Luke Iseman sells a Bicycle Defense Kit for $19.90.
The Bicycle Defense Kit (BDK) offers options for dealing with aggressive motorists. Contained within an altoids tin, the 8 tools vary in detectability, potential to cause damage, and legality.Bicycle Defense KitSpecifically, cyclists can:
• Issue "citizen citations" with official-ish tickets.
• Label offending vehicles with an "I was a jerk to a cyclist" sticker.
• Introduce the risk of paint damage with a Jolly Rancher.
• Create certain coating cremation via DOT3 brake fluid.
• Make cars stink worse than their exhaust with a carefully-placed stink bomb.
• Throw a trusty bolt to dent offending traffic as it passes.
• Lock out loony drivers by filling their keyholes with super glue.
• Cut through tire valve stems with a utility blade.
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As a bicycle commuter, I am ashamed to use the same form of transportation as the person who cooked this up.
Seems like a bit of an "offense kit."
as a cyclist, this is offensive. as a driver this is offensive. As a person this is offensive. what is wrong with you. If you are having so many "aggresive" driver problems, perhaps the problem is you
Oh, I had assumed it was a kit for defending =against= bicycles. But it's actual a motor vandalism kit, it seems.
This isn't so much defensive as it is offensive.
It's not going to keep you safe and it's not going to keep you from harm's way.
I mean, neat ideas and stuff, lord knows I've thrown handfulls of nuts and bolts out of my jeep when inconsiderate assholes tossed lit cigarettes that bounced into my open cab, but honestly.
Does it solve anything to strip their paint or put stickers on their car? Does it make anyone feel better long term or does it just create more animosity between cyclists and motorists in an already terse situation?
While I recognize that there are situations in which a cyclist might consider any one of these tools to be appropriate, I have to protest their collection and sale in one convenient package.
I live in a rural area with a lot of hilly, winding roads that cyclists absolutely love. They feel it is their absolute God-given right to ride the roads in the area and not one I've ever talked to has felt otherwise. But there are NO SHOULDERS to the road in this area, and furthermore, the twists and turns and hills make it nigh impossible to tell if there is oncoming traffic. This means that you end up with cars stuck behind cyclists, who end up thinking you're an asshole who refuses to pass when really there's no safe opportunity to pass for miles at a stretch.
My fear is that cyclists in my area will buy this kit and start taking it into their head to "discipline" drivers who find themselves in my situation.
TLDR version: This kit professes to help deal with "aggressive" drivers. What about aggressive bicyclists?
This sort of thing is the reason why many of the people I know (most of whom don't drive) hate avid cyclists. You don't see many motorists running around vandalizing bike. Or riding around smashing things with their Club security devices the way some of the more "hardcore: bike kids I've known do with their bike locks.
Its seems pretty ridiculous to me to demonize motorists while lauding whats essentially a tiny box of vandalism and weapons.
The citations are a neat idea, but again, I doubt they'd make much of a difference--they'd just make the driver angry and defensive. The rest, as others have pointed out, just seems counterproductive and vengeful.
I'd think a nice air horn mounted on the handlebars might be a better and effective "defense" mechanism.
They don't seem to vary that much in legality, except maybe the "citizen citations". The items themselves are all legal, but the proposed usages (IANAL) are not.
Asshole-in-a-Can for the two-wheeled Travis Bickle!
This is just as psychopathic as the radio shock jocks joking about running down cyclists.
Yeah, maybe we should just relax gun control laws so cyclists like myself can carry concealed handguns! What the frk is this 1994? This sort of crap has done more to hurt the cause of cyclists then 100 indifferent beureacrats.
Looks more like a "Sure way to get your ass kicked" kit to me.
It's not a defense kit. It's a retribution kit.
I bike to work once in a while in the sunnier times of the year, though not that often because 13 miles each way is a bit much for my middle-aged body. This kind of crap is a disaster for bicyclists. If you stir up hostility between bicyclists and drivers, the people who are going to get hurt aren't going to be the ones surrounded by a ton of metal.
I like riding my bike and I rarely drive to work (though I do often ride a scooter). That said, this kit makes me want to buy a Cadillac Escalade and run down a few self-righteous pedal pricks.
But the tin will cause an unsightly bulge in your skinny jeans' pocket!
