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  • oldguy

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    My understand is the new bicycle law passed state senate yesterday and it appears ridiculous as usual, must be at least 3 foot from bicycle when passing,commercial vehicles 6 ft, fine and 6 months jail time possible.

    While I'm all for safety and anyone using the roadways I must admit I find bicycles dangerous on many of the small country roads where blind curves exist and these folks riding 2 or more abreast. Urge the governor not to sign this bill.
    Lynx Defense
     

    Big country

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    Bicycles on the road is a danger on county roads and should be against the law for them to stack cars for miles. My former boss is a cyclist and would get pissed off at the mere thought of this topic.
     

    JKTex

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    While I agree about the dangers of cyclists on some roads, and I'll add, many cyclist's that need to have their head examined, 3' is awful close. I can't imaging we needed to spend State Legislative resources to tell people they need to keep 3' away from a cyclist.

    That said, I'd rather see heavier fine for cyclists that think they don't need to observer traffic controls and laws. And that when they're on a small, narrow road doing 8 MPH, it might be the courteous and wise thing to actually move over far enough for cars to get by instead of riding alongside someone else chatting it up.

    We have ton's of cyclists around here and many, if not most are some arrogant asses. Safety works best when we "all" cooperate.

    Another good time to have a tuned diesel that can leave a large cloud of black smoke....... When appropriate of course.
     

    Big country

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    While I agree about the dangers of cyclists on some roads, and I'll add, many cyclist's that need to have their head examined, 3' is awful close. I can't imaging we needed to spend State Legislative resources to tell people they need to keep 3' away from a cyclist.

    That said, I'd rather see heavier fine for cyclists that think they don't need to observer traffic controls and laws. And that when they're on a small, narrow road doing 8 MPH, it might be the courteous and wise thing to actually move over far enough for cars to get by instead of riding alongside someone else chatting it up.

    We have ton's of cyclists around here and many, if not most are some arrogant asses. Safety works best when we "all" cooperate.

    Another good time to have a tuned diesel that can leave a large cloud of black smoke....... When appropriate of course.
    Yes! You hit the nail on the head. And the ones that ride my cousins road tend to move when they hear a diesel coming. He has two tuned diesels and one wont drive more than 5' without bellowing black smoke. (that is the race truck)
     

    txinvestigator

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    My understand is the new bicycle law passed state senate yesterday and it appears ridiculous as usual, must be at least 3 foot from bicycle when passing,commercial vehicles 6 ft, fine and 6 months jail time possible.

    While I'm all for safety and anyone using the roadways I must admit I find bicycles dangerous on many of the small country roads where blind curves exist and these folks riding 2 or more abreast. Urge the governor not to sign this bill.


    Bill number or link?
     

    oldguy

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    Safe Passing Bill (SB 488)


    While generally I'm against any law that restricts freedom if this is passed
    then bicycles should be licensed and require liability insurance.
     

    JKTex

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    Holy cow, if you Google it, 99% of the hits are Cycle sites. And even they mention how redundant the bill is since most of it is already in transportation code.

    I just don't see the point. 3' is nothing and if a person can't use common sense to begin with, a law won't stop them from hitting a "vulnerable road user". And if they hit and kill or seriously injure a "vulnerable road user", I'm sure LE isn't going to investigate for a possible failure to give 3' citation.

    What are our legislators thinking when they vote for this crap?

    Here's a time to hit up Gov. Perry to veto and stop the madness. This bill will not compensate for a few nimrods that aren't capable of good judgment and hurt or kill someone and ad's nothing to the punishment of said actions. It's fluff and a waste.
     

    DCortez

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    While generally I'm against any law that restricts freedom if this is passed
    then bicycles should be licensed and require liability insurance.

    +1

    Make them get a riders license too. Make their traffic offenses just as expensive as a drivers, if they aren't already.

    I usually give these guys lots of room, but have seen more than a few douchebags.
     

    dee

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    Yes! You hit the nail on the head. And the ones that ride my cousins road tend to move when they hear a diesel coming. He has two tuned diesels and one wont drive more than 5' without bellowing black smoke. (that is the race truck)

    We have alot around here where I live and out by my parents house is a farm market road and they are road hogs. I fixed it a lil when I had my Mustang cut outs/open headers and about 6500rpm (gotta love 4.30 gears) an they learned to share the road very well.
     

    Texas1911

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    Austin is full of asshole Lance Armstrong wanna-be cyclists that think they own the roads. I've nearly wiped a few off the map down a number of backroads where they are doing 5 MPH on a blind, reducing radius corner with absolutely ZERO run off.

    I once got tired of having to slam on my brakes because a cyclist wanted to not use the velolane (a f-ing lane made for the cyclists) so I followed him around for at least 5 minutes just laying on my horn until he got pissed off and tucked into a parking lot.

    They get angry when you blast by them and "endanger" them, but they don't see the same danger in peddling a bike totalling 200 lbs. about 5' from a 7000 lb. 4x4 Turbodiesel Ford Excursion doing 50 MPH, or my personal favorite... running red lights.

