Technically speaking, from the standpoint of cyclists being considered vehicles, and also obligated to follow the same basic rules as motorists, flipping someone off is covered under the laws pertaining to road rage. It’s not only a sizable fine, it’s a 52 week anger management class.

Traveling country roads that cyclists of all stripes use regularly on a daily basis, I can definitely speak to a few that are imprudently arrogant, ignorant, or at least somewhat hostile, but when we’re all conscious and courteous toward one another, I have yet to find that we all can’t share and enjoy the road successfully and safely.

However, I do think that the nature of this newly proposed law is both unnecessary and rife with unforeseen problems. The efforts should be put toward joint education of both groups and a heightened regard and awareness for the rights, privileges and obligations we have in common, regardless of one’s chosen form of transportation.

5  0

When cyclists occupy the road on a narrow lane, they are actually following the law, copied below from the California Vehicle Code:
Cyclists are not required to ride single file or at the right hand side if the road is too narrow to pass safely. You must wait for a section of road where it is safe to pass.

Vehicle Code Section 21202. (a) Any person operating a bicycle upon a roadway at a speed
less than the normal speed of traffic moving in the same direction
at that time shall ride as close as practicable to the right-hand
curb or edge of the roadway except under any of the following
situations:
(1) When overtaking and passing another bicycle or vehicle
proceeding in the same direction.
….(deleted section)
(3) When reasonably necessary to avoid conditions (including, but
not limited to, fixed or moving objects, vehicles, bicycles,
pedestrians, animals, surface hazards, or substandard width lanes)
that make it unsafe to continue along the right-hand curb or edge,
subject to the provisions of Section 21656. For purposes of this
section, a “substandard width lane” is a lane that is too narrow for
a bicycle and a vehicle to travel safely side by side within the
lane.
….(deleted section)

1  2

I’ve ridden is groups of cyclists of every kind for many years, including skilled racing veterans, as well as the overweight and elder, also skilled, for tens of thousands of miles. I have never witnessed, from within a cycling group, the behavior you claim that you see “without fail”. Frankly, such behavior would not be tolerated among the riders I know.

I’ve never seen a group of cyclists even respond in anger to vehicles, except on one occasion when a driver endangered several of us with an illegal turn. We yelled at him and then learned he was Australian, had misread a road sign, and was horrified to think he might have injured someone. It ended in no great harm and mumbled apologies all round.

You don’t seem to realize that, when you spread these false tales, you encourage others to behave aggressively toward people who are largely defenseless against attack. You endanger the lives of many bike riders. We’ve all seen the results of such attacks in recent months. You apparently wish to see more.

Why? What happened to tolerance? What became of respect for the freedom of others?
I can say this much; if you really are receiving aggressive treatment from cyclists, you must be doing something really annoying.

3  2

If the PD did not post your response I have to assume that it is you that has hostility issues as they haven’t censored my posts.

4  1

My response to you has yet to be posted and I’m assuming that the mods have rejected it because I was honest in my response free speech is not honored here. I can be emailed at Gad.Seditious@gmail.com and welcome your email. Using your horn is never friendly and that is why a rider would give you the bird. Because you are using a noise that is easily interpreted as hostile. Why can’t you go around cyclists without blaring a very disturbing noise? I think it’s because you mean for it to be hostile and then you complain about the response.

2  4

Do you EVER drive the back roads on weekends? The road to Olema has riders 2 and 3 abreast everywhere. Try a friendly tap on the horn to let them know you are behind them and see what happens. You either don’t drive the roads or you are blind. I have bike riders in my family so I go out of my way to respect riders, all I ask is the same respect for my rights as an auto driver.

7  3

6  9

I don’t know who is right but I do know that without fail when I approach a male group of back road cyclists they are aggressive, unpredictable, and rude.

Guys I think you are the cause of your own problems.

14  5

How is the crazy Oakmonter a good example of cyclists needing special rights not covered by law? Attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and hit and run hardly sounds like he is getting away with anything.

14  4

People can do a lot when driving by being patient, driving defensively (remember those lessons?), keeping to the speed limit, AND NOT DRIVING DISTRACTED.

I walk all the time and I can tell you everytime I approach a crosswalk, especially at night, I am so very careful. I don’t assume the driver sees me or even cares.

15  1

And yet the fact is, I also drive on these streets and roads and I NEVER see anything of this terrible cycling menace that you all are so worked up about. I mean NEVER, and even if such things did occur on occasion, so what? Plenty of intelligent folks fail to conform to the ridiculous demands of awful people like you barking, bike-hating trolls.

7  26

Sorry for the bad experience. I wonder though if many drivers aren’t unsure of their rights to drive in a bike lane, causing some confusion here. I don’t know the rules myself and simply do what seems safe. But then, I read of the whopping fine for slipping over early to make a right turn and wonder what we’ve unleashed.

17  3

20  6

20  6

2  19

17  6

8  20

21  5

Too many in the spandex crowd, crowd the narrow roads and don’t follow the rules of the road.

Fairness and good sense need to used when adopting the rules the BOS believe need to be in place to protect the abused bikers. This is a waste of legislative time.

19  5

17  5