"Without seeing the accident, fault cannot be laid on the biker.#
- The article indicates that it was a sanctioned event. That means they had the right to be in the lane. When there is a sanctioned event, the bicyclists are TOLD to use the motoring lane. They don't have the knowledge in that case to expect a motorist coming along in the lane they were told to use.
"A San Juan to Mayaguez bike run on a saturday morning??- 100 miles.
2 hour staggered race start. One entire lane of the road blocked
by these ballet dancer looking bikers. It took me and the Mrs
5 bloody hours to drive 81 miles to our beach resort reservation."
- Again, a sanctioned event! If you don't like it, tell the city council. (But don't bet on them agreeing with you)
"I wanted to smash a few myself, with their brightly colored outfits
up in the air, hogging my road!!"
- Being a sanctioned event, it isn't your road!
"There oughta be a law."
- There IS a law. When it's an event, it's THEIR road.
"I was a biker for 40 years- we wore leather and it was one color-black."
- The brightly coloured outfits are to help the motorists see them - for safety.
"It's rare you see anyone sitting in the passing lane (called fast lane here in the US)"
- That's because it's illegal.
"they'll hog the road 3 or 4 abreast & pop a finger over their shoulder! unfortunately, that's the case around here"
- That's because you live in Alabama. Here we have bicycle lanes to keep the motorists off our backs.
"Bikers who hog the road & put both themselves & auto drivers in danger deserve what they get!!"
- Remember... In an encounter between a motor vehicle and a bicycle. It's ALWAYS the bicycle that looses.
I wouldn't think of going out and shooting another person, but motor vehicle drivers think that because they are bigger, it isn't their responsibility any more. Suddenly it's the bicycle who should get out of the way.
Gosh, I'm sorry Mrs Sanchez. Your husband is dead because he's got a skinny as* on a skinny as* bicycle, and got in MY way on MY road. Tell your daughter he isn't coming home anymore. I'm sure she'll understand.
"When a cyclists speed and a motorized vehicle's speed become the same, the cyclist need not stay right. (as in town)"
- True, and I do it at right turn lanes, but that isn't the law here.
"In fact it is preferable if the cyclist moves to the center of the lane for visibility."
- Bicycles must stay to the right here.
"On all public roads cyclists have the same rights AND responsibilities as motorists."
- Yes, except they must stay to the right. Furthermore, here the car is ALWAYS at fault in ANY encounter with a bicycle. Period!
"I almost passed out from low blood sugar waiting on these
pretty boys to move on out!!"
- You were therefore not in responsible condition to drive the car. That is illegal here, and certainly irresponsible there.
"And they do not "pay the same road taxes as everyone else"! At least not in Alabama...part of the drivers license fee goes into the general fund which is used for road repairs! As does part of the taxes I pay when I license my cars every year." "Cyclists" don't pay those taxes!"
- Roads are defined by number of instances of 10 ton axle travel. For example a road could hold to 1000000 ten ton axles driving across it before it needs rebuilding. the damaging affect of lesser weight vehicles is reduced by the cube of the weight reduction. The same road would hold to 8,000,000 five ton axles or 1,000,000,000 one ton axles (two per two ton car). Or 37,000,000,000 Bugeye Sprites. A bicycle and rider weigh 100 kg with two axles. The same road would hold to 8,000,000,000,000 bicycles.
It's the heaviest trucks that should pay the largest share.
"That photo is horrific, but it's far more shocking to see the responses posted about it!"
- I agree completely. I have been up half the night with anxiety thinking about the completely stupid responses posted on this thread and the attitudes of some people. People whom I have a relationship to and a common interest.
In the interest of being non-political, I won't mention anything about U*A and the average mass of it's inhabitants. Furthermore, fresh fruit IS desert!
"By paying road tax on a car but not using it (riding a bicycle instead), the cyclist is the one getting the bad deal. You're coming out ahead."
- Yes, and I have 6 cars, paying an enormous amount to the state, while I ride my bicycle 20 km each day to work.
"Indeed. It's very difficult to obtain a driver's lisence
Hey Guest!
Hey - did you know if you click on the title of a thread it will take you to the first unread post since you last visited that thread?
but were afraid to ask: 
STOP!! Never post your email address in open forums. Bots can "harvest" your email! If you must share your email use a Private Message or use the 
smilie in place of the real @
Pretty Please - add it to our Events forum(s) and add to the calendar! >> 
emoticon in my original message fail to provide a clue to the tone of that sentence?