    If you want to go for a ride, pick a nice open multi-lane road on a slow day. And if you live in Austin... stay in the damn cyclist lanes, stay off the highways, stop running red lights downtown, and learn to use the Hike and Bike trail.
     

    1rightguy

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    I don't have a problem with the imigrant riding a bike on the road to get to his dishwashing job, I'm proud of that guy. It's the jerk, pony tail guy in multi colored spandex on the $1000.00 carbon fiber bike during rush hour that I loathe.
     

    Big country

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    Austin is full of asshole Lance Armstrong wanna-be cyclists that think they own the roads. I've nearly wiped a few off the map down a number of backroads where they are doing 5 MPH on a blind, reducing radius corner with absolutely ZERO run off.

    I once got tired of having to slam on my brakes because a cyclist wanted to not use the velolane (a f-ing lane made for the cyclists) so I followed him around for at least 5 minutes just laying on my horn until he got pissed off and tucked into a parking lot.

    They get angry when you blast by them and "endanger" them, but they don't see the same danger in peddling a bike totalling 200 lbs. about 5' from a 7000 lb. 4x4 Turbodiesel Ford Excursion doing 50 MPH, or my personal favorite... running red lights.

    If you want to go for a ride, pick a nice open multi-lane road on a slow day. And if you live in Austin... stay in the damn cyclist lanes, stay off the highways, stop running red lights downtown, and learn to use the Hike and Bike trail.
    +1 in a big way
    I don't have a problem with the imigrant riding a bike on the road to get to his dishwashing job, I'm proud of that guy. It's the jerk, pony tail guy in multi colored spandex on the $1000.00 carbon fiber bike during rush hour that I loathe.
    =1 in another big way. I almost taxed one poor basterd into the next life because for what ever reason he decided to run the red light at a busy intersection. I think some bike riders are of the impression that the bike they are on is invenceible. And that guy almost found out the hard way that they ain't.
     

    texas_teacher

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    +1

    Make them get a riders license too. Make their traffic offenses just as expensive as a drivers, if they aren't already.

    I usually give these guys lots of room, but have seen more than a few douchebags.


    D a cycler's ticket for a traffic offense is the same amount as a automobile driver's... and yes they can sometimes go to driver's safety for a bicycling offense...

    And a response to some of the other concerns yes it does seem redundant as I have seen officer's already ticket motorists for riding too close to a cyclist and I asked one of officer buddies and they said that it was for reckless driving and causing potential endangerment of another person...

    as an avid cyclist I think it is necessary to have specific laws to protect cyclists on the road because cyclists are held accountable for the same laws automobile drivers are when they are on the road...

    I do love a good ride on a country road but the cyclists that you are stuck behind that are riding two abreast are unfortunately the few that earn the rest of us the disrespect and discourtesy of every driver on the road sometimes...

    I think that each driver just needs to keep in mind that whether that person is on a motorcycle, in a trans am or a 4 runner, or whether they are riding the newest Trek or Specialized bike it doesn't matter, don't endanger your fellow brethren... and even those that are complete morons deserve the respect of life... don't you think? I mean we are just trying to beat the obese epidemic that seems to be consuming America.. but that's another story...
     

    texas_teacher

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    Yea they fought for the same rights as cars but don't follow the same laws.

    sadly lots of cyclists don't follow the same laws and they are often ticketed and frankly it needs to be enforced more heavily so it doesn't smear the name of every other cyclist...
     

    kingofwylietx

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    Oh man, I should let my wife reply to this thread. Her uncle is a bicycloholic....so she thought highly of them....till: One day, during rush hour, this guy was riding on a major road doing 15mph really messing up traffic. She had to work pretty hard to safely [for him] get around him (along with everyone else). Well, she gets stopped at a traffic light & the numbskull on the bicycle passes everyone (that worked so hard to safely get around him) on the shoulder to get at the front of the line. Then, he stops behind her car....and the lazy jerk puts his hand on her car so he doesn't have to take his feet off the pedals. She didn't have to pass him again, since she was pole position & he wanted a car to rest against. She doesn't like cyclist anymore.

    She didn't think of it in time, but she said if it ever happens again that she's gonna wait till he's all comfy & she's going to jump forward & test his reaction speed.

    That guy surely made a lot of people anti-bike that day....and probably has continued to do so each day since then.
     

    JKTex

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    A few months ago, I saw two cyclists on I-10 east of the ship channel/610. A tad too much if you ask me.

    I believe that is not legal for a non-motorized vehicle (and some motorized) to be on certain roadways, like an interstate hwy. But what stops the cyclists that don't care about traffic law anyway?
     

    Texas1911

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    As an avid cyclist I think it is necessary to have specific laws to protect cyclists on the road because cyclists are held accountable for the same laws automobile drivers are when they are on the road.

    A bicyclist on a road, doing 1/4th the speed, is such a large hazard to himself and the people around him. I don't think it should be illegal, but I'm not going to make special laws because some physics flunky wants to pedal around Austin at 10 MPH.
     
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