SF: Reckless bicycling is becoming a hazard.

[RandySF]

Update 2 p.m.: Lieutenant Troy Dangerfield told us that the 25-year-old Asian woman is still in critical condition after being hit by a food delivery truck this morning. He said the cyclist made an illegal left hand turn in front of the truck when she was hit. The woman, who was not wearing a helmet, was taken to San Francisco General Hospital.

Update 10:08 a.m.: Police just sent out a release correcting their previous statement that the cyclist had been killed. Officer Albie Esparza is now saying that the woman is at the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Original story 9:14 a.m.: Traffic is backed up near the Embarcadero after a cyclist was killed at the intersection of Fremont and Mission streets this morning.

A truck collided with the cyclist at about 8:04 a.m., said Officer Albie Esparza. Police are at the scene. No further details were available at this time.

Last week, a speeding cyclist hit a 60-year-old woman as she walked through the crosswalk along Mission street. In that case, the cyclist blew a red light and hit the woman, who remains in the hospital with a life-threatening head injury.


http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2011/07/pedestrian_hit_on_market_stree.php

[county worker]

1. Just about everyday I see cyclists blow by stop signs and red lights.

I have read posts here on DU from cyclists who proudly state that they disregard traffic rules because it makes their ride safer.

To me it is akin to bikers with loud pipes that say loud pipes save lives because you can hear the bikers and can avoid them. But I believe the more people have their ear drums rattled by loud pipes the more they hate bikers and that makes it dangerous for bikers who don't have loud pipes because the drivers put them all in the same class.

Cyclists who do not obey traffic rules also turn drivers against them and that leads to drivers not taking the precautions they should when cyclists are around. It is wrong on both counts but it's reality.

[Dept of Beer]

3. I'm a cyclist, and I hate when I see other

cyclists blow past me at stop signs and red lights.

We are vehicles and need to follow the traffic rules.

[CreekDog]

7. cars continually endanger pedestrians here in downtown SF

your statement about drivers normally being cautious and only after getting angry at bicyclists becoming incautious is a total joke.

i continually see drivers honk at pedestrians in a crosswalk (with the light!).

i continually see drivers blaze through crosswalks as people are crossing.

i continually see drivers not slow down and then turn through crosswalks while pedestrians are in those crosswalks.

i've posted some of my annoyances regarding cyclists, but in any big city --if you're talking about safety, you're talking about not getting hit by some idiot in a CAR.

get real.

[RandySF]

12. They are also a problem

I've called my Supervisor and the Transportation Engineering Department numerous times, and no one seems interested in dealing with problem (they shove off to SFPD, who shove me back to Transportation Engineering). That problem comes mainly from taxis and tourists (they are so obvious(. The cyclists live here and should definitely know better.

[county worker]

16. Where did I say drivers are normally being cautious?

I agree with what you are saying. I'm saying that some things even increase the bad actions of drivers.

[cwydro]

27. Thank you Creekdog...

but the anti-cycling contingent will have fun with this one.

Most are too lazy to get out of their car except to grab a burger somewhere...and hey...they can do that in their car too!

[Warpy]

13. Any cyclist who thinks it's safer to blow through stop signs and red lights

is a potential organ donor and that will happen sooner rather than later.

I almost hit one of those a couple of weeks ago. The asshole is still alive because I was going under the speed limit and just happened to catch him out of the corner of my eye, something that can't be counted upon at every stop sign and light.

And you're right, it made me a lot less favorably disposed to cyclists for the rest of the day and I used to be an enthusiastic bike commuter while my body would let me do it.

I can see bicyclists not coming to a full stop, but this joker didn't even slow down. Stupid bastard. Darwin Award candidate.

[Obamanaut]

41. Just about every day I see cars/trucks blow by stop signs and red

lights.

It doesn't matter the type of vehicle - it is the attitude of the operator, and there are operators of all kinds of vehicles with attitudes of "It's my road! All others beware!"

[CreekDog]

2. No, wrong, wrong, wrong

As a pedestrian here in downtown SF, I see cars do things that endanger pedestrians daily, usually multiple times daily.

I have seen *some* close calls among cyclists and pedestrians, in a decade here (and while noting my dislike of Critical Mass) I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen a bicyclist do something that might remotely endanger a pedestrian.

[Dept of Beer]

4. You must live in a different reality.

[CreekDog]

9. yes, that would be reality

as opposed to the alternate reality some describe where people are mostly endangered by marauding cyclists.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

24. Bicyclists do pose a substanive risk to motorcyclists

BTDT, seen a rider die...

