Hey I personally want to let you know your advocacy here on UA-cam gives me the strength to continue working on my advocacy in my small sector of California, South Bay near LA. I met today with a city council member and will continue until I feel safe everywhere I go. Thanks for the videos they give me a way to smile and relax each and every day
I wish there was an online course teaching people how to engage with their local government to most effectively bring about change. Surely there are experts on this topic that know what strategies are most effective that can show what to research and show what's feasible in a replicable manner.
You are making great points. You are a trailblazer! Riding in SD is a tough one. At 77 I mostly stick to the Bayshore trail. Pick up drivers are in a league of their own.
Lots of people are coming in here giving me a hard time for not stopping at stop signs. It's making it really easy to determine who to hide from the comments. Thanks!
Chiming in from Seattle. Right on man, kudos. Seattle cyclists have been advocating here for awhile in similar fashion. And it works. Keep on keeping on.
I love Seattle, and have walked a lot, but haven't gotten on a bike around there yet. I'm kicking around doing that Seattle to PDX ride in July, though...
I'm here for the cause, but I'll be damned if I'm not also trying to ride vicariously. It's 21 degrees here in Akron, Ohio, and we've got maybe 4 inches of snow on the ground.
Thanks, @chuckhunter77. Obviously this isn't the place for it, but lots of other channels get into cold-weather riding. Canadian UA-camr @Shifter has some videos on it, like this one: ua-cam.com/video/Lrj2pQOnIPs/v-deo.html
New subscriber and car less biker in Yuma AZ, just over the mountains and desert from you. Keep on ridding. My retirement job is going to be advocating for bikes infrastructure here.
Love your videos! Wish we could ride together! Meet us tomorrow at the strong towns meeting for better bike infrastructure. At mixed grounds coffee 2920 imperial avenue. Love the advocacy you put up in this videos!
Well I for one am stoked to have discovered your channel and gotten to know you IRL You provide some great content. Next time we run into each other at BLAH or Fall or wherever, beer is on me. And Happy New Year. Cheers!!
I gotta say, I whole heartedly believe that you should continue to do what you do, and I do agree, cars are definitely weapons in terms of speed and weight that will kill someone. Love your videos my dude, from one cyclist to another!
Let's be honest tho, the trolls will continue to be your audience because if there's one thing they hate, it's that anything antithesis to their policies should be prevented from gaining traction. So good on you for nipping them at the bud and preventing them from having a platform on your comment sections.
No other form of transit is involved in over 40k deaths per year. Do you want to get into a conversation about details and context, or do you want to make broad generalizations?
Given the many intentional ramming incidents around the world and need for protective bollards, I don't think anyone can disagree with point 1. Point 2 is also spot om, but I've come to the conclusion that 99% of roads/intersections in the US are NOT designed. It's like people who think you can construct buildings without architects. Technically it's true, but there are serious consequences leaving things undesigned. As an American in NL, you really notice that drivers (and bikes) are really not given so much room to make mistakes. I come to this channel for sketchy sharrows, near-suicidal intersections and to see some glimmers of hope, I am some sort of audience...
Not only are cars weapons, in the US, the drivers of those weapons require no official/professional training in operating them and in fact are simply taught by parents who also lack actual knowledge or skill. Furthermore we're taught how to get a drivers license at age 16 then progress through the entirety of life with no continuing education requirement whatsoever! No skills assessments. No new training to reflect the changing automotive landscape. American culture simply does not take driving 4,000lb, 5000lb heavy equipment seriously! They're all out there just basically joyriding in their own little bubble... their vehicles are essentially just posh living rooms on wheels, comfy warm seats, TV screens, totally quiet interiors that you can live stream you tube from and completely insulated and disconnected from the outside world.
Just seeing that the problems with San Diego's bicycling infrastructure is reflective of what is happening in my city, this is somewhat comforting in that it's not just me shaking my fist! My Council Member had to admit that the previous cycling coordinator (a volunteer) was not a cyclist. I am not the current one, just lending my opinion. However, I'm not entirely sold that this was an unfortunate oversite. Having an overweight, truck-driving "advocate" in this position might just serve the status quo. Am I being naive?
