this post was submitted on 07 Jun 2025
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Fuck Cars

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This was a Critical Mass event, which is why the bicyclists are taking up all of the street as a way to reclaim the streets and protest the lack of safety for riders under usual conditions. It's not legal, but protests are never useful if they're fully legal now, are they.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago (15 children)

They feel like cars are coming from both sides of the road through red lights?

Where do you bike?

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 week ago (14 children)

Yes.

I've witnessed cars driving in the wrong lanes (headed towards me) as they recklessly pass drivers.

I've seen drivers turning onto dedicated bike paths.

I've seen drivers jumping curbs. In the city, they've even managed to hop TALL, concrete barriers protecting bike lanes.

I've seen numerous cars flying through stop signs and red lights. At least a few times per week. And even more "stopping" on crosswalks.

I've witnessed a teen getting hit by a car while she used a crosswalk in front of her school. I've nearly been hit several times crossing at intersections, too. I saw an elderly man who was almost run over by a car turning right without slowing down (the driver then yelled at the old man).

If you think these are rare occurrences, you likely don't live anywhere near cars. This shit happens all the time, everywhere.

And I won't even bring up aggressive drivers who are hostile towards cyclists and use their cars as weapons.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (9 children)

I’ve witnessed cars driving in the wrong lanes (headed towards me) as they recklessly pass drivers.

Cool, as they pass drivers. Did you see them drive en masse the wrong way through red lights? Come on, you know you haven't. You know how dangerous it is. Even if it were people walking, it would be dangerous; this isn't safe. This is so dishonest.

Are there bad drivers, yes. But no where, in any city, are drivers doing what these bikers did. Taking up the entire road to drive the wrong way as dozens of them go through red lights.

If you think these are rare occurrences, you likely don’t live anywhere near cars. This shit happens all the time, everywhere.

No, no it doesn't. And this is why bikers are often ridiculed by people. I want safer roads, but I don't claim that cars drive both ways on the road and through red lights by the dozens.

This shit happens all the time everywhere? Really. Everywhere, cars are just all going the same direction, ignoring every traffic law en masse with no cops doing anything? This is so dishonest, again. There are so many good points and ways to fight for more biker safety, creating false narratives isn't one of them.

I’ve witnessed a teen getting hit by a car while she used a crosswalk in front of her school.

How is this relevant to the point at all? This feels more like ranting that discussing the topic on hand. How these bikers are breaking traffic laws in ways cars do not, and in doing so are putting themselves and others in danger for 0 gain. This feels like an "own the libs" thing for bikers where making drivers get upset is the only point. Which a lot of people seem excited about in this thread, further proving that point.

And I won’t even bring up aggressive drivers who are hostile towards cyclists and use their cars as weapons.

Good because it's not relevant. I'm saying cars don't drive like these bikers do. They are acting extremely unsafe for no reason. This doesn't help gain any support or change anyone mind. If anything it makes people hate us bikers more.

I’ve witnessed a teen getting hit by a car while she used a crosswalk in front of her school.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Did you see them drive en masse the wrong way through red lights?

This shit happens all the time everywhere? Really. Everywhere, cars are just all going the same direction, ignoring every traffic law en masse with no cops doing anything?

How is this relevant to the point at all?

They are acting extremely unsafe for no reason.

I think you're a little too focused on the one very specific way the bicycles were being unsafe in the video. Every example they listed was another way that cars are driven irresponsibly all the time, not just during a critical mass event where the point is to flood the streets with bicycles.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 week ago

You're right. I was trying to talk about this specific incident originally and the other commenter kept trying to pivot or change the topic. I was talking about this behavior that is so far outside the norm. The person who replied to me tried to act like cars do this too, but then started talking about all the other things cars do.

But to be clear, I bike very often. And while doing so I do see plenty of bikers break the laws and act unsafe in ways that can cause accidents. Do I see bad bikers as often as I see bad drivers? Hell no. But they do exist, and in this community the stance is often all drivers are evil no matter what and bikers are always right. We can see this with the justification of this protest. It doesn't help us get where we want to be. That's my point.

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