OC Reigster "Bike Lane" article

[Koke]

David Whiting's "What Word In 'Bike Lane' Don't Drivers Understand?" article from 02/14/2008 OC Register (including a Mark Warrick quote).

http://www.ocregister.com/sports/dav...72-county-road

[Von-Skipp]

The article mentioned putting ridges or yellow lines to determine bike lanes. In Dana Point there are concrete barriers protecting the bike path along PCH. I wish more bike lanes had these barriers in Orange County.

Perhaps the county needs to do research and find popular bike routes and install barriers along these routes. Bikers will flock to these routes with no problem. I'll take crowded bike lanes over cars any day.

[Fired Yo Momma]

I was very impressed what Chris Kirkwood had to say. Takes a big man to say that, my hat is off to him.

[lkn2ryd]

Funny how there are reflector bumps between lanes and between two way traffic. I believe they are there and raised to alert daydreaming and/or drivers that fall asleep at the wheel that they are drifting. Never seen them protecting the drift into the bike lane. Must be big oil lobbying efforts to remove green transportation

[northshore]

I'm sorta on the fence on this because I've seen roadies ride outside the bike lane or run a stop/red light so they don't have to unclip. I've also seen the other side, people riding the bike lane to pass traffic in order to turn right, drivers speeding up to pass the biker to turn right, cell phones, nav systems, etc. It should start with the DMV laws. Pedestrians and cyclist have the right of the way over moving vehicles but crummy faded out white lines that people don't care to notice does't help either. Thank god I ride on dirt.

[Waldo]

I've often wondered about adding dots/bumps/posts between traffic & bike lanes. It would be a nice deterrent for drivers, but I suspect that they might also be a hazard for cyclists. Clip a bot's dot wrong on skinny tires at 25mph with traffic alongside, and I bet it could get ugly. Still, I agree that Santiago Canyon and many other roads in OC are way more dangerous than they need to be.

[boludo]

Yes, that article is so true. But lets not absolve the roadies from any of this.

how many times have you seen some of these Dumb A's riding 3 to 5 wide so they can talk while riding. And of course the guy on the left is in the car lane just waiting for his plow job.

cant tell you how many times i've pulled up next to dumb roadies to yell at them about riding on or as close to the left white line as possible.

no matter what, 3500lbs is gonna win the fight.

[Fired Yo Momma]

Yea last weekend I was driving down PCH in Corona Del Mar and their was this roadie group taking up the whole lane like mentioned above 3 to 5 wide these D- bags were laughing it up on a Sunday pleasure ride.

[sdfisher]

Don't forget about all the landscaping trucks parking in the bike lanes around blind corners. Remember the kid killed in Carmel Valley (San Diego) by plowing into the back of a landscaper's truck. Still see them parked all over the place.

[sdyeti]

Nice one, cotoequestrienn (OC reg screen name, not STR):

"Their arrogance is astounding, considering they put their lives on the line. Makes me want to just mow them down sometimes."

What a douche.

[Koke]

Cyclists need to be considerate and ride in the bike lane whenever possible however sometimes cyclists have to leave the bike lane for parked cars, debris, construction or to cross lanes to make a left turn.

For drivers is is more than just being considerate by staying out of the bike lane and giving the cyclists safe spacing. Drivers are playing with the cyclists lives when they buzz by as close as possible or pass when it is not safe to make a point.

The bottom line is that both sides need to be respectful and considerate but it is the drivers that need to stay in control of their emotions and not pull up next to a roadie and yell at them or brush them with the side view mirrors because one false move and both lives will be irreversibly changed.

[boludo]

Exactly Koke. But when will that ever happen. Its fueled by stupid on both sides. Its like watching Israel vs. middle east. Black vs. white. Religion vs. religion.

Theres a can o worms for someone.

So to end this on a happy note....

What are you doing?

What?

Did, did you just double dip that chip?

Excuse me?

You double dipped a chip!

Double dipped? What, what, what are you talking about?

You dipped a chip. You took a bite. And you dipped again.

So?

That's like putting your whole mouth right in the dip. From now on, when you take a chip, just take one dip and end it.

Well, I'm sorry, Timmy, but I don't dip that way.

Oh, you don't, huh?

You dip the way you want to dip. I'll dip the way I want to dip.

Gimme the chip!

[riderofbikes]

I think I'd feel a little safer riding behind some sort of traffic buffer. Like this "rumblestrip" bike lane in Phili. It's not going to stop a car, but it could be enough to startle some drivers back into the traffic lane. It might also act to keep me, as a rider, concentrated on staying in the bike lane.