Everytime I ride my bike someone tries to kill me : utilitycycling

[–] cerement 20 points 11 months ago (1 children)

won’t help for clearing your head, but try hooking up with Critical Mass (you’ll at least get one day when it’s safe-ish to be on the roads)

[–] toothpicks 10 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Thanks that's a great idea. I've heard of things like this but somehow never looked into the possibility that it already exists in my city.

[–] Nemo@midwest.social 8 points 11 months ago

See if your local cycling groups do a commuter "bike bus" as well. There's one in Chicago that's become very popular.

[–] Satiric_Weasel@beehaw.org 4 points 11 months ago

You love in New York man, if it exists it can be found there. Best of luck out on the roads!

[+] LovesTha@floss.social 12 points 11 months ago (1 children)

[deleted]

[–] toothpicks 7 points 11 months ago

🥰

[–] lemann@lemmy.one 11 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (2 children)

Probably not the answer you want, but if other road users are being dangerous around you then it would be ideal to try and look out for yourself more, if at all possible.

At intersections make sure drivers can see you, when in traffic try and stay visible in their mirrors, avoid blind spots whenever you can, and try to "read" what others are doing with their car - as some won't indicate to show their intentions. Speed is an important one too - if a driver was to righthook/cut you at an intersection, can you evade it or stop in time?

Try and adapt your riding style to a way that allows you to maintain visibility of yourself, and the environment around you on the road - drivers are protected in a metal box, but we aren't

Edit:

The real fix for these issues is separated bike infrastructure IMO, as well as better education for drivers about people on bikes

[–] toothpicks 4 points 11 months ago

Thanks. Maybe I'll try to get better at it. But usually it just makes me less likely to take the bike out at all. I usually end up just getting more stressed when I bike so idk if it's worth it right now

[–] GissaMittJobb@lemmy.ml 6 points 11 months ago

The streets are a battlefield unfortunately, that much holds true in even some of the better parts of the world for cycling.

Gotta stay defensive out there, and push your local government hard for protected infrastructure. A large part of my commute is safe due to there being fully separated infrastructure.

[–] Praxinoscope@lemm.ee 6 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Get an Airzound bike horn and a helmet mounted 360 GoPro if you have the funds.

[–] toothpicks 3 points 11 months ago

Thanks! The horn is a great idea. I'll have to think about the the go pro

[–] grue@lemmy.world 5 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I've found that drivers are a lot more courteous when I'm riding my cargo bike and have my kids on the back.

[–] toothpicks 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

So can I borrow your kids lol?

[–] grue@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

Don't threaten me with ~~a good time~~ free daycare!

[–] toothpicks 1 points 11 months ago

😂

[–] Oisteink@feddit.nl 4 points 11 months ago

According to Norwegian US news coverage, the bike has nothing to do with this, it’s how NY works

[–] hemko@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 11 months ago

Keep a hammer with you and smash their front window

[+] Oka@lemmy.ml -10 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I've never lived in NYC, but that's NYC for you.

[–] toothpicks 4 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Is there somewhere else you recommend?

[–] Oka@lemmy.ml -1 points 11 months ago

Find some bike trails in your area. Might have to drive a ways, but if you can transport your bike out of the city proper, you might find some bike-safe places to ride.

[+] Tb0n3@sh.itjust.works -19 points 11 months ago (3 children)

Blame the other riders and delivery bikers for being a massive nuisance to everyone in the city.

[–] cerement 10 points 11 months ago (2 children)

“other riders and delivery bikers” developed those habits out of self-defense – they are the effect, not the cause

[–] Tb0n3@sh.itjust.works -2 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (2 children)

Those habits are things like running red lights. How does that qualify as self-defense. It's the dumbest thing you can do on a bicycle.

Honestly, have you ever been to New York City? It's like the wild West for anybody with two wheels. They feel like they're above the law and do whatever the hell they want with zero consequences unless they get run over.

[–] frankPodmore 5 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

EDIT: Don't know why I replied to you twice, sorry about that!

Many studies have shown that motorists break more traffic laws than cyclists. This is just the first one I found.

[–] PsychedSy@sh.itjust.works 4 points 11 months ago (1 children)

It's a Danish study vs NY. Anecdotally, drivers here do all sorts of fucky shit, but when a motorcycle or bike does I remember it because I go out of my way to make sure they're safe. Even if cyclists are being chill, the few that aren't might be remembered due to confirmation bias.

[–] frankPodmore 1 points 11 months ago

True. In my other commemts I linked to a couple of other studies, too, including one in London and another in Florida. The picture is pretty consistent regardless of where in the world you are, as far as I've seen.

You're definitely right that confirmation bias plays a part. Also, some ways motorists break the law (like speeding) are either widely seen as acceptable or are less immediately visible and obvious than cyclists jumping reds, even though they're objectively much more dangerous!

[–] frankPodmore 5 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

Running red lights can be safer if the junction is clear. Junctions are the places most collisions happen, including cyclists getting rearended or hit by motorists changing lanes without adequate checking/signalling (the latter is the single most common way cyclists get seriously injured or killed, so it's understandable that people want to avoid it).

I'm not advocating for running reds (I never run them myself). I'm saying that road design that sometimes makes a road user choose between doing what is legal and what is safe is a bigger problem than a few bad actors.

Incidentally, there are lots of studies about this. Most cyclists don't run red lights and motorists are more likely overall to break trafflc laws than cyclists. EDIT: Just noticed that link's dead. Here's an article summarising the results of the study, instead.

[–] toothpicks 3 points 11 months ago

Agreed. Drivers are often turning when they have the light which is dangerous because they don't care if someone is crossing there even though the crossing pedestrians also have the light. I often feel like it would be safer to j walk as a pedestrian than to cross at the proper time.

[–] enki@lemm.ee -4 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Nah, fam, that's entitlement. Bicyclists need to follow the same traffic laws as every other vehicle on the road. Doesn't matter if it's a car, a bike, a scooter, or a motorcycle, if you're not adhering to the same traffic laws as everyone else, you're not predictable and you're dangerous to yourself and others on the road.

[–] frankPodmore 6 points 11 months ago (1 children)

There are studies into this. Most lawbreaking by cyclsist is motivated by personal safety, though that doesn't necessarily excuse it.

[–] cerement 3 points 11 months ago

considering the rates cars like to slaughter cyclists in NYC alone, I’d say it’s fully excusable

[–] sour@kbin.social 0 points 11 months ago

fam

[–] sour@kbin.social 6 points 11 months ago

why

[–] sping@lemmy.sdf.org 4 points 11 months ago

Look what they made me do!

utility cycling