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PaperclipPerfector  1mo ago (text post)   28444 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of September 2, 2024

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Do you contend that cyclists, as a group, are more responsible for this than drivers?

Yes, probably. One hundred percent of encounters I have with cyclists result in me having to slow down. Single digit percent of encounters with other drivers.

If so (and I'd love to know where in the world this could be the case), is the moral problem caused by cyclists worthy of the murder and maiming visited upon them by vehicles when they use the roads?

No, and as such, they should get off the roads.

I understand on a per-capita basis that cyclists are going to slow you down more, but that's not the point I'm making. To inconvenience you, a traveler needs to be:

  • Biking (Already exceedingly rare)
  • On a road with no infrastructure (Common)
  • On a busy road that blocks passing (Uncommon - anyone cycling already gravitates towards less busy roads)
  • On a fast enough road to slow you down (Probably average - an urban cyclist is going to be faster than fellow cars)

I can count on one hand the number of times I've been slown down by a cyclist in like, 2 years. The places I drive aren't particularly cycling friendly which is part of it, but I just don't see this as a problem to eliminate in any meaningful way.

It happens to me roughly half the time I drive. Just some lone cyclist holding up a queue of 5 or 6 cars. This is an old town, and the roads here aren't very wide, so even when they aren't being deliberately annoying by sitting in the middle of the lane, it's hard to pass them. They will happily skip up onto the pavement to avoid stopping at a crossing or a red light at a junction, but not to show any consideration to the line of people they're holding up by choosing to ride a child's toy on a real grown-up road.

choosing to ride a child's toy on a real grown-up road

I can't take this barb very seriously. Using your body and a simple machine to travel self-sufficiently is "childish", but cocooning yourself in a 4,000 pound air-conditioned couch for even the most trivial trip is "adulting"? It doesn't line up, and it's pretty lowbrow discourse.

Yes. Adults have better ways of doing things than children. You might as well be pogo-ing or roller blading to work.

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