I agree that the problems are by design. If you look at where I live in the Netherlands, it's so much easier to cycle, since there's actual bike paths and designated areas. Besides that, drivers are taught to give cyclists space when necessary. This is just both not the case in the US. I feel like people should be learning to drive in learner cars. This way the bar for getting a drivers license is way higher and thus making things safer for everyone on the road. I do think that implementing any change into this system will have certain people go "BUT MUH FREEDOM >:(((", which is why this should've been implemented way sooner.
Thanks for this! I think a big problem is that drivers assume people on bikes aren't also drivers. A bunch of ding-dongs will say "you don't pay for the roads," which is just false. Never mind that most people riding also drive sometimes, but any taxes in gasoline don't come close to paying for roads. They come from general funds that everyone pays for. What drivers don't understand while they're in their cars is that the road is for people getting around in other ways, too. And, to your point, it's too easy to get a license in the US, and it seems to be very difficult to lose it.
They drive down the middle of residential streets so it's not so obvious that they're doing it on purpose because of your bike but go ahead and get their plate number and turn them in
"...Nobody is out to hurt people..." Well, tell that to the victims in New Orleans where a car was deliberately used as the deadly weapon it can be. That act of terrorism was not done using a bike.
Clearly some people are actively using cars to hurt and kill others. The context I'm setting up here is about normal people driving without murderous intent. Context has to matter in these conversations.
I have no problem with people on bikes. By law they have every right to be on the road, with or without a bike lane and I give them as much room as I safely can. My problem with most riders of bicycles is something you just demonstrated in this video. You intentionally ran several STOP signs. You are a vehicle according to the CVC and are supposed to follow all rules and laws of the road. You didn't even try to slow down or stop. You just looked both ways and went through. In fact, the first one had a pedestrian in the crosswalk. As a vehicle you should have stopped behind the limit line and allowed that person to finish crossing, just a someone in a car would have to do. Its somewhat hypocritical of you to say all these things in this video, yet show yourself breaking the law several times. I am not angry or trying to start an argument, but by doing these sorts of things is why people have such a problem with bicyclists....
@fangfyre3800 Lots of people try to make this argument, making a false equivocation between the reasons why a car should stop and a bike. You're not angry, but you're not thinking critically about this. It might help to consider that someone on a bike is moving much slower, can see more, and that stopping can put us in danger that a driver doesn't have to deal with. That's why stop-as-yield is legal in 12 states. The CVC is about drivers; stop signs were popularized because drivers were killing people at super high rates. It's about the cars. It's always about the cars.
Anything can be a weapon, I don’t get the point? A car is only a weapon when it is used as such. Not trying to be a troll. Much respect to other people on the road. We all have to share. Whether it be pedestrian, cyclist, or motorcyclist. But I will say that all three of these at fault as well. Jay walking, cyclists ignoring stop signs, or crotch rockets doing wheelies or blasting between cars on the fwy. Both sides of the fence can be at fault. Awareness and respect is key.
@scottlaughlin9897 You're not the audience for this channel (and are clearly unaware of the history of things like jaywalking and stop sign laws). But thanks for watching.
Here are ChatGPT's thoughts: Cars are not inherently weapons; they are designed primarily for transportation. However, like many tools or objects, they can become weapons if used intentionally to harm others. So a more accurate statement is that cars can be dangerous.
Well, we all know AI is a lousy driver, so what else could we expect, @beemo9. This is like saying a knife isn't a weapon because it's used to prepare food. That's a broad generalization, though, and I hope, as thinking people, we can understand this in a more nuanced way than some LLM garbage.
I'm not just the right audience, I'm a strong supporter of all that you are doing.
Hey I personally want to let you know your advocacy here on UA-cam gives me the strength to continue working on my advocacy in my small sector of California, South Bay near LA. I met today with a city council member and will continue until I feel safe everywhere I go. Thanks for the videos they give me a way to smile and relax each and every day
I wish there was an online course teaching people how to engage with their local government to most effectively bring about change. Surely there are experts on this topic that know what strategies are most effective that can show what to research and show what's feasible in a replicable manner.
