phones; run red lights; drivers at night without their headlights on.
        
        But, I’ve also seen my friend get hit (though not injured) by a car while on his bike. Then the lady jumped out and insisted she take him to fix his bike. I’ve seen a driver chase me down to hand me something that fell out of my bike basket blocks back.
        
        But I don’t generalize them with *all drivers*. You don’t want to hear this, but there are stupid people behind the wheel of cars as well as bicycles, but there also are not. Hop on a bike, if you haven’t already, and it may change your perspective.
      - Anonymous
        
        I have yet to see a car come to a complete stop at a stop sign when there is no car coming in the opposite direction. Most drivers do just “cruise through” stop signs anyway.
  - Anonymous
    
    In most states, it is perfectly legal for bicyclists to occupy entire lanes; bicycles are not treated very differently under the law than most other vehicles (some exceptions for children riding on sidewalks, etc.)
Anonymous

I ride ~45 minutes one way to work. Surprisingly my drive, on the exact same route (it’s faster than the highway) is ~25 minutes. I consider an extra 20 minutes one way to be worth the fitness advantages.

I’m also a fairly law abiding cyclist. I will take the lane, as is my right, if it is unsafe for a car to pass, or unsafe for me to be close to the edge.

I’m not perfect. I don’t run red-lights, but I will roll slowly through stop signs if I can visually confirm there is no on-coming traffic (remember, my line of sight is higher than almost all cars, and pretty close to 360 without obstructions). Given the number of cars that roll through stop signs anyway, I don’t feel particularly guilty about this.

Why do I do this? Becuase it takes a lot more energy to stop the bicycle, put a foot down, and restart then it does to alternately press the brake then the gas. I’m not perfect, but neither is anyone else, and at least I’ve got a reason.
John V

Why is that people who ride bikes have to answer for the bad behavior or smugness of anyone who’s ever thrown a leg over a bike? This is probably how Muslims feel lately.
Neon Tooth

Let me ride my motorcycle in bike lanes when I want to get around traffic, and I will ignore the several bicyclists I see illegally lane splitting, running red lights, hopping on and off sidewalks, and riding crosswalks on a daily basis.

If not, maybe its time to push for licensing and registration of ALL vehicles that operate on the road……

I’ve seen the crotch rocket d-bags do that a number of times here in Chicago, saw a guy *this week* in fact. I’m all for enforcing the laws for all people on the road, that also means enforcing a shit ton of laws that involve cars not giving bikes proper space, cutting them off etc, all while illegally jabbering on the cellphone half the time. Laws that never get enforced.

I’d even settle for a public awareness program for now. I’m pretty much told at least once a week: “Get the fuck out the road, you supposed to be ridin’ on the sidewalk!”.
Anonymous

Ever since my first full time job, I have never understood how people could drive to work, deal with rush hour traffic, waste time finding a parking spot and then sit at their desks for 8 hours. It’s frustrating and makes me feel ill! I look forward to my morning and evening commute via bicycle every day – fresh air, exercise- it really clears my head and makes me so much less tired.

Driving may not make you fat per se, however it will add tons of lbs of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, cost you lots of money and take away from your free time to exercise. If you can- meaning your commute is at least under ten miles, which is very, very reasonable- why not bike?
- apoxia
  
  I totally agree with you. I love biking, and incorporating excercise into your day is a good way to make sure you get some exercise. Also, I don’t drive to work as I don’t have a park, so when it’s rainy I take the bus. This takes around twice as long to get me where I’m going (and costs a lot more), so I much prefer the bike.
  
  Just a reply to the DUI and cycling conversation. In New Zealand driving a bike drunk is NOT an offence. I know because I emailed the agency that deals with traffic offences and they explicitly said it was not an offence. So there you go :)
  - WhittyCommentary
    
    I don’t live in New Zealand.
- brillow
  
  People prefer to drive when they have a real commute. The average commute is 24 miles. Going 15 mph on a bike that would take would take 90 mins both ways. Most people who already lose close to an hour of their day on the road wouldn’t care to add an extra two to it for health or wealth. What good are those if you miss time with your family.
  
