OT: Worst Intersection Ever?
Only acceptable answer:
seems to have more than our fair share of bike nerds. Although, in fairness to our spandex wearing brethren, most of them understand physics and stay out of the way.
don't like when they look at me like I am weird for driving a car. It seems like a lot of bikers believe that biking somehow goes beyond a method of transportation or one of many exercises one can do and into some kind of social statement. Like they are intrinsically more entitled to the road because their vehicle choice does not have an engine.
has a teacher like that. This moron was biking 5 miles to school in the dead of winter.
Now I'm all for protecting the environment and all, but not if I'm going to get frost bite doing it.
Hearing about it really made me question his judgment. The man owns a car.
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I can't see how that's possibly safe. I've seen runners jogging down the middle of a traffic lane - and facing away from traffic, mind - because the sidewalk and curb had snow and ice on them. Could their fitness routine not be put on hold for one day for the roads to clear? If you're wondering why bike and running nerds have a bad name, that's why.
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and the next biker i see stop at a four-way stop will be the first
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Lol. I like to ride my bike around to places when I can and sometimes for exercise or to explore, but I wouldn't call myself a "cyclist." I'm never wearing a helmet, racing anybody or any time, or wearing some ridiculous man-spandex outfit, and I gives a fuck about rules of the road. I'm on sidewalks, cutting through yards, going diagonally across an intersection with green left-turn signals in different directions (if there's a clear non-interferring opening), and sometimes drunk (which is legal almost everywhere, btw). I'm supposed to stop at a red light, on a goddamn bicycle? Hell no.
But at the same time, I'm never, ever doing anything I think will interfere with motor vehcile traffic, trying to challenge a vehicle for lane space, or assert any right to lane space, unless there's a clearly delineated bike lane. If there's an issue, I'll happily ride up over on the sidewalk or at least right on the edge of the curb. Why? Because it's simple, I'm riding a bike. If you don't have the coordination to do that, you shouldn't be riding a bike around traffic.
I have no words for these middle-aged dudes who ride 5-feet out from the curb in front of me so they can force me drive 10mph with their spandex-covered ass pointed at my face. GTFO. I'll happily give you your 3-feet -- IF there's a way to make it available without having to drive into oncoming traffic. But if you're making a car drive slow behind you, YOU'RE the jerk who's not sharing the road. And why do those guys all wear these official racing jerseys to go on a bike ride? I don't wear some full official team jersey when I'm playing pick-up hoops. I wear shorts and a t-shirt, like a freaking normal person.
These 3-feet rules and share the road rules were instituted to protect you, the bikers, from reckless drivers. Be grateful for it, don't go around asserting your right to lane space when you don't have to. Because the more you start to do that, the more everyone on bikes is going to start getting regulated and ticketed the same as motor vehicles. And then we'll have to stop riding on open sidewalks or through open fields, and we'll have to stop for every stop sign and be forced to turn around only at intersections, and it will be awful because the freedom of biking around for regular bikers will have been stripped away because of policies put in place due to assertive cyclists will be applied to regular, non-spandex-clad people on bikes.
However, the law is not in your favor. If you ever drive reckless around I will for damn sure record your plate number and report it. We all need to be safe. Even jerk offs.
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We should hang out.
or I am out there working my ass off actually getting myself in shape for an upcoming race.
I'm never wearing a helmetIf you regularly ride on the road, this is a bad idea.
and neurologists...or anyone with a fully functional brain.
and I try to share the road as much as possible with people on bikes. But the fact of the matter is I'm driving a 4k lb block of steel and glass, while you're completely exposed. It really is on the bikers to move out of the way, if for no other reason than self-preservation.
The existing infrastructure, especially in the suburbs, just wasn't designed for cars and bikes to share the same road space.
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You're not going to get me to defend people that intentionally hit bikers, or pedestrians, or other cars for that matter. Those people should be in jail.
However, while you are correct that it's on me to "share the road", I'm not the one that's going to be killed if we collide. Until there are bike lanes everywhere you're risking your life riding on main roads, as you well know. The roads were designed for cars, not bikes.
- I ride >100 miles/week, because I enjoy it and because my knees will not tolerate any more long distance running (s/p 8 marathons). Riding up a 7-8% (or more!) grade is quite the workout.
-I stay in the bike lane, ride single file, wear extremely bright kit (hi-viz yellow/green), and I ride as if I am completely invisible to cars. I do ask drivers to please not drive in the bike lanes. If there are no bike lanes, I stay over to the side as much as possible, however cyclists do have a right to be there, and ask that you please give us the 3 feet of clearance as per law.