Happy new year! Thanks for all you do regarding bicycle infrastructure!
You are making great points. You are a trailblazer! Riding in SD is a tough one. At 77 I mostly stick to the Bayshore trail. Pick up drivers are in a league of their own.
I love these expectations! As a fellow bike commuter, it's nice to see how you deal with similar experiences
Lots of people are coming in here giving me a hard time for not stopping at stop signs. It's making it really easy to determine who to hide from the comments. Thanks!
Happy New Year. Ride safe and keep up these great videos.
Chiming in from Seattle.
Right on man, kudos. Seattle cyclists have been advocating here for awhile in similar fashion. And it works. Keep on keeping on.
I love Seattle, and have walked a lot, but haven't gotten on a bike around there yet. I'm kicking around doing that Seattle to PDX ride in July, though...
i agree with everything :)
I'm here for the cause, but I'll be damned if I'm not also trying to ride vicariously. It's 21 degrees here in Akron, Ohio, and we've got maybe 4 inches of snow on the ground.
Thanks, @chuckhunter77. Obviously this isn't the place for it, but lots of other channels get into cold-weather riding. Canadian UA-camr @Shifter has some videos on it, like this one: ua-cam.com/video/Lrj2pQOnIPs/v-deo.html
New subscriber and car less biker in Yuma AZ, just over the mountains and desert from you. Keep on ridding. My retirement job is going to be advocating for bikes infrastructure here.
I'm a ways away, but I was thinking my retirement job could hopefully be in a bike shop. :)
Love your videos! Wish we could ride together! Meet us tomorrow at the strong towns meeting for better bike infrastructure. At mixed grounds coffee 2920 imperial avenue. Love the advocacy you put up in this videos!
Is there a Strong Towns in San Diego now?
Well I for one am stoked to have discovered your channel and gotten to know you IRL You provide some great content. Next time we run into each other at BLAH or Fall or wherever, beer is on me. And Happy New Year. Cheers!!
I gotta say, I whole heartedly believe that you should continue to do what you do, and I do agree, cars are definitely weapons in terms of speed and weight that will kill someone. Love your videos my dude, from one cyclist to another!
Car violence is trivialized and accepted.
Let's be honest tho, the trolls will continue to be your audience because if there's one thing they hate, it's that anything antithesis to their policies should be prevented from gaining traction. So good on you for nipping them at the bud and preventing them from having a platform on your comment sections.
Adams Ave! You rode past my house
By your logic all forms of public transit would also be a weapon.
No other form of transit is involved in over 40k deaths per year. Do you want to get into a conversation about details and context, or do you want to make broad generalizations?
Given the many intentional ramming incidents around the world and need for protective bollards, I don't think anyone can disagree with point 1.
Point 2 is also spot om, but I've come to the conclusion that 99% of roads/intersections in the US are NOT designed. It's like people who think you can construct buildings without architects. Technically it's true, but there are serious consequences leaving things undesigned. As an American in NL, you really notice that drivers (and bikes) are really not given so much room to make mistakes.
I come to this channel for sketchy sharrows, near-suicidal intersections and to see some glimmers of hope, I am some sort of audience...
You're in the right place, @413453425!
Not only are cars weapons, in the US, the drivers of those weapons require no official/professional training in operating them and in fact are simply taught by parents who also lack actual knowledge or skill. Furthermore we're taught how to get a drivers license at age 16 then progress through the entirety of life with no continuing education requirement whatsoever! No skills assessments. No new training to reflect the changing automotive landscape.
American culture simply does not take driving 4,000lb, 5000lb heavy equipment seriously!
They're all out there just basically joyriding in their own little bubble... their vehicles are essentially just posh living rooms on wheels, comfy warm seats, TV screens, totally quiet interiors that you can live stream you tube from and completely insulated and disconnected from the outside world.