  What’s important to remember is to not enjoy something to the point of conceit. People do what they judge is best for them, who is anyone to argue?
  - Anonymous
    
    Repeated studies have shown that the average length of time of a person’s commute has remained surprisingly constant throughout periods of history that cross major shifts in commute mode. People who walk, drive, bicycle, or take public transit generally all have an average commute time of thirty minutes.
    
    The car made people’s commutes faster at first, but then they just started using it to justify moving further and further away from their jobs. It doesn’t have to be that way. I said it earlier, but having a car is the _reason_ people have long commutes.
Anonymous

Also unhealthy: stereotypes.
Anonymous

I love all the advocacy around bicycles. I love bicycles and I would love to ride my bike to work every morning. However, most companies decide to select their locations based on cheap property prices with very little (or I should say none) regard to the commuting time of the employees. As an example the company I work for just decided to move to a location that is 41 miles one way from my house. By car, it is going to take me 1.5 hrs of driving in each direction, every day. On a bicycle I would have to find alternative routes which will become 52 miles (according to Google) and should take me over 4.5 hrs in each direction. So… if my job would be to ride my bicycle to work and back, than I could use my bicycle to commute.

To use public transportation would take me about 1 hrs and 45 minutes. No express train is available and an unreliable chance that I could get my bicycle on the given trains.

The sad truth is that I am not alone in this situation. In the Bay Area (as an example) thousands of people are dealing with the same problems on a daily basis.

While I am the biggest advocate of using bicycles as a form of transportation, I am convinced that until we (the cities, governments, employers, etc,.) provide people with real alternatives, people have NO other choice but to use their cars.
Anonymous

Sure, except you could just live closer to your job, or encourage your government to invest in a clean, efficient, easy to use mass transit system, save mor money, and not feel the need to post stupid comments on the internet.
Anonymous

to paraphrase Orwell:

“Two wheels good, four wheels bad.”
Anonymous

Actually Apoxia, as a Kiwi I have to disagree with you. In New Zealand, it is in fact illegal. A bike is a mode transport, just as a car or motorcycle is.

The majority of roads in New Zealand do not have bike lanes, so bikes share the road. Riding drunk on a bicycle can cause just as much chaos as a drunk driver in a car.

Heres the actual law http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1998/0110/latest/DLM434523.html#DLM434523

Which the jist of says a person cant drive a motor vehicle while intoxicated… Ah hah, you say…a bicycle isnt a motor vehicle but then if you turn to the interpretation section and look up the definition of motor vehicle, you will find it applys to any vehicle that is mechanically driven, and a bicycle is just that.

http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1998/0110/latest/DLM433619.html#DLM433619
Anonymous

I live and work in the same town. That said, it is Oakland, CA.

If I were to ride my bicycle to work, it would involve crossing the #1 and #2 most dangerous neighborhoods, where knocking people off their bicycles with bats and stealing them is the local sport.

Just to head off the “go around them” folks, my job is IN on of those neighborhoods.

I love to ride, but not enough risk my life, daily, twice.
Boba Fett Diop

I prefer these symbols on a bike lane in Portland:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20014731-1.html

I usually treat manhole covers as power ups, but some star power would really help my commute- and there was that van last week that I really wanted to fling a turtle shell at.
nnguyen

The cloud of smug that “street art” produces probably rivals the cloud of smug from hybrid car drives. I mean, they not only love the smell of their own farts, they would probably do naughty things to it.

(yes, I’m referencing South Park)
Neon Tooth

This guy has a great blog that has tons of photos of cars illegally parking/blocking the bike lanes here in Chicago:

My Bike Lane
Anonymous

Nutbastard, there’s a few things wrong with your analysis. First, last I checked the caloric intake you need to bike 30 miles (which shouldn’t take more than 3 hours) is likely to cost less than a dollar (try whole wheat pasta, hard-boiled eggs, PB&J sandwich).

