Popular among teenagers, the large electric bikes have triggered ‘numerous complaints’ to councils as fears grow for the safety of riders and pedestrians
Popular among teenagers, the large electric bikes have triggered ‘numerous complaints’ to councils as fears grow for the safety of riders and pedestrians
You are absolutely correct that these types of bicycle riders do exist and are negligent and selfish. That said, the altitudes and actions of a minority of cyclists are not representative of the attitudes and actions of the majority. For instance, I ride a bike and I complain about cars parking in the bike lane because it’s a safety hazard for everyone involved. I also would never speed through a pedestrian area for the same exact reason.
Side story: I was cycling on a multiuse trail the other day and came upon a guy jogging. Before I attempted to pass him, i rang my bell to signal my presence. Unfortunately he had earbuds in and didn’t hear me, and he walked right into my path without looking behind him first because he was moving across the trail to get to a bench on the other side. It’s my responsibility to yield to pedestrians and avoid accidents , so I braked really hard and stopped like a foot short of hitting him. My brakes squealed a bit, I yelled out, yet the guy still never heard me and never turned around.
I guess my point is that most of us are trying to do the right thing.
The other day, I was at a four-way stop, with one car (12 o’ clock) arriving just before me, and another (9 o’ clock) arriving just after me. I slowed and waited for the first car to go, but they did that annoying thing where they want to let me go first because they think they’re helping. I defiantly got off my bike and waited in the intersection (because I’d rolled forward a few feet by this point) until they went. When I made my turn, 9 o’ clock shouted from his truck that “maybe I should just stop at the stop sign next time”.
Moral of the story is, because of the lack of communication between cyclists and drivers, some people will always come away from interactions like those angry.