REVscene - Vancouver Automotive Forum

slammer111 · 07-30-2009, 01:47 AM

One of my buddies came into this ugly incident on the way to my house. This is on Blenheim, heading northbound between 41st and 33rd.

Blenheim is a "major" street, single solid yellow line down the centre, 1 lane each way, with pullouts (shaped curbs) for parking on both sides of the street, which are gravel. There are no white lane markings on the outer edges of the road. There is also a roundabout at 37th but that's irrelevant.

Going up the hill, there was a cyclist who was doing maybe 10km/h. My buddy described it as no faster than jogging. The guy was going in the MIDDLE of the only lane in that direction, and was blocking my friend. After a block or so, my buddy decides it's kind of retarded to follow this guy for 8 blocks going 10, so signals and passes (nice and easy pass, maybe 30 km/h from his description) on the "opposite" (ie left) side of the road. As he's passing, the biker yells out "A$$HOLE!"

My question is this.

a) Is a cyclist entitled to use up the ENTIRE lane of a road? Does this change if it is a road where there's only 1 lane in each direction? I always thought bikes have an obligation to use only the right 1m or so of the rightmost lane unless about to make a turn?

b) Was the pass my friend made legal according to the MVA?

c) If a biker turns violent or violates a ton of rules (like running stop signs) and rides like a tool, is there a # we can call to report them?

Thanks in advance.

wing_woo · 07-30-2009, 08:49 AM

Bikers have to follow the rules of the road. You can always call them in, but how are the police gonna track them? I really wish cyclists had to get a license plate to ride. Not necessarily one that they have to pay for, but it would be nice for them to be able to be identified so it's easier to report them in or even to identify them if they damage your vehicle.

Also, a cyclist I believe is supposed to ride in the middle of the road only if they are not impeding traffic flow I thought.

silk · 07-30-2009, 09:09 AM

If you want to ride on the road, follow the rules, get a plate, and insurance.

90% of them (and im not even exaggerating) run thru red lights, no stop at stop sign, no hand signals, cutting people off, especially in downtown core.
25% of cyclists does not even wear helmets.

I found cyclists are the biggest assoles next to bus drivers. I understand this is a police forum and I should not rant, but I just have to speak it out.
Does our government got a better solution ? They care about cyclist, great, making all the new lanes for them, great... But does anyone thought about laying out rules for them and enforce it ? I wouldnt think so.

Seriously... I bet you could make same amount of money tickets those cyclists in downtown with those who drink and drive.

TheSalesman · 07-30-2009, 10:00 AM

i hate cyclists, they are always holding up traffic and never want to wait behind you so whenever im on the far right lane and pass a cyclists, i will move right over to teh curb so they can't get by. But, sometimes they will just go around me to the left or lane. Are they even allowed to do that? Don't they have to stay on the far right of the lane? Are they allowed to ride on the sidewalks as well?

E=mc² · 07-30-2009, 10:45 AM

That pass should be legal. It wasn't a double yellow, and I'm assuming it wasn't just before the crest of a hill or something.

I don't get why the bike would call your friend an a-hole. That makes no sense whatsoever I'd just flip him the bird.

also, that incident wasn't really 'ugly'

wing_woo · 07-30-2009, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheSalesman

Are they allowed to ride on the sidewalks as well?

No

skidmark · 07-30-2009, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheSalesman

Are they allowed to ride on the sidewalks as well?

Possibly, it depends on the bylaw.

skidmark · 07-30-2009, 11:16 AM

Rights and duties of operator of cycle

183 (1) In addition to the duties imposed by this section, a person operating a cycle on a highway has the same rights and duties as a driver of a vehicle.

(2) A person operating a cycle

(a) must not ride on a sidewalk unless authorized by a bylaw made under section 124 or unless otherwise directed by a sign,

(c) must, subject to paragraph (a), ride as near as practicable to the right side of the highway,

(3) Nothing in subsection (2) (c) requires a person to ride a cycle on any part of a highway that is not paved.