While most of it goes way too far, a good sticker to a window is a great way to get someone's attention that they're doing the typical driver sin: putting their convenience in front of everyone else's safety. I actually printed some stickers up that said "I'm parked in the bike lane!" that I used to slap on windows of cars who did that, especially ones that were RIGHT NEXT to an open parking space that they were too lazy or busy to back into.
I've personally wanted to do custom printed post-it notes that I could stick on someone's window as I ride past them after they've almost killed me. I think telling them that they're an idiot is perfectly allowable when someone almost runs you over because they were doing 50 in a 30 on a marked bike lane street while talking on their cell phone.
And right, there's NEVER been a case of a motorist getting angry because they were cut off and vandalizing the other vehicle. That's impossible. Drivers are always so civil.
I can't stand the riders who insist they be treated like cars, but then blow through red lights. WTF? You can't have it both ways. As soon as you start obeying traffic laws, I'll give you the same latitude as another motor vehicle. Until then STFU.
Next up-- the "remove the Altoids tin that was shoved up my ass" kit for those bikers who vandalize the wrong car.
ww, wht n sshl.
cyclists in my area are, for the most part, complete dicks. first of all, they insist on riding up and down HWY 9 during rush hour, often side by side instead of tandem, and seem like they make an effort to stay OUT of the bike lane.
Santa Clara County just spent a bunch of money putting up a half dozen "Share The Road" signs in as many miles. Well, look, I'm sorry, but no. Fuck you. You aren't going anywhere, you're riding up, and riding down, and impeding traffic in the mean time. If i did the same thing by insisting on walking in the road, i'd be arrested. Also, I'm a bit annoyed by people who apparently don't have anywhere to be at 8am on a wednesday. I'm having a hard time imagining them as anything other than egotistical douchetards with their daddys credit card.
Next, the garb. Seriously. You aren't sponsored - you PAID to look like a day-glow billboard on wheels.
Oh and lets not forget the King Douche of them all, the one who decides to put a fucking toddler in a little trailer and cart the poor thing behind him. On a remote mountain highway. Where cars routinely hit 75MPH around blind corners even though the limit is 45.
Bottom line: There is no shortage of roads in the Bay Area. Pick one that ISN'T one of two routes from Santa Cruz to San Jose.
If used, this kit will create hate against cyclers and cause a backlash. Kinda like how the USA's efforts against Muslims terrorists have actually inspired more anti-USA hate.
Also, maybe I suffer from a lack of imagination or experience, but...
1) How does a Jolly Rancher hurt paint? I could eat it while throwing paintballs at a car but I don't think that's what you intended.
2) What is "coating cremation" and how does brake fluid cause it?
3) Won't the stink bomb stink yourself or at least everything in your kit until you use it? How is it used? Do you just open the contact case and pour the liquid into someone's car? How do you do this at 30 MPH? Actually how do you use any of these things at 30 MPH? Is the idea to follow angry drivers to their destinations in order to vandalize their cars?
4) I suggest a first aid kit and bail money would make a good companion kit to this one.
Tire irons won't fit in a cute little Altoids tin. That's ok. There's plenty of room for them in a car. And if you're going to go where the creator of this kit wants to go, they make up for the lack of cute with win.
Chevette and YT would approve!
ARMS RACE
You've got to be kidding me. How is this going to help anyone?
what, no room for a few shards of ceramic from spark plugs with which to shatter side windows?
this kit is incomplete!
Around here we call ideas like this "a good way to get shot."
What? No hex nuts for lodging in the muffler?
Bolts and other massy objects are better used on car windows than on the body, "so I hear." :D
i have to deal with bikes never stopping at lights and stop signs(you know following the rules of the road) and now they think they can vandalize my car?
Can't say that I agree with this kit, I don't think the answer is to be a jerk yourself. I would say the only thing I would use in this kit are the stickers and citizen tickets.
"Live strong, asshole" - Hank Moody
You know, I'd have a lot more respect for bicyclists in this city (LA) if they weren't a bunch of snotty pricks who feel that traffic laws don't apply to them.
Cycling pro-tip: You do not get to run red lights and stop signs with complete obliviousness to me and my half-ton of glass and steel hurtling along at 35 miles per hour, then act like a total victim when I have to slam on the brakes to keep you out of my front grill and spill coffee all over my pants in the process.
It's cause humans are stupid. It doesn't matter if you're on two wheels or four. The discrepancy in logic seems proportional to the danger one is in....