Second, you’re only considering two costs: time & fuel. I’m willing to bet active commuter will have much better long-range health prospects than the gas-guzzling commuter. You’re also not considering the negative externalities associated with air pollution and noise pollution. Those, too, have a societal cost to them.

I’m not saying that you the cost-benefit for your driving to work versus biking favors either one. But don’t try to use convoluted cost-benefit analysis to justify your preference, because you come off as being ignorant.
Baldhead

30 miles is a bit of distance but still shouldn’t take 4 hours. A bike designed for speed should do it in 2 hours, easy.

The flip side is how much does it cost you to drive to work in gas/ insurance/ maintenance for your car? When people around hare mention how they pay less rent living in the burbs i mention how owning and operating a car in this city WILL cost you an average $300/ month extra- usually more than the difference between our rents. Maintenance on a bike doesn’t go higher than $100/ year unless you’re prone to wreckage/ theft.
- nutbastard
  
  “30 miles is a bit of distance but still shouldn’t take 4 hours. A bike designed for speed should do it in 2 hours, easy.”
  
  I neglected to mention that this particular route entails some severe elevation changes. starting at 1500 feet, you climb to 3100 feet in 5 miles, then descend to 300 feet over the next 7 miles, then basically flat for the remaining 18 miles.
  
  not TOO bad on the way there, but the way back? fuuuuuuuck.
- nutbastard
  
  i’ve had this car for 1.5 years, total cost of ownership is at… lets see… $900 on tires, $3700 for the car to begin with, figure $100 for oil, $900 for insurance, and about $130/month for gas… so… $7900 over 18 months is $438 a month, however the car is still worth at least $3k so were I to sell it, net cost is $272 a month, or about $9 a day. but half of that is just the initial cost of the car itself. besides, driving is FUN.
Neon Tooth

I do not mind bikers though, I wish though they would ride on the sidewalk where it is legal (its legal everywhere in my town except downtown) as that would be considerate of my time.

What city is that? That’s completely ridiculous. Also, the last bit of your statement speaks volumes…..
Anonymous

Some people seem to live in Utopia.
While I like bicycles, and do enjoy them, as much as I do enjoy driving actually, and I do agree on them being healthier and so, but when you live in a very hot climate, you’ll arrive to work, sweating like a pig, and if your job requires some kind of formal dressing code, that would suck badly, unless we have to force companies to have showers and then after shower you have to change your clothes, and then dry your hair, and, and…
So driving to work is not about being careless about environment and about own health, it’s just the better way of doing things for some of us.
Anonymous

I’m all about bicycling as much as one can, it reduces emissions, burns fat and can be a great way to release stress. And I’m also happy to see all the new bike lanes that are going up. But I live in the city and I have to say that so many cyclists I come into contact with on the road do some pretty stupid and reckless things that they shouldn’t. change lanes without signaling run both red lights and stop signs, take left turns from the right lane and going the wrong way on one way streets. This is an issue for me mainly because when driving I try and give both motorcyclists and cyclists as much room and consideration as possible; because, I’m aware of the added risk that they face when riding on streets occupied with cars. So when I see them doing the kind of things I listed above, it pisses me off because I feel like I’m looking out for them while they’re just not even giving a shit. I’ve been cut off by bikers turning from the right lane through my lane to take a left turn??? WTF! Just crazy stupid and rude. I know not all bikers are like this but stereotyping is something most people have to deal with. Don’t be stupid and encourage your stupider friends that do theses things not to.
Anonymous

I bike and drive and do my best to be considerate and safe either ay, as I neither want to injure or be injured. Just the other day, I crossed at the light and was nearly hit by a driver on his cell phone who was trying to make a turn on red. I clearly had the right of way but for some reason, another driver yelled at me! Yes, there is a lot of animousity toward bicyclists.
SamSam

The signs would be even better if they said “This one burns fat and saves you money” and “This one burns money and saves you fat.

