# Should the OC ban bikes?



## Hollywood (Jan 16, 2003)

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/cyclists-266278-county-cycling.html


----------



## empty_set (Nov 1, 2006)

I'm surprised that this is a real article.


----------



## SM-Rider (May 2, 2007)

They put that headline there to be sensational. I'm sure it brings a bigger audience to shock people.

Otherwise, the article is more about getting ourselves together before we blame motorists.

I can't say that cyclists are entirely free of blame. I've seen some awful riding and flaunting of traffic safety rules amongst us.


----------



## foofighter (Dec 19, 2008)

you do see some nutty stuff on the road.


----------



## Mahatma Kane (Oct 25, 2005)

In the last week I've seen two people on bikes riding along the center line of the road in traffic, no left turn lane coming up or even anything on the left side to turn into. I have no idea what they thought they were doing, but I thought they were idiots.


----------



## Hollywood (Jan 16, 2003)

Mahatma Kane said:


> In the last week I've seen two people on bikes riding along the center line of the road in traffic, no left turn lane coming up or even anything on the left side to turn into. I have no idea what they thought they were doing, but I thought they were idiots.


saw a kid on a fixie wearing big headphones, splitting lanes of traffic.


oh, he was going _against_ traffic on the other side of the street.  

that'll make friends.


----------



## SM-Rider (May 2, 2007)

How about the ones that talk on their cell phone while riding? Brilliant!


----------



## foofighter (Dec 19, 2008)

SM-Rider said:


> How about the ones that talk on their cell phone while riding? Brilliant!


better, he was part of a local team i think i t was motor tabs and he was on a training ride and sat up pull the phone out and was texting all whilst going 20+ mph


----------



## rward325 (Sep 22, 2008)

As a rider who lives in Orange County let me just say we are blessed with some really amazing bike lanes. We are also cursed with some of the worst drivers in the U.S. I have lived and ridden here since 1998 and it just keeps getting worse. I used to commute 9 miles to work every day when I worked in Irvine. Even though the route had a bike lane the width of a car lane it was a rare day that a car was not parked, stopped or swerved in to that lane on my way to work. Let me also just say that having ridden the roads of OC for a long time, the Orange County Wheelmen are as guilty as the rest of the clubs of doing all of the things outlined! So endorsement by them to me is just BS. We have a bunch of nuvo riche, Mercedes driving, arrogant, frustrated, in a hurry, inattentive texting, cell phone talking, drivers that really don't give a crap if they hit a cyclist here as long as they get where they are going on time! Ride through CDM, Laguna Beach, Irvine, Newport Beach on any given day to find out how really dangerous it can be to share the road with these people.


----------



## foofighter (Dec 19, 2008)

rward325 said:


> As a rider who lives in Orange County let me just say we are blessed with some really amazing bike lanes. We are also cursed with some of the worst drivers in the U.S. I have lived and ridden here since 1998 and it just keeps getting worse. I used to commute 9 miles to work every day when I worked in Irvine. Even though the route had a bike lane the width of a car lane it was a rare day that a car was not parked, stopped or swerved in to that lane on my way to work. Let me also just say that having ridden the roads of OC for a long time, the *Orange County Wheelmen are as guilty as the rest of the clubs of doing all of the things outlined!* So endorsement by them to me is just BS. We have a bunch of nuvo riche, Mercedes driving, arrogant, frustrated, in a hurry, inattentive texting, cell phone talking, drivers that really don't give a crap if they hit a cyclist here as long as they get where they are going on time! Ride through CDM, Laguna Beach, Irvine, Newport Beach on any given day to find out how really dangerous it can be to share the road with these people.


good point on that, i've seen them roll lights as well.


----------



## terbennett (Apr 1, 2006)

rward325 said:


> As a rider who lives in Orange County let me just say we are blessed with some really amazing bike lanes. We are also cursed with some of the worst drivers in the U.S. I have lived and ridden here since 1998 and it just keeps getting worse. I used to commute 9 miles to work every day when I worked in Irvine. Even though the route had a bike lane the width of a car lane it was a rare day that a car was not parked, stopped or swerved in to that lane on my way to work. Let me also just say that having ridden the roads of OC for a long time, the Orange County Wheelmen are as guilty as the rest of the clubs of doing all of the things outlined! So endorsement by them to me is just BS. We have a bunch of nuvo riche, Mercedes driving, arrogant, frustrated, in a hurry, inattentive texting, cell phone talking, drivers that really don't give a crap if they hit a cyclist here as long as they get where they are going on time! Ride through CDM, Laguna Beach, Irvine, Newport Beach on any given day to find out how really dangerous it can be to share the road with these people.


+2...


----------



## Cni2i (Jun 28, 2010)

Also live in Irvine. OC is definitely a great place for riding bikes. I'm sure that problems with drivers texting and in a rush is not exclusive to OC. Having said that, I recently had a driver cut right in front of me, into the bike lane, to make a right hand turn....I raised my hand up and guess what....got the middle finger from the driver  WTF


----------



## terbennett (Apr 1, 2006)

Cni2i said:


> Also live in Irvine. OC is definitely a great place for riding bikes. I'm sure that problems with drivers texting and in a rush is not exclusive to OC. Having said that, I recently had a driver cut right in front of me, into the bike lane, to make a right hand turn....I raised my hand up and guess what....got the middle finger from the driver  WTF


Sounds like you need to carry chips of ceramic in your pocket.


----------



## Hippienflipflops (Aug 21, 2007)

You know, i have to be honest. I don't think the bulk of the 88 cycling deaths in orange county were the result of reckless or careless riding. The 7 deaths mentioned this year were all cases of motorvehicle driver error. One was actually a truck driving the wrong way down a one way road. As easy as it is to blame cyclists for enraging motorists with their behavior, the truth is that reckless/careless driving is commonplace and accepted.


----------



## El Literato Loco (Apr 14, 2010)

I think the article raises some good points, though it reads a tad alarmist to me. Still, if that helps to get people just thinking about being a little safer, so much the better.

Frankly, with how populous the area's become, I'm surprised the accident rates aren't actually a little higher. But OC does have some of the most amazing bike routes and lanes in the US. And it's got great clubs doing good work raising awareness.


----------