Do you know how people are generally nice and peacable when meeting them at work/ at a party....but everyone is a dick on the road? Same thing with cyclists. Everyone bends the rules to their favour, and when someone else does it, they get self righteous.
I ride my bike to work, and on highways/mountain passes on weekends. I also drive a car. I hate cyclists when I'm in my car, and I hate drivers when I'm on my bike. But I also shake my head at drivers while I'm driving and cyclists while I'm cycling.
This kit (although it might be fun to imagine using) is not neccessary if you're not a dick, and you make the assumtion that drivers are blind idiots.
Got a kit for a pedestrian that had their jaw broken in three places and was left bleeding by the side of the road by a spandex-clad nihilist? As soon as bicyclists stop running down pedestrians they will have official carte blanche to vandalize the cars of thoughtless drivers. Until then, you're on a bicycle but you drive like an SUV.
It's rare that a bb post actually pisses me off, but this managed to do it nicely.
As a cyclist AND a motorist, I don't get this whole childish, "mods vs. rockers" kind of silliness. I don't want to be run over or ignored when I'm on my bike, and I don't want to run over anyone when I'm driving my car. I think the vast majority feels the same way.
I'm pretty disappointed that Mark posted this as a 'gadget', since I don't see anything creative or useful about it.
Could we maybe encourage people to act like responsible, concerned adults? Please?
"Oh and lets not forget the King Douche of them all, the one who decides to put a fucking toddler in a little trailer and cart the poor thing behind him. On a remote mountain highway. Where cars routinely hit 75MPH around blind corners even though the limit is 45."
Errr... I think the douche here would be the car driver doing 75mph in a 45 limit. By your logic, we should never go out anywhere because sometimes people break the law and endanger us / our families.
As for this stupid kit... I have no idea why it's been posted here. It's hardly going to engender positive feeling to cyclists amongst car drivers. There's no excuse for cyclists vandalising cars, regardless of how the owners might have been driving. Some drivers *are* inconsiderate / rude / obnoxious / idiots. You don't solve the problem with childish acts of revenge. It just makes other road users think that all cyclists are inconsiderate / rude / obnoxious / idiots. Who wins?
And quite all the "I hate car drivers" / "I hate cyclists" crap. The issue is selfish *road users*, regardless of their means of transport. I cycle on roads with consideration for cars sharing the road with me - plenty of other cyclists do too. I drive with consideration for cyclists I pass - plenty of other drivers do too. Yes, there is a minority of road users who aren't considerate of others, but I'm grown-up enough to not assume that all cyclists are pricks and all drivers are morons.
I agree that vengeful vandalism will do nothing to ease the tense relationship between motorists and cyclists. The existence of a kit like this fuels the idea that cyclists are reckless jerks.
BUT it's important to note that, "You don't see many motorists running around vandalizing bike [sic]" because motorists' lives are not routinely threatened by cyclists. Urban development and driving behaviors in most cities in the US show little concern for the safety of cyclists. The attitude that the roads are for motorists, and motorists only, is a prevalent one that literally threatens the existence of cyclists and pedestrians.
Sociologist David Horton wrote an excellent article on the subject titled, "Fear of Cycling".
Ha Ha. Looks like this item didn't get the support you expected. Sometimes a little mutual courtesy goes a long way - that includes on the roads.
To understand what might motivate a cyclist to make this kit (or find it amusing), see this thread.
Christ, people. Chill the fuck out.
Hey, motorists, what's with the red lights–stop signs canard? Cyclists often don't stop at them, get over it: that ship done sailed. Leave it for law enforcement to worry about: once you've noticed that no one cares to enforce these silly and unenforceable laws, step back a bit, and make way for cyclists. We'll allow you your rolling through lights and signs, eating in the car, cell phone use, etc., none of which you hear us moaning about. OK?
Damn.
If only they addressed the primary issues with bikes and drivers:
1) While riding and driving, everyone look out for each other and be respectful of needed distance and the new situations that arise when sharing the road. I.E., 'Don't be a dick'
2) Outside of riding and driving, advocate for safer infrastructure, better rules, and better enforcement so we can co-exist. I.E., make the world a better place.