People associate “burning fat” with good things, whereas “running on fat” just sounds gross.

Re: “I save money because my time is expensive:” How much are you actually earning during your commute to and from work? It’s after the work hours, you’re not earning anything. The idea that “my time is worth $16/hour any hour of the day” is just silly. And when you’re watching TV, do you think “I’m spending $16/hour sitting on my butt watching TV?”

Re: “If cars have to stop and stop signs, bikes should too:” The question isn’t “why shouldn’t bikes have to obey the same laws as cars,” it’s “shouldn’t deadly vehicles be more tightly regulated than less-deadly vehicles?”

Cars kill thousands of people each and every week in the US. Bikes kill far far far fewer people, and generally only their own riders. So, yes, if I see it’s totally safe, I’m going to slowly through this stop sign. But I’m definitely going to call you out if you drive through the stop sign without killing, because that does kill people. Driving is moving around in a dangerous weapon, and you need to be more careful than pedestrians, roller-skaters or bicyclists. So don’t complain if the laws are stricter on you.
- SamSam
  
  That should have been “But I’m definitely going to call you out if you drive through the stop sign without stopping…” ;p
- brillow
  
  The function of a stop is both for safety and traffic control.
  
  Ask yourself WHY biker’s dislike stopping at signs where they can clearly see there is no danger. It is because they don’t want to lose their speed, it could be said they are too LAZY to stop.
  
  I do not mind bikers though, I wish though they would ride on the sidewalk where it is legal (its legal everywhere in my town except downtown) as that would be considerate of my time. Our town is very pro-bike, probably because the mayor for the past decade or so was a bike nut. He didn’t own a car, and was one of those people who would make sure you knew that.
  
  I suppose thats why the timing on the city’s traffic lights is so off.
  - SamSam
    
    Ask yourself WHY biker’s dislike stopping at signs where they can clearly see there is no danger. It is because they don’t want to lose their speed, it could be said they are too LAZY to stop.
    
    Nobody likes stopping at stop signs, cars or bikes. My point is rather that no one should complain that the more deadly machines should be kept to stricter standards than those machines that are far less dangerous to those around them.
    
    The old canard that it’s generally the cyclist who blows though the stop sign is false anyway. According to this Harvard page, motorcyclists were at fault in 42.4% of car-bike collisions, and bikes were at fault in 35.8% of them. Of the crashes, 21.7% involved cars failing to yield at intersections, and only 16.8% involved bikes failing to yield at intersections.
    - SamSam
      
      Sorry, my fingers keep typing other things than my mind is telling them to type.
      
      That should have been: “cars were at fault in 42.4% of car-bike collisions, and bikes were at fault in 35.8% of them.“
Anonymous

I bike commute 2 or 3 days each week and drive on the other days, so I’m a driver and a cyclist. I find the boorish anti-cycling attitude of some drivers maddening as well as the smug self-satisfied attitude of some cyclists. Not all cyclists are maniacs trying to run down pedestrians, not all drivers are fat slobs.
WhittyCommentary

But what I really like is how the law doesn’t pay attention to whether or not bikes are obeying the law so I can constantly run red lights and ride drunk. USA! USA! USA!
- Finnagain
  
  Sure! Until you are flattened by a Mac truck. Enjoy your freedoms!
- dculberson
  
  I realize you were making a snarky ironic comment, but a friend of mine was stopped by police while on her bicycle and told in no uncertain terms that she was facing a DUI. They ended up letting her go, but you certainly can (and people do) get a DUI on a bicycle.
  - keitmo
    
    Bicycle DUI (BUI?) statutes are per-state. For example, it’s legal in Washington State. http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=46.61.790
    - silkox
      
      Read the RCW a little more carefully: it says a drunk person walking a bicycle is to not to be hassled, but rather helped, if possible. I’m pretty sure a drunk person riding a bicycle is still eligible for a DUI. I do support cops cutting drunk-but-cooperative cyclists a little slack….
  - WhittyCommentary
    
    I wasn’t going to say anything but it’s been bothering me. Your friend almost got a DUI on a bicycle and the cop let them go?
    