So, the rider should likely have been closer to the right side. Your friend was allowed to pass on the single solid yellow if it was safe to do so.

Finally, yes, idiot cyclists may be reported to police.

TheSalesman · 07-30-2009, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skidmark

Finally, yes, idiot cyclists may be reported to police.

and what are the police going to do about it? pretty much nothing unless you follow them all the way home and report their address too. The police are not going to rush over to where the cyclists is to give him a ticket. So nothing really happens. No plates.

slammer111 · 07-30-2009, 12:06 PM

Thanks for all the replies! Wow, so many in such a short time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MXQBLGH

That pass should be legal. It wasn't a double yellow, and I'm assuming it wasn't just before the crest of a hill or something.

I don't get why the bike would call your friend an a-hole. That makes no sense whatsoever I'd just flip him the bird.

also, that incident wasn't really 'ugly'

You are correct, it was a steady uphill. The crest of the hill is at 33rd. This incident happened around 39th. My friend also flipped him the bird and gunned it in 1st just to blow some exhaust into the cyclist's face.

The poor fool just made a bike-hater out of my friend (who decided this was the last straw).

This particular incident wasn't bad, but the reason why I asked about the reporting # is because another friend got her mirror intentionally smashed off by an angry cyclist while STOPPED IN TRAFFIC. The retard actually jumped off his bike, smashed it, then hopped back on and took off. She seriously wanted to run him over and stop on his head. Because the prick damaged the door too, she ended up paying quite a few bills out of pocket. I usually let things like this slide, but I admit that there are some times when I wish that certain bikers meet a violent death.

Quote:

Originally Posted by skidmark

So, the rider should likely have been closer to the right side. Your friend was allowed to pass on the single solid yellow if it was safe to do so.

Finally, yes, idiot cyclists may be reported to police.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheSalesman

and what are the police going to do about it? pretty much nothing unless you follow them all the way home and report their address too. The police are not going to rush over to where the cyclists is to give him a ticket. So nothing really happens. No plates.

Thanks for the clarification Skidmark. Are we talking 911, or some non-emergency number? Also, if you were to personally receive a call from dispatch about a cyclist contravening traffic rules, would you actually try to find/apprehend the cyclist, or just shrug it off and look for guys with front tint? Obviously you are just 1 officer and cannot speak for your department, but I am wondering what the general attitude is from what you've seen in recent years. The perception I get from RS is that reporting cyclist violators is a waste of air and airtime, which is why you start seeing more people going vigilante.

c32 · 07-30-2009, 02:03 PM

next time pretend to swerve into him, it will scare him shitless... they will never take the roads again

SomeAsianGuy · 08-04-2009, 08:21 PM

Wow what a ahole. I hate cyclist on the road. Im usally scared that they might random swerve into my lane.

ilvtofu · 08-04-2009, 09:32 PM

lol i live on blenheim and 33rd and cyclists in that area are so annoying... the streets aren't wide enough for one car on oncoming and a cyclist plus yourself...

If some cyclist gets violent I think you can call the cops and ask them to stay where they are. Citizens arrest?

goo3 · 08-04-2009, 11:03 PM

There's a bike route two blocks over on carnarvon according to the bike map. Is there something wrong with it?

There's a batch of hippie newb cyclists who totally disregard the rules of the road. Anyone @ city hall or the police dept aware or concerned about this?

I was crossing the street yesterday on 7th (where there's a designated bike route on the sidewalk, btw) and this dude on a bike in the right lane decides to make a half-ass shoulder check, not signal, change to the left lane (there was car in the right lane stopped for the light), then proceed to run the red.

It's only a matter of time before some real bad accident happens. They're like a bunch of 7 yr olds on the road. Oh yeah, no helmet of course.

underscore · 08-05-2009, 01:51 PM

could the biker not have pulled into an empty parking space to let your buddy by? if he doesn't wanna lose momentum he can switch gears and still be fine. what a tool.

if your buddy wasn't in a huge rush I'd say go even slower than the guy once in front of him.