If you find yourself trying to address #2 while doing #1 (e.g., a bicyclist is riding along a street with no bike line and you start shouting at them from your car to not ride here because it is unsafe; OR you run a stop sign as a cyclist because you feel different traffic laws apply to cyclists), you are being a dick.
All of these items seem like they are trying to do #2 while completing #1. Bad idea.
My husband rides his bike to and from work every day. In fact, he didn't even have a driver's license until about 6 months ago. He's a polite rider that, yeah, wishes drivers were more aware, but he never yells at them or tries to offend them. I cannot stand the cyclists that act as if they are better than you or more privilaged on the road than you. When I bike, I make sure I'm aware of what's around me and most certainly get over as far as I can when a car is behind me so they can pass. I think there just needs to be more mutual friendliness and not all of this rudeness floating around.
seems kinda passive aggressive.
This has inspired me to create a similar kit for motorists impeded by inconsiderate cyclists who refuse to find suitable locations to pursue their far-below-the-speed-limit sport. Of course, it won't fit in an altoids tin, but hey, just one more advantage to driving a car.
I think it's called the "Bicycle Defense Kit" because it precipitates the need for you to defend yourself should you actually use it. Yes? Yes??
Angry commenter is angry.
I'm as annoyed by bicyclists as the next guy, but is it really worth having a brain bleed over?
Tdawwg:
We'll allow you your rolling through lights and signs, eating in the car, cell phone use, etc., none of which you hear us moaning about.
I take it you didn't actually bother to read any of the stuff written the "citation" card in this kit.
@nutbastard:
Talk about the pot and the kettle.
Yes, certain roads have bike lanes. Do you know what happens to these bike lanes as cars drive on the roads on which these lanes reside? Shards of glass and/or metal, screws that have fallen off cars, or any number of small hazards are "swept" by the rolling of car tires, and this debris ends up in the bike lane.
If they're good, a bicyclist can probably change an inner-tube in about the same amount of time that it takes a motorist to put on their "donut" tire, should they get a flat. But, usually it takes longer--and all of this is assuming the cyclist even HAS a flat kit! The good ones usually do, but everything's circumstantial, and a flat could mean being stranded on the way to work.
So, to avoid such a fate, bicyclists might need to occupy 12 inches of your precious motor lane, in order to skirt around debris and such hazards. It should not be too much to ask that you slow down for 10 - 15 seconds to allow the cyclist to either: a) get back into the bike lane, once the debris is avoided, or b) allow oncoming traffic to pass so that you may SAFELY pass the cyclist.
I can't speak to the folks biking with their kids at 8am on a week-day (though, maybe dropping the kid off at daycare on the way to work is a logical assumption?), but many people commute to work, or other such worth-while activity. And for those who aren't: good for them! They are using their time off from what is probably a mostly thankless job to get some exercise and not contribute to what I'm sure is a very polluted area.
What's your contribution to society?
It's far less likely that someone gets killed from a 190-pound cyclist, riding a 20-pound bike (these are on the larger end of the estimate spectrum) colliding with their car. I cannot say the converse statement is true. Even the smallest car can be a deadly weapon at any speed over 15 MPH. Perhaps motorists should be more aware of this fact.
And, I think it's deplorable that pedestrians get "run down," but they are also partially to blame, if they aren't watching where they are going, and step in front of someone who is traveling at a rate of speed where stopping THAT quickly might not be possible. Pedestrians need to look for cyclists--especially on streets with bike lanes/heavy bike traffic--as well as cars, before stepping into the street.
We all need to look out for each other--motorists, cyclists and pedestrians alike. As a cyclist in Chicago, I can say that the vast majority of motorists are inconsiderate and ignorant of both traffic codes and their immediate surroundings. Pedestrians are little different. And, of course, cyclists aren't exempt from this observation. I, too, operate both a car and a bicycle. I see things to both love and hate about both "groups" while operating EACH.
Be aware, be considerate. Don't gamble with someone else's life or your own.
I'd just like to quote the Penny-Arcade guys on this one:
Jesus says, "Don't be a dick!"
I think both the kit and the proposed responses to the kit fall into dick-dom.
"Ha Ha. Looks like this item didn't get the support you expected."
In the spirit of "mutual courtesy" you call for in your comment, Steve, I'll forgive you for 1) incorrectly assuming what I expected from posting this and 2) using "Ha Ha" mean-spiritedly.
I forgive you, Steve! You are a good person.