    Can we imagine this scenario happening with a car?
    
    No…we can’t. It’s grossly irresponsible to be driving drunk in the first place and it’s even more irresponsible to let someone riding their bike drunk off the hook. Of course they aren’t operating a piece of machinery that weighs thousands of pounds…
    
    But they could swerve in front of it in a drunken stupor.
  - WhittyCommentary
    
    Great! Send those cops to my town because I saw a group of at least twenty bikers last night and most of them had open beers while they were riding.
  - Anonymous
    
    Depends on the jurisdiction. Cops will write tickets for anything if they think the law was violated regardless of if it was. In Illinois, there is clear precedent that a bicyclist cannot receive a dui for riding a bicycle while under the influence. One may still get a ticket for public drunkeness or disorderly conduct, however.
LandoHungus

And dont forget the aged and disabled. Those lazy oldsters have been getting fat on that free ride; the “automobile”, for to long. That also counts for bus’.
- Neon Tooth
  
  Uh, do you really think that message is:
  a) intended to be negative or meanspirited
  b) intended to shame people who aren’t physically able to ride bikes or take public transit?
  
  Really now….
  
  I doesn’t appear to be a stencil of a public trans bus either……
John V

“The problem here is that you commute 45 minutes to work. Most American cities were built with car traffic in mind. It’s too bad. People live far from where we work and shop and its bad for our health, our environment, and our wallets.”

That’s just it: Mostly with public money, we’ve made cars the only viable transportation in many places, especially the American west, and this leads to sprawl, congestion, and the squandering of too much valuable land to parking and freeways. Here in L.A. it’s bad for businesses because it inflates rents and there’s always a parking requirement.

Fortunately city planners have finally realized the insanity of all this. You’re starting to see a return to more transit-oriented development and walkable streets, even in Los Angeles.
nutbastard

Time *is* money. Lets say my time is worth $16/ hour. My 45 minute commute of 30 miles then costs me $3 in gas and $12 in time for a total of $15. Bicycling that distance, given the terrain, would consume 3 or 4 hours for a cost of $64 in time, and about $8 in fuel (calories) for a total of $72.

There are situations where bicycles make sense, but the fact remains that such circumstances apply to a small minority of people.

Smug fail. And cars don’t make you fat any more than chairs do.
- Anonymous
  
  Heheh, so start doing the math on what you spend – unnecessarily – in a gym and how much time you spend there. Then add to that the time, money and pain inherent in being unhealthy, overweight and not being able to work because of yet another slipped disc (and the rising health insurance cost). Add on top what you and your following generations are and will be subjected to because short-term thinkers were polluting the world with loads and loads of cars.
  What do you come up with?
- Anonymous
  
  If you don’t exercise, then the fitness gained is priceless. If you do exercise, then bicycling to work will offset time you would otherwise spend at the gym, so you can subtract that from your time cost. As far as the long commute goes, consider doing a hybrid commute. Similar to using a park and ride, you can drive to the city limits and then bicycle to work from there. As far as fat goes, yes a car makes you fat just like a chair. What’s your point? The car still makes you fat.
- Anonymous
  
  Nutbastard’s perspective is indicative of the problem our planet is facing. Our top transportation priorities are convenience, speed and cost to the end user, not health, safety and responsability.
  
