Discussions

So my question here is don't the cyclists know they have to stop at the street and wait for cars to go by ?  
 
So many people on bikes fly on the bike path on 34th street, going full speed crossing the side streets, traffic circles too.  
 
Today i talked to 2 guys trying to ride in front of me at the 34th and Richmond circle, I stopped for them and asked them if they realized they have a Stop sign, one guy told me to F off, the other said Santa was watching. I laughed and wished them a Happy Canada Day as they rode off. These 2 were mid to upper 50's so I would think they would know the rules of the road.  
 
If they would have stopped at the stop sign they had and walked across, then they are a Pedestrian, then for sure I would have stopped...  
 
Don't these people see the nice Stop Sign for them???

when I started to bike it took me about 2 years until I realize there are stop signs for cyclists on bike paths so since then I do stop to let drivers go by first.  
Every day I have drivers go by me too close and why do that?! They give me not much space in case I need to avoid any kind of obstacles/debris/holes on the ground that is along the edge of streets.

There are stop signs at the paths. Just like drivers and pedestrians, signs can mean nothing to some cyclists. Considering we have some of the worst drivers and pedestrians in Canada, expecting all cyclists to be any better in 'following the rules of the road' or use common sense is funny.

I am used to bike on the streets but you drivers are not helping to make it friendly for cyclists to ride on the streets. Drivers focus on vehicles mostly they do not realize a cyclist or pedestrian is in their view and some in my opinion think a cyclist is 2nd only which isn't true we have rights too. Every day I get drivers drive close to me even on windy days, they cut you off when they cross intersection or make a turn. I will not make a list on how some drivers are but you sure have to focus all the way when you bike in Brandon.

I had a similar experience happen to me at Park and 34th about a month ago. I was trying to turn right onto 34th and a bike cut me off when I had the green light. He looked at me like something smelled bad and then wrote down my license plate number. I rolled down my window and said “good luck buddy, I had the right-of-way!” He again gave me a stink face and I blew him a kiss. Jeez

When I was taking Driver’s Ed in Gladstone, MB., a pedestrian was crossing in the middle of the street and the teacher said to a car full of young guys:  
 
“You don’t WANT to hit them but if you did you would not be found at fault because they are breaking the law”.  
 
I remember the words to this day... 29 years later.  
 
My advice to cyclist & pedestrians... it doesn’t matter who is in the right, in an accident the car will ALWAYS win (ie. it will hurt you more than you will hurt it).  
I would rather be alive & cautious than smug & dead.  
 
Learn the rules & live by them but always be extra careful.  
Assume every vehicle has a bad driver, every pedestrian expects right-of-way, and every cyclist doesn’t think traffic laws apply to them.  
 
I am all for Biker’s Ed, mandatory tests & licensing. Cyclists don’t always have right-of-way and they need to learn that.  
 
Edited by OutinBrandon, 2018-07-03 17:09:23

This saddens me as i am a cyclist, a pedestrian, driver of a vehicle and an avid motorcyclist. My safety is in my hands. I take that very seriously. It is up to everyone to be respectful of the rules of the roads. I am not perfect and have made mistakes, but unfortunately not everyone thinks the rules apply to them. I have told other cyclists to obey the road rules as a driver would and have also been told off. Unfortunately in these situations no one wins. Please don't put everyone in the same bundle though. There are respectful riders and drivers out there.

As a driver, I’ve had cyclists make me mad and as a cyclist. It’s going to be a never ending debate, it’s going to be drivers vs cyclists and vise versa, it’s the 80% of the bad from both groups that make a bad rep for the remaining 20%, the only thing is to agree to disagree, if a cyclist doesn’t follow the rules and gets hit well tough beans, but if a motorist hits a rule abiding cyclist, well than that’s on them as well. This is going to be a debate that goes on for years, and it’s pretty much going to be a stalemate, and as a participant in both activities I will remain neutral. I will say this though we both have a right to use the road.

I'll see cyclists approaching the 4-way stop near my place. I'll be stopped, and since I know they very likely won't obey the traffic sign, I lightly take my foot off the brake (it's my turn) and barely move forward, just to see what happens. Most of the time they flip me off or give me a glare as if I'm the bad guy as they ride right through. I've never, ever, seen a cyclist stop at the stop sign. You can't disobey traffic rules and then be surprised when you end up a hood ornament.

There was a guy on CBC radio a week or two ago that was talking about cycling rules (he was from a cycling organization).  
 
One of the things he talked about is how bikes needs to obey the rules of the road, including establishing themselves in a lane. They are in fact entitled to an entire lane like a car or motorcycle (which they are, and I will gladly give them), but that means that if they approach a line of cars stopped at a light or stop sign they  
 
don't  
 
get  
 
to  
 
pass  
 
the  
 
entire  
 
line!!!!  
 
They must stop and wait their turn in traffic, just like everyone else.  
 
I wanted to kiss the guy.  
 
(Note: One of my biggest pet peeves in the world is having to pass the same cyclist repeatedly. I pass them curteously and allow the same amount of room I would passing a car - I hate when I'm a cyclist and people pass entirely too close to me- , but then have to repeat the procedure a block later. And a block after that. And a block after that...)

A bicycle is a vehicle and needs to follow traffic rules. This means that if you come to a stop sign you can't move over to the sidewalk and expect cars to stop for you like you are a pedestrian. I've seen this happen countless times at the university crosswalk. Cyclist hops off his bike and pushes the crosswalk button. Cars stop. Cyclist hops on his bike and pedals across the cross walk. Errr.