IT'S A MADHOUSE I TELL YOU!
A M-M-M-M-A-A-A-A-A-D-D-D-D-HOUSE!
All very nice. Now, what options do we have for dealing with aggressive cyclists?
I am a pedestrian, haven't owned a car in a while, so I have no beef with cyclists from that angle. But any time I have to cross the street in downtown Boston, I have to dodge aggressive cyclists who ignore red lights, enter intersections at speed, and treat pedestrians like myself with disdain, mere obstacles in their way.
Only this afternoon I had to dodge one such pushy biker while crossing the street, in the crosswalk with the Walk signal in my favor. He had the red light, but paid as little attention to it as to me.
I find it difficult at best to seriously consider the oft-aired grievances of cyclists when they act this way. Yes, yes, I know, this is not how all of them act. But enough do daily to stick out and make the case.
I see this lovely "kit" holds destructive items to "fight back". No doubt the cyclists who agree to such tactics will not mind if pedestrians such as myself carry a full-length umbrella - for sticking through the moving spokes of their wheels. All is fair, isn't it?
See you at the crosswalk, kids.
Cyclists have been trying to "gain acceptance" on the road for decades now by being polite, obeying the rules, lobbying local government. We sometimes get results, but much too rarely. Meanwhile, cars kill cyclists, pedestrians, and other drivers constantly. Cars are like the motherfucking plague - a source of death so massive and constant that it fades into the background and becomes an accepted part of life.
A lot of cyclists aren't interested in "being accepted" by drivers anymore. They're interested in ending car culture and the destruction it causes altogether. These cyclists don't care if you like them or not. They don't care if they make your commute slower or more confusing. Your choice to operate a machine as destructive as a car makes you a second class citizen of the road. If you want more respect, you can always get out of the car.
I can't say I agree with that attitude in every case, since there are a few justifiable reasons why people might drive cars. But it's pretty hilarious how up-in-arms everyone gets when this perspective is articulated, considering that the reverse situation (bicyclists being second class citizens on the road) is so completely the status quo that we barely even notice it. Even people who sometimes ride bikes, or who say they think bikes should be respected accept the unequal status they have on the road as a cosmic law.
"Militant bikers" throw this inequality into stark relief, by daring to challenge the dominance that cars have on the road.
If a large part of the community is using a bike, you won't need to vandalize anyone's property. You don't really need defense. Take Amsterdam or Utrecht or any Dutch city. The city centres are swamped with cyclists, and cars are not allowed.
You'll always have a problem with speedier and slower traffic, even on two wheels. People will always be annoyed. But it works perfectly fine over here.
Vandalizing or swearing doesn't really help in whatever way. If I nearly get run over I do say some nastier things, but looking at the sheer look of terror on most of the driver's when they realise they've made a mistake and discovered it too late (eg: they could've killed someone) means more than enough to me. I got a scare, but they're paying the price. Some twats never learn, but these are usually the total obnoxious drivers who end up parked against a tree or something else that won't give way, whatever hurry the driver might be in. I believe in karma, they'll get what they deserve anyway. No need for me to lower myself to their level ;-)
How 'bout you don't make me slam on my brakes to avoid killing you, okay? The safest way to do that is to wait for the light to turn green. Failing that, at least stop and make sure there's no cross traffic. (Which many cyclists do NOT do.)
If you run a red light and I spread your brains across the pavement, will your estate pay my lifelong psychotherapy bills? And will you put up a legal defense fund now to pay for my fight against manslaughter charges?
Seriously, red lights and stop signs are there for a reason, even if you're on a bicycle. Ignoring them endangers yourself and others.
All of these comments are so unexpected!? /sarcasm.
Eh. I think we're all agreed that the kit and its author are outliers in the cycling community: most of us just do our thing or advocate for better cycling conditions.
You fail to address my main point: that automobile infractions are far more numerous, far more dangerous, and far less the subject of rampant paranoid whining than those of cyclists.
Dunno, it's weird to read constantly why it's proper and legal to steal digital content wholesale, but then how it's so incredibly bad for cyclists to bike as they wish (which is largely safe, stopsign violations included). I didn't sign that EULA, sorry: I'm "hacking" the urban space with my "copyfighting" cycle-machine, or whatever, again, deal with it. Experience has shown many cyclists that whatever we do, there's always already going to be a huge degree of anger and frustration directed at us, as in your post above:
Indeed.