  Personally I make transportation decisions based not only on the cost to myself but to the planet and to my community. The cost of destroying communities by building freeways through them is inestimable in terms of health problems, increased crime and plummeting property values.
- Anonymous
  
  Chairs are unhealthy!!! http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/23/stand-up-while-you-read-this/
- Anonymous
  
  Don’t forget to subtract out the time no longer needed for going to the gym twice a week, or running on a treadmill when you ride a bike to work.
  
  The problem is that people rely on their cars, and then use their existence to move 30 miles away from the city and spend an hour and a half in traffic every day. I stumbled into cycling accidentally, and began making my whole seven mile commute by bike. When it came time to move to a new location, I decided to move further in, rather than going outward like most. Now my commute is five minutes, and it would even take ten by car.
  
  Long story short, the car is the _reason_ you have a 45 minute commute.
- Anonymous
  
  and don’t forget to factor in the time and gas you use to get to the gym so you can exercise — oh and the gym membership fee, too! :)
- Anonymous
  
  @nutbastard – There is no way that a 30 mile commute costs you a mere $3 in fuel. Also, while it might take a beginner 3-4 hours to ride 30 miles, it wouldn’t for long. 15 miles per hour is fairly slow even on a bike, and going that slow would only take 2 hours. I’ll agree that most people wouldn’t commute 30 miles every day, but it isn’t anywhere near as “expensive” as you think it is.
- Anonymous
  
  How much money was the time worth that you spent making smug comments about “smug” cyclists?
- Anonymous
  
  The problem here is that you commute 45 minutes to work. Most American cities were built with car traffic in mind. It’s too bad. People live far from where we work and shop and its bad for our health, our environment, and our wallets.
- kramski
  
  how much your time is worth depends on how much time you have and what you do with it. If you’ve got time to waste and would spend it staring at the ceiling/television otherwise I am pretty sure three hours don’t equal $72
  
  aside from that… I think this image was aimed at inner city transport. I doubt anyone would suggest communiting 30 miles by bike. That’s what trains are for (unless you live in the USA which I suppose you do using dollar as currency and all that)
  - Anonymous
    
    I would!!! I used to ride 20 miles a day to class. It only takes about an hour.
  - Anonymous
    
    I ride 30 miles each way to work. It takes 15 minutes longer than the train or driving, and saves me between $10 (train) and $30 (driving + parking) a day; plus I get to be a smug git and post comments like this one. Priceless. ;-)
- rebdav
  
  How much is 10 or more extra years of healthy retirement worth to you in dollars?
  
  Not trying to be smug but I gained 10Kg in the first year I was married at 24, we can both really cook and making something nice together or as a surprise happened too often. I decided to solve the problem by cycling to work. I actually gained 2-3Kg but it was all muscle, my soft edges went away and I was sharper at my job and less stressed. Resting BP 100/60 pulse 55, I can eat anything I want but the rotten junk food seems much less unappetizing now that I eat in a large part for performance fuel.
  
  Xeni, what kind of bike do you pilot?
  - nutbastard
    
    “How much is 10 or more extra years of healthy retirement worth to you in dollars?”
    
    I don’t know, how much does 10 extra years of healthy retirement *cost*?
    - rebdav
      
      touche
    - rebdav
      
      I suppose it is not the worst problem to have to solve :)
    - Raines Cohen
      
      Good question – since most medical costs in most people’s lives are towards the end of life. But if you go into that period in greater health overall, it would seem the odds of facing extended expensive illness or the necessity to move somewhere with pricey integrated care are lower.
  - McMonahan
    
    Riding my bike to work has less to do with the dollars and cents of bike vs. car (+ parking!) and more to do with the health advantages. Not only do I feel and look better but my commute provides a nice separation between home and work.
dvs

I think it might be from here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/carltonreid/4646637491/
brillow

I’m all for bikes, but no one is for smugness.
brillow

Our town turned a two-way road and made it a one-way road with a bike lane. A lot of people used this road with cars, I’ve never seen a bike on it.
Anonymous

the world needs a wake up call.