-I obey all, and I mean all, traffic rules. Yes, I stop at stop signs, traffic lights, etc.; just because I am not in a car doesn't mean I can ignore them; they are for everyone's safety.
-I do not try to ride on busy streets during rush hour; here in AZ (especially in the summer) I am out on the road by 5:30 AM, and am generally finished with my 50-60 miles by 8:00 AM
-I am not a "Lance wannabe," I wear kit because that is what you need to wear to reduce chafing, reduce wind resistance, carry essentials, pedal efficiently, and protect your head.
-I also drive a car, and I fully respect the rights of motorists. There will always be a few assholes anywhere...
-run facing traffic
-wear bright clothing. I wear clothing depending on the weather, but breathable as I am usually only very long runs up 24 miles in preparation for marathons.
-run as far as to the side as possible
-stop at every intersection and wait till I have the right of way
-when there isn't a bike lane, we do have the right to be there on all non-highway roads. So we do ask you to share. Like MMB 82, just because I am not in a car doesn't you can push me into ditches or scare me intentionally.
-I try to run in the morning or later at night. Never during rush hour.
There will always be assholes. However, just because you are in a car doesn't you give you the right to push cyclists and runners around because we inconvence you.
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Beat me by a minute! Great minds etc, etc.
I'm amazed how often some idiot driver ends up blocking the intersection of State and Hill. Pisses me off to no end. Be courteous people. We're living in a society here!
Hill and State on game day gets my vote. There's always that person that tries to pull through the intersection on State on the yellow light, only to run out of space and block off a full lane of Hill traffic. I hate that person.
Seriously thought this would be about the rotary at Ellsworth and State!
(For the record, I like the rotary and wish more people would become comfortable with it.)
Love the roundabout! it's a real time-saver if you've got the balls to seize your spot.
I like that roundabout (and them in general) but man I see accidents 3-4 times a week there. People have no GD clue what to do there
MLive had an article a few weeks back about that rotary topping the state in number of reported accidents, though not a single one was fatal and only a couple involved minor injuries. Apparently it is not just your perception.
I missed it at the time but yep, highest accident rate in the state.
"There were 170 reported crashes at the roundabout in 2014, compared to 94 crashes at the second-place intersection--Orchard Lake Road and 12 Mile Road."
Instead, think about the LaMarr Woodley scoop-and-score from 2006 @ ND
Roundabouts suck. That is all...
Roundabouts don't suck; they are used successfully all over the world. The are not "control" devices, they improve flow -- when used properly. Which American drivers cannot do. There are basically 2 rules one has to remember when using a roundabout and people in this country cannot even be bothered with that.
Agree and you'd think people in Michigan more than anyone else would get it when it comes to the subject of intersections that seem confusing at first but in fact improve traffic flow in large and noticeable ways.
Roundabouts are way more efficient than intersections - provided people know how to drive in them, of course.
Obviously American unfamiliarity hurts, but even in Australia where presumably everyone is familiar with them, I remember a few multi-lane, many-entranced monstrosities that were basically Thunderdome. I think the issue was that if you're a commuter that frequents the area and understands the "flow" of a particular roundabout, it's great, but if you're not exactly sure where you're going, it's a rather perilous adventure.
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I live right by that area and it is absolutely the worst. A majority of the cars go south down state st so if you're going east on Ellsworth (as I do everyday), you're basically stuck at the mercy of those cars and the balls on the drivers in your lane. I know its supposed to be safer, but I've been stuck at that intersection way too much to like it.
Agreed. In my experience, folks approach the rotary too quickly, then suddenly slow down or question whether they have room to jump in.
I am convinced 80 percent of defensive driving is about remaining predictable. I tell my driving students to remain predictable when possible to avoid having other drivers hit them.
I hate that roundabout, not because of the concept of roundabouts, but because people in Ann Arbor seem to be incompentent at traversing them. When it's not busy, it's awesome, when there is traffic, it's hell. As soon as it started going in, I had to change my morning and evening route to avoid it.
Thanks a lot, CostcObama.
I like roundabouts, myself.
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Why's that? I get off there every gameday instead of taking 94.
I would say it needs to be expanded and reconfigured, but I remember when US-12 and Moon/State was expanded and reconfigured when I was at Saline HS, and it was a total charlie foxtrot day in and day out. It would take over an hour (sometimes 90 minutes) to get from Carpenter to A2/Saline on 12.