PROSSER: Mr. Dent, have you any idea how much damage that bulldozer would suffer if I just let it roll straight over you?
ARTHUR: How much?
PROSSER: None at all.
Plenty of motorists are assholes to other motorists. If I said that all car drivers are idiots based on that you'd all think I was crazy. Believe me, here in Atlanta you can't go one traffic light without seeing someone do something annoying- so why don't we drop the "cyclists are jerks" nonsense because the road is populated with them regardless of conveyance. I think what raises ire is, "cyclists are slow", but you know what, if we did the keep-right thing consistently as motorists, it wouldn't half as much of a problem. Meanwhile it remains ILLEGAL in most places for a cyclist to ride on the sidewalk so complaining there on the road in the first place is a moot point, especially if you then complain that they hop on the side walk from time to time (perhaps to avoid the insanity of your sense of entitlement). If you're going to complain be consistent as to what you prefer cyclists do (besides not exist)
The road is the road, and the public way is exactly that. It does not prioritize users based on how important you deem their task to be. If you're stuck behind two bikes (or a motorcycle for that matter) "taking" a lane for their own safety and can't turn around them because the people on your left are driving like they get points for the length of time their tires are on the road- it's not the fault of the people in front of you obeying the law and speed etiquette as best they can, it's the damn motorist on your left who can't figure out when he or she needs to speed up.If you're mad because it's rush hour, it's rush hour, don't blame that on bicycles. Save it and call the whaaaambulance.
When dealing with bike riders people need to remember that whether the stone hits the pitcher or the pitcher hits the stone, it's always bad for the pitcher. Bike riders rarely try to get in your car's way.
As a bike commuter, I'd like to say that anyone who uses this kit is, in their own diffuse way, trying to get me killed. Getting more people angry at cyclists is just counterproductive.
Cyclists think they can get away with bending or breaking the traffic laws, and while I don't usually agree with that, they do have one compelling argument in their favor: in any bike vs. auto accident, they are the ones at risk, not the people tooling around in armored, airbag-filled sensory deprivation chambers.
An extreme example: I was on a cruise to Mexico, and rented a bike in Cabo San Lucas. At one point, I was going down a narrow cobblestone one way street, when this bastard of a bus driver decides that, to hurry me along, he needs to pull up three feet behind me and start blaring his horn.
Sure, it was a mistake for me to be where I was. But I didn't have any way to pull off or move aside, and if I hit so much as a pothole, he would roll right over me.
What I'm saying is, be courteous towards others, even when they're being inconvenient toward you.
Am I the only one who sees this as obviously just a gag gift? What's next--we all have an angry debate about the punching nun puppet at Archie McPhee?
dculbertson, we're just cycling in the most sensible, safe way we know how: it might look strange to you, but that's cool with us. You just keep your eyes on the road and let the police enforce traffic violations.
+1,000,000 to zikzak.
zikzak @53
while i don't have any data to support my claim, i would argue that your claim that "a lot of cyclists" espouse the radical view that you put forward is wildly overstated. i'm guessing "a few wackjob" cyclists espouse the complete destruction of car culture through violence and vandalism.
ymmv
..and this is why I swerve to kill, not scare. oops!
For all you folks so pissed at cyclists I'd ask a simple question. How many times has your life been in serious danger because of the actions of cyclist? What do you think cyclists would say if asked the same question in reverse? I think it's pretty silly to get so worked up over what is essentially a petty inconvenience, not a life threatening situation. I can only imagine what you must be like standing in line at the supermarket.
Furthermore, you bitch about cyclists not obeying traffic laws, but that goes for motorists as well. The one serious accident I've been in was a result of a driver pulling out into the middle of the road at a stop sign. I've nearly been hit by people ignoring lights, driving wildly and way too fast(probably drunk), and people plain old just not paying attention. I think the whole argument is a bit of the pot calling the kettle black, so maybe you could stop with the tiring generalizations. After all, what do you think the ratio of deaths linked to cycling vs. the deaths linked to automobiles looks like? Is it really fair to then label you a potential murderer, because some are irresponsible in their driving capabilities? All of this quibbling about "reputations" and "tensions" is just idiotic fodder for those that can't live life without biased generalizations.
As for the kit, well, all I can say is where's your sense of humor?