Just seeing that the problems with San Diego's bicycling infrastructure is reflective of what is happening in my city, this is somewhat comforting in that it's not just me shaking my fist! My Council Member had to admit that the previous cycling coordinator (a volunteer) was not a cyclist. I am not the current one, just lending my opinion. However, I'm not entirely sold that this was an unfortunate oversite. Having an overweight, truck-driving "advocate" in this position might just serve the status quo. Am I being naive?
I agree that the problems are by design. If you look at where I live in the Netherlands, it's so much easier to cycle, since there's actual bike paths and designated areas. Besides that, drivers are taught to give cyclists space when necessary. This is just both not the case in the US. I feel like people should be learning to drive in learner cars. This way the bar for getting a drivers license is way higher and thus making things safer for everyone on the road.
I do think that implementing any change into this system will have certain people go "BUT MUH FREEDOM >:(((", which is why this should've been implemented way sooner.
Thanks for this! I think a big problem is that drivers assume people on bikes aren't also drivers. A bunch of ding-dongs will say "you don't pay for the roads," which is just false. Never mind that most people riding also drive sometimes, but any taxes in gasoline don't come close to paying for roads. They come from general funds that everyone pays for.
What drivers don't understand while they're in their cars is that the road is for people getting around in other ways, too. And, to your point, it's too easy to get a license in the US, and it seems to be very difficult to lose it.
They drive down the middle of residential streets so it's not so obvious that they're doing it on purpose because of your bike but go ahead and get their plate number and turn them in
But car drivers have a god given right to drive their F150 60mph down a stroad
"...Nobody is out to hurt people..." Well, tell that to the victims in New Orleans where a car was deliberately used as the deadly weapon it can be. That act of terrorism was not done using a bike.
Clearly some people are actively using cars to hurt and kill others. The context I'm setting up here is about normal people driving without murderous intent. Context has to matter in these conversations.
I have no problem with people on bikes. By law they have every right to be on the road, with or without a bike lane and I give them as much room as I safely can. My problem with most riders of bicycles is something you just demonstrated in this video. You intentionally ran several STOP signs. You are a vehicle according to the CVC and are supposed to follow all rules and laws of the road. You didn't even try to slow down or stop. You just looked both ways and went through. In fact, the first one had a pedestrian in the crosswalk. As a vehicle you should have stopped behind the limit line and allowed that person to finish crossing, just a someone in a car would have to do. Its somewhat hypocritical of you to say all these things in this video, yet show yourself breaking the law several times. I am not angry or trying to start an argument, but by doing these sorts of things is why people have such a problem with bicyclists....
@fangfyre3800 Lots of people try to make this argument, making a false equivocation between the reasons why a car should stop and a bike. You're not angry, but you're not thinking critically about this. It might help to consider that someone on a bike is moving much slower, can see more, and that stopping can put us in danger that a driver doesn't have to deal with. That's why stop-as-yield is legal in 12 states. The CVC is about drivers; stop signs were popularized because drivers were killing people at super high rates. It's about the cars. It's always about the cars.
A stop sign means stop.
@michaeldouglascake5462 You're not the audience for this channel. But thanks for watching.
Anything can be a weapon, I don’t get the point? A car is only a weapon when it is used as such. Not trying to be a troll. Much respect to other people on the road. We all have to share. Whether it be pedestrian, cyclist, or motorcyclist. But I will say that all three of these at fault as well. Jay walking, cyclists ignoring stop signs, or crotch rockets doing wheelies or blasting between cars on the fwy. Both sides of the fence can be at fault. Awareness and respect is key.
@scottlaughlin9897 You're not the audience for this channel (and are clearly unaware of the history of things like jaywalking and stop sign laws). But thanks for watching.
Here are ChatGPT's thoughts:
Cars are not inherently weapons; they are designed primarily for transportation. However, like many tools or objects, they can become weapons if used intentionally to harm others. So a more accurate statement is that cars can be dangerous.
Well, we all know AI is a lousy driver, so what else could we expect, @beemo9. This is like saying a knife isn't a weapon because it's used to prepare food. That's a broad generalization, though, and I hope, as thinking people, we can understand this in a more nuanced way than some LLM garbage.