[Dept of Beer]

29. I am a cyclist, and I am the first to admit that plenty of

my kind are marauding assholes that should be stopped and ticketed when breaking the law i.e running red lights, stop signs and endangering pedestrians.

But hey, there's always an apologist for every issue.

[RandySF]

5. Cars are also a problem, especially taxis.

But, as a pedestrian, I've had far more close calls with bicyclists. It's getting worse NOW because of all the "fixies" on the streets.

[CreekDog]

10. cars are not an ALSO RAN

Cars are the MAIN problem for pedestrians.

where are you walking? i'm in downtown SF. cars, cars, cars, cars, cars, cars, oops, that bike was close, cars, cars, cars, cars, cars.

see? :shrug:

[RandySF]

14. I live by Union Square.

I know what you mean. But when I walk on the SIDEWALK along Embarcadero, I have to constantly look over my shoulder for bikes.

[JDPriestly]

23. The problem is that car drivers are subjected to too much

stimulation as they drive.

Watch that stop sign, that pedestrian, that bicycle, that kid who is chasing a ball. Don't hit the dog (or cat). Park in the lines or you get a ticket. You can't park there unless you put money in the meter.

Then you can't see beyond the advertising signs, the shrubs. It's very confusing.

One of the problems is that the alternatives to driving and bicycling are not good. We just don't have proper public transportation.

As a result a lot of people who don't want to drive -- and some who shouldn't be driving are on the street.

Same for cyclists. You can ride a bicycle even if you could not pass the driver's license test or if the judge has taken away your driver's license.

So, we need better public transportation.

Bikes are great, but, in the cities, they have to be ridden with extreme caution.

[REP]

19. As an occasional driver in the City, I add a Hell Yes

I follow traffic laws in my car (waiting until pedestrians are out of xwalks, stopping at stop signs, etc) because I really, really like my car and killing someone would make me feel really, really bad. Sometimes in the City (or SV or MTV or PA or anywhere in the Bay Area), I feel as though I'm the only one who thinks that way!

I see more cars than bikes, so more assholes in cars than on bikes. It was an asshole in a car who blew a red light and narrowly avoided killing me (but did over $9K in damage to my car). I don't think a bike would have done the same amount of damage.

[cwydro]

30. Ditto!

This country needs to respect cyclists more.

But the almighty car with the almighty asswipe sucking down a coke and downing a burger cannot be bothered to look out for a bike.

[hifiguy]

6. Not two weeks ago, I had to slam on the brakes

twice during one four-mile trip from office to home to keep from hitting asshole bicyclists who blew through red lights. Following the screech of tires, one of them looked at me and smirked. Either follow the rules or get the F#$K off the road, shitheels.

[dana_b]

18. I have seen that a lot too

as both a pedestrian and while driving. They blow through STOP signs too. Scares the hell out of me. I haven't thought too much about the pedestrians getting hurt (although it appears to be on the upswing) but I can't understand why the bicyclists are so cavalier about their own safety.

[snooper2]

21. Because it takes energy to get that bike moving again...That's why

If they had to stop at every sign they probably wouldn't be able to make the trip lol

Easier to "coast" through the intersection and keep your speed up than stop. Okay, down stroke, lets get this thing moving....then Stop,

[dana_b]

25. that's fine until

they coast into a car someday. I do understand what you are saying (especially with the hills in SF) - it just scares the hell out of me.

[kestrel91316]

8. Time for the oil company shills on DU to start attacking ALL cyclists in 3...2...1...

[RandySF]

11. I don't even own a car.

And every day I see bicyclists blowing through red lights largely because the "hot new thing" is to ride these bikes that do not even have breaks. I spoke to a native San Franciscan cyclist who also puts the blame of transplants from the East Coast who never learned to take the same care as someone who grew up coping with the SF traffic.

[eilen]

15. Ummm, we have traffic lights here in NY too.

And I think NYC traffic as well as traffic in any metropolitan area in NY, NJ, DC, Baltimore, PA, MA and CT can be pretty intense. Maybe those riders are from the Valley.

[mythology]

34. I can't believe people would ride a bike without brakes

I was paranoid enough when I had a brake break off while riding home and it was flat the rest of the way home.

[Recursion]

40. If he means fixies, the breaks are the pedals

You know, like your first bike when you were 5. We call them "hipstercycles": they are usually accompanied by ironic facial hair, tattoos, Nietzsche anthologies, and unfinished screenplays.