Jim.49.000 said "So my question here is don't the cyclists know they have to stop at the street and wait for cars to go by ?     So many people on bikes fly on the bike path on 34th street, going full speed crossing the side streets, traffic circles too.     Today i talked to 2 guys trying to ride in front of me at the 34th and Richmond circle, I stopped for them and asked them if they realized they have a Stop sign, one guy told me to F off, the other said Santa was watching. I laughed and wished them a Happy Canada Day as they rode off. These 2 were mid to upper 50's so I would think they would know the rules of the road.     If they would have stopped at the stop sign they had and walked across, then they are a Pedestrian, then for sure I would have stopped...     Don't these people see the nice Stop Sign for them??? "

Yeah, they know. Just like they know that they aren't allowed to use crosswalks to ride through intersections, quite often without even slowing down, let alone stopping first. Just like they know they aren't allowed to ride on sidewalks that aren't also bike paths. Just like they know they aren't supposed to ride the wrong way on one-way streets. Last, but not least, just like they know it is illegal to run red lights. Need I go on? LOL!

to those that mentions about cyclists should follow the rules as cyclist I hope you (drivers) also follow ALL the rules as a drivers even for example if you do not signal at time or amount of distance between vehicles, yield, stop signs or parking, etc. then you also are not following the rules. Plus how many of you as a driver know the procedure when approaching a cyclist (city or highway).  
So do not come here to expect and tell a cyclist to obey the rules if you (driver) do not obey the rules.  
Probably will take few years before it gets better as I find this city is not a cycling friendly environment and no one is enforcing the rules.  
A kid or two get killed in school zone, rules are set up quickly to change that. A few and more cyclists get killed in a city or highway I hear not much to change and set up to enforce rules.

I make mistakes as a driver, like everyone else. Like realizing my turn is earlier then I thought and signalling late. Last I checked we’re all human. I’m sure cyclists make mistakes as well. What I have a problem is when you get yelled at, verbally abused or flipped off by a cyclist (drivers of vehicles do the same! ) when they intentionally do some thing as stupid as going pass you and all the other cars behind while your waiting at a red light, or when they are supposed to stop at the stop signs at intersections and they don’t, or bike across a crosswalk. I know motorists do a lot of stupid ignorant things too. It’s just with such few cyclists out there why is it 9/10 do it? The 9/10 that do it are constantly doing it too! They are being ignorant of the rules and they don’t care, they expect the motorists to adjust there driving to accommodate them. That’s not how it works. As a cyclist you need to ride like you are a vehicle and obey the rules. Which brings me to this: There shouldn’t be the us vs. Them mentality, the cyclist is a part of vehicular traffic and should be treated as such, with the same rules and courtesy, just a different mode of transportation. If your going to ride with the vehicles then you need to be a vehicle. Ride your bike like a slow moving vehicle and motorists treat the bike like a slow moving vehicle. Just my opinion

Was just downtown turning from tenth onto Rosser on a green and stopped just in time before creaming a woman riding a bike on the sidewalk and went right in front of me! She never even saw me, didn’t look around at all. Some day her luck will run out. Someone is going to get her eventually, unfortunately.

I saw a 10-12 (or so) year old boy riding very fast on his scooter (1 foot on a platform board type with 2 wheels) on the sidewalk then crossed 2 streets WITHOUT LOOKING AT ALL for any incoming vehicles not making their stop then I couldn't see further due to trees blocking the view. I know the kid actually has the right of way first for going all along Richmond Ave but GEEZ PLEASE people look and parents do teach and tell your kids to look all direction all the times anywhere you are. It does not matter if the driver is in fault and blame anyone you want YOU ARE THE ONE THAT WILL BE CARRIED TO THE HOSPITAL with pain or CEMETARY.  
Avoid a collision is best of all solution and problems....well it is mine anyway.

When I am biking on the street where I am supposed to be, I behave like a vehicle. Staying close to the edge of the road (though out of the door zone when applicable), only joining the rest of the traffic at intersections. Generally, I have no issues.  
 
If anything, the only issue I have noticed is that some vehicles seem to treat cyclists at pedestrians. I'll take the special treatment lol, but you don't need to stop for me. When I'm on the bike and in an intersection, I follow the same rules as everyone else. When I am off the bike, then I am a pedestrian.  
 
One question does come to mind, however. I notice that one can purchase cellphone holders for handlebars and bike frames at a local bike shop. I question if such is legal. Or more to the point, if such could warrant the same fine as driving while texting could.  
 
In all fairness, it should.

plus zero said "I saw a 10-12 (or so) year old boy riding very fast on his scooter (1 foot on a platform board type with 2 wheels) on the sidewalk then crossed 2 streets WITHOUT LOOKING AT ALL for any incoming vehicles not making their stop then I couldn't see further due to trees blocking the view. I know the kid actually has the right of way first for going all along Richmond Ave but GEEZ PLEASE people look and parents do teach and tell your kids to look all direction all the times anywhere you are. It does not matter if the driver is in fault and blame anyone you want YOU ARE THE ONE THAT WILL BE CARRIED TO THE HOSPITAL with pain or CEMETARY.   Avoid a collision is best of all solution and problems....well it is mine anyway. "

I see this quite often, but people that are J walking all the time. They don't look, but seem to be aware there are vehicles around them and they continue to J-walk.  
 
I saw one guy that ran across the road at a red light, nearly got hit by the car.  
 
Thats why having a dash cam is getting a necessity.