Bikers stand up

[dhbearguy]

Walking down my street I came across 3 news vans, and a bunch of people at the intersection of Market and Octavia.

The bicyclists were holding signs that said "Right turns are illegal", as well as some proposed street painting proposals.

Since they built the Octavia off ramp from 101, many motorists ignore the "No right turn" signs. A few bikers have actually been hit because of careless motorists turning right at that intersection. I see motorists turn right there all of the time.

I personally don't know the difference between turning right there, and turning right 1 block down on Valencia. They both carry the same risks to bikers. Maybe a "bikes" traffic signal would help, but I doubt it.

Comments

[reb2.livejournal.com]

what is it with San Francisco and Right Turns?

[auntie-lukers.livejournal.com]

I can tell you that *I* have big feelings on this; and from the opposite camp.

Brand new $56 Million dollar onramp that no one can use because they made right turns illegal.

[squalidbear.livejournal.com]

Amen sister! I called Bevan's office, I was so furious when it first opened, I must have ranted for ten minutes.

[reb2.livejournal.com]

I do not miss that about SF...they seem to have something against right turns. Does it offend a religion or something?

[squalidbear.livejournal.com]

Fuck them and their minority rule. Whizzing through stop signs is illegal too, but those little fucks do it all the damn time.

[dhbearguy.livejournal.com]

It amazes me that the bicyclists have so much power on the streets. I heard that they were the ones responsible for making sure that right turns there were illegal.

[reb2.livejournal.com]

I honestly have zero respect for the bicyclist zionists in SF

[squalidbear.livejournal.com]

Yes, they were, it was the irritating-the-fucking-life-out-of-us-all San Francisco Bicycle Coalition who represent literally thousands of San Franciscans, or, approximately 1% of the population of SF. They have so much political power, because which politician doesn't want to appear green (apart from Willie, who didn't give a shit), that on Bike to Work day you get to see City Supes wobbling to City Hall in a pathetic show of "solidarity".

[auntie-lukers.livejournal.com]

Meanwhile, rant rant, I don't actually strike bicyclists with my car. In fact I don't associate with anyone who does.

[poohbearjim.livejournal.com]

I don't either, but I would LOVE to strike the motorcyclists who drive up between the cars and almost hit them. I've had my rear-view mirror hit by them on many occasions and I'm now tempted to start opening my door when I see them coming.

[boyshapedbox.livejournal.com]

Someone got hit pretty bad a few days ago...
Bicyclists get hit all the time over there.

I don't agree that the right turn should be illegal, but that said, it IS illegal. And even if it sucks, and you don't agree with it, that doesn't mean you can disregard it.

The fact that people don't obey street signs, or look for street signs, is a huge problem in this city.

It makes me think what other things drivers are disregarding.


(this is just a general rant, not to you dave because we talk about this all the time.)

[djmattconsola.livejournal.com]

I make right turns there every chance I get. I agree with Luke. A $56K project that you can't make a right hand turn on to. It so slows down traffic and pours everyone onto 14th and in front of my house for no good reason.

Plus, I have zero respect for bikers in this city (and I do own a bike). As long as they continue to wiz through right lights, not stop at intersections, and pretend the laws don't apply to them, I hope they get run over. If I had better insurance I'd probably hit a few myself just to make the point (lol). In fact, I've had a Critical Mess person make me late for a doctors appointment. They threw their bike in front of my car and I gave them two chances to pick it up, then I ran it over. He tried to sue and nothing came from it. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. No matter what their original intentions were in creating Critical Mess, as long as they feel the lights, signs and laws don't apply to them, they need to learn the hard way. Learn about the laws of Physics as a car goes rolling over their hippy, jobless asses. Ahhhhhh . I feel better.

An indication of stupidity

[greengadfly.livejournal.com]

Frankly, the off ramp, or rather the traffic flow to and from it, is REALLY badly designed - that's what causes the problems

But having made that trip up and down market many time, I feel for the bikers

[greggjim.livejournal.com]

When bikers in this city actually start obeying traffic laws that they are expected to follow like everyone else, then I'll find some sympathy.

[akil.livejournal.com]

It's absolutely ridiculous (and poor planning) that the right turn is illegal. I've never made the illegal turn, but I suspect that some people have done so out of sheer ignorance. It would make sense, one might think, that a right turn onto the freeway from a main arterial would be permissable. So many of the of the drivers on SF streets are visitors from somewhere else, where driving is simpler, after all.

I fight the constant urge to have the utmost contempt for bicyclists in the city. I have yet to see one stop at a stop sign. They fly through intersections without the right-of-way and ride on the wrong side of the street ... and then act surprised when an accident occurs.

A good friend of ours is a member of the Bicycle Coalition; he was arrested when they staged a party on the central freeway segment, now the beautifully landscaped Octavia strip, on the eve of its demolition. Our ideologies on the issue are so disparate that we can't even have discussions about it anymore.