(In fairness, I have facial hair and read Nietzsche in dive bars, but I do not do so ironically.)

[cwydro]

31. Yup.

You got that right.

[KamaAina]

17. Not much better down here in San Jose.

We have bike lanes on streets all over town. So why are bikes still whizzing past me on the sidewalk? Or in the bike lane going in the opposite direction (southbound in the northbound lane)? Or on the light rail platforms, despite all the "No Bike Riding" signs??

[kentauros]

20. "How to Not Get Hit by Cars"

http://bicyclesafe.com

Personally, I feel this should be read not only by all that get themselves around by any means (walking, riding, cycling and driving) but it should also be taken to heart. It would make better drivers, cyclists, bikers, and walker/runners of all of us :)

Or, people could just learn to become far more aware of their surroundings and take heed of each other with respect. Yeah, like that'll happen in the near future... ;)

[JDPriestly]

22. Cyclists need to realize that they are very, very vulnerable

and that drivers of larger, more powerful vehicles may not be able to see them or anticipate what they will do.

[cwydro]

28. We ARE aware!

I actually have stopped cycling on roads simply because most drivers are completely oblivious about their surroundings.

I lived in the Florida Keys for years and used to ride my bike 15 miles into Key West almost daily back in the early 90's.

With the advent of cell phones, etc...it became much more dangerous. Many cycling deaths on US1 - they became more numerous as cell phones evolved and one driver actually used the excuse that he was looking at his GPS!!! There is only one road in and one road out of the Keys and if you need a fricking GPS to negotiate that road, you don't need to be on it at all - nor do you need to be behind the wheel of a car.

I drive every day and I see the total non-attention that most drivers pay to the road in front of them. I hate texting, talking and all the rest of it while driving.

Hang up and DRIVE!

[JDPriestly]

35. Right.

It will take a lot of time before drivers become accustomed to seeing bicycles on the street.

[Obamanaut]

42. I ride mostly on two lane roads. As I see someone in my mirror coming

from behind I move to the right, and extend my left hand with a 'thumbs up' indicating I see them. People tend to move way to the left to go around, and usually I get a wave (with all fingers extended) as they drive by.

[Gormy Cuss]

26. I love "cyclists-are-bad" threads.

On any given day as a pedestrian I'm much more likely to be playing dodge'em with cars than with bicyclists. Sure, there are idiots on bicycles who don't know or don't pay attention to the rules. There are even pedestrians who are walking traffic hazards, but both of the above groups are greatly outnumbered by drivers who are too aggressive or inattentive and in a contest with a car, the car wins.

The bicyclist who blew threw the red light is in serious trouble, no different than had he hit her when driving his car. The woman who died in a collision with a car was also breaking the law and not wearing a helmet, which is ridiculously risky when riding in the city.

But both of these events happened in a city that is notoriously dangerous for pedestrians, and that danger is largely caused by DRIVERS.

[cwydro]

32. Well said. nt

[Dept of Beer]

33. It is pretty funny that asshole cyclists

are supported with not having to follow the law...that they are somehow above it all and better for not using an automobile.


Traffic laws apply to all.

[CreekDog]

39. broad brush bashing of cyclists

:eyes:

[Scout]

43. nope, two categories: cyclists, and asshole cyclists n/t

[NV Whino]

36. In the Napa Valley we get weekend cyclists

I cringe every time I see one (or usually a group) ahead of me on the road. Lots of fancy duds, but no brains. My pet peeve is when they ride side by side, which usually pushes one of the cyclists into the driving lane. I wish we had bike only trails and get these puppies of the highways.

[IDemo]

37. Hate The Other, thread #27,468

These anti-bicycle posts have become a daily occurrence here lately.

[Matariki]

38. I think they mean "arrogant bicycling"

I nearly hit a guy who did the exact same thing - he was flying down the street the wrong way, through a stop sign without stopping. We ended up in the same parking garage and I very politely told him he should be more careful. He yelled at me and went on about the superiority of bikes over cars - as if the was going to save his dumb ass from broken bones, or worse.

My ex used to have that attitude too - he seemed to think that since bicycling was morally superior it meant he didn't have to follow traffic laws and cars had to look out for him. I HATED riding with him - it was harrowing. There was someone yelling at him nearly every block or two and he always seemed to be in near accidents as he rode down the middle of street and wove in and out of traffic.