Simple: Motorists pay the taxes for the roads, not cyclists.
Wow, what an utter @#$%.
I cycle commute in Manhattan. This kind of confrontation with motor-vehicles isn't helpful and is missing the point. In NYC motor-vehicles are a minor threat compared to jay-walkers and wrong-way cyclists.
Out in Suffolk County motor-vehicles are the main if somewhat minor threat, but I can't imagine this kit being either helpful or practical. What, you're going to glue somebody's lock shut at 50mph because he passed too close to you?
@DeWynken#65
LOL!!!
You're not serious right? You either have no idea where taxes come from or you're joking. Either way, funny stuff.
As a foot pedestrian, what kind of defense kit can I get to threaten bicyclists who ride on my sidewalk?
> Simple: Motorists pay the taxes for the roads, not cyclists.
False
http://www.stlbikefed.org/Advocacy/Cyclistspaytaxestoo/tabid/150/Default.aspx
"According to the Federal Highway Administration (FWHA), 92% of the funds for local roads--the ones most often used by cyclists--come from property, income, and sales taxes. Bicyclists pay these taxes just like everyone else does. "
I work in downtown Calgary and 95% of the cyclists here are jackasses. They feel they have the right to be a part of any necessary medium to avoid delays, traffic, stoplights, pedestrians, etc.
Example: When traffic is moving, they hold up vehicles driving in a 50km zone, pedaling at 25km... As soon as traffic stops for a red light, they drive in between the vehicles in both lanes, along the dotted line (no car or motorcycle can do that). I've even seen cyclists take the crosswalk/sidewalk with pedestrians to skip out on a red light or stopped traffic.
Bottom line: a car when they want to be, a cyclist when they want to be, a pedestrian when they want to be = an asshole all the time.
Er, I'll stop running red lights when drivers all stop speeding.
Most of the red-light running I do/see comes when there are no oncoming cars, and it's not done because bikers are all nihilist outlaws. The logic works like this: 1) cyclists can see what's going on better, and 2) momentum is important to them. Therefore, if you can avoid stopping, you do.
I don't think there are really that many cyclists that truly want to be treated like cars. Bikes are tiny by comparison and can't go nearly as fast — why should they be subjected to the same rules? The fact is, there's a giant gray area where bikes are concerned. There's rules for pedestrians and rules for cars, and we're given the option to be one or the other (actually, we don't even get that — the "car" box has already been checked). That isn't right. Cyclists should have allowance for both their advantages and disadvantages over cars. It would help. Really.
I understand where this guy is coming from. I don't condone it, but I understand it. Motorists' concerns always revolve around being slowed and inconvenienced. Cyclists' concerns revolve around being killed or maimed. Which has a real cause for frustration and hostility?
i have to deal with bikes never stopping at lights and stop signs(you know following the rules of the road) and now they think they can vandalize my car?
I know right?! Especially considering how amazingly well *all* drivers obey the rules of the road and share it so well with other drivers and cyclists! Ha, delusional, self important jag-offs.
Ha! This isn't a real utility kit. It's a fantasy revenge kit: it shares its heritage with the vampire hunting kits hat were posted here a while back.
As a city cyclist for over 25 years I've dreamed of doing all of this in the heat of rage after being cut up or knocked off by the latest arse. But this is the real world, so just like you don't really set fire to your ex's wardrobe, you don't really go on a car-slaying rampage.
As a physical art-object embodying that revenge fantasy, it's only missing a bazooka. :)
@DeWynken: Uhhhh, cyclists don't pay taxes?
I never suspected that one thread could provide so many wet blankets. Gorilla Glue causes more damage, by the way. That stuff is liquid revenge, squared.
Someone's asking for a physics lesson.
I'm a cyclist who stops at red lights and stop signs (more often than a lot of drivers in Boston), who only goes onto the sidewalk or crosses on a WALK signal after I've hopped off my bike and become a pedestrian (which drivers could do as well, if their cars were small enough to be walked). I obey traffic laws, and shout exactly that at the assholes on bikes who blow past me at red lights, because they're not just putting themselves at risk, they're contributing to the bikes-vs.-cars culture that puts all cyclists at risk.
If you're driving a car, and you see me biking, will you be able to tell any of that about me before you decide to clip me with your mirror because I'm one of those "asshole cyclists"?
Bikes have as much right to be on the road as cars, whether or not it has a bike lane, at least in Massachusetts:
This remains true even if some percentage of cyclists are idiots, just as cars are allowed to stay on the road even though some drivers are idiots. And every bike on the road is a car that's not — not causing congestion, not emitting fumes, not taking your parking space.Whatever happened to the DIY ethos at Boingboing? It's ridicoulous that anyone would gather up $2 worth of items and sell them for $20.
Not to mention the fact that this is a horribly misguided idea. As a gag, maybe. As a product or a "solution"? No.
I think it's hilarious how most people assumed the to post was to endorse
and #67, cyclists pay the taxes for the roads too. in fact, everyone does, even if you walk everywhere.
...The Kourier leans back - the Deliverator can't help watching in the rearview - leans back like a water skier, pushes off against his board, and swings around beside him, now traveling abreast with him up Heritage Boulevard and slap another sticker goes up, this one on the windshield. It says
SMOOTH MOVE, EX-LAX
The Deliverator has heard of these stickers. It takes hours to get them off. Have to take the car into a detailing place...
@RogueModron: wth are you talking about??
Seems like something only a supreme jerk and vandal would use. Ha, silly me for thinking it contained things like a cell phone, notebook and pen, mace and band-aids.
What bullshit. And it's not an issue of endorsement, it's an issue of whay BB would want to draw attention to this at all.
Tdawwg:
Experience has shown many cyclists that whatever we do, there's always already going to be a huge degree of anger and frustration directed at us, as in your post above.
That frustration wasn't directed at bicyclists in general- as I noted in that same post, I AM a bicyclist. My annoyance was aimed specifically at the self righteous, law-skirting assholes that make life worse for drivers AND cyclists.
Ah, so here's that gigantic douchebag utility kit I've been looking for.
Where's the citation kit for the motorist who has to deal with an oblivious, pretentious bicyclist who chooses to slow traffic to 15 mph? I love riding my bike, but the sometimes the rubber band is on the other claw.
Kits like this, even in jest, make it worse for cyclists.
To watch the steam come out of your ears like a Fleischer Studios-era character.
As an avid cyclist (to get around, not as excercise or to race) I have to say that the vehement reaction from the automobile drivers in these comments is pretty disturbing. At the same time I definitely agree that cyclists can do more to be good road citizens - running lights and stop signs has always struck me as rude and highly risky.
A great great point is made in the article linked to by possiblyj (@#38 - 12:48) is that road education programs that arose after cars were introduced to roads already heavily used by pedestrians, cyclists etcetera, emphasised that CYCLISTS and PEDESTRIANS have to work to stay safe - that cars essentially have the right of way. Meanwhile cars are larger, more dangerous, and more deadly. Yet the safety burden was placed on the at-risk (and the original users of the roads!) this has helped lead to the current feeling that cars have the right, and everyone else should get out of the way.
And according to these comments, the uni's don't help. Maybe if roadies would give up their silks we'd get some more respect.
On second thought, fuck that last point.
This seems like some mischievous Rove-ian tactic here. My money's on some guy who hates bicyclists putting this out to make bicyclists look like a bunch of assholes.
The "I'll behave when YOU behave" attitude really worries me. This is beyond bikes vs cars- what the hell kind of society have we become?
Remember the golden rule, kids. You won't see results immediately but you can go to bed knowing you did the right thing.
"Bikes have as much right to be on the road as cars".
The thing that is always lacking in this whole 'rights' talk is the other side of the coin called 'obligations'. So, sure, I grant you that you have as much right to be on the road as I do, if you're a bike and I'm a car. I promise not to crowd you, follow too close, etc. You promise to go the speed of traffic and not block the lane. I can't go 20km in a 60km zone, why do you get to?
You also promise not to pass me on the right or ride next to my car in the lane. I am continually amazed by the bikers who are angry when a car passes them in a lane, but who will pass a whole line of cars in their lane.
See, either you're a bike with special rules and we start debating about what those are, or you're another vehicle subject to all the same rights and *obligations* as the other vehicles. Can't have it both ways.
Where I live, bikes are vehicles and subject to the rules of the road. So if you, bike, sit in a lane going way under the limit, pass me in my lane on the right while I am stopped, run red lights and stops signs, etc., I will show a level of respect to you commensurate with your behaviour. Sure, I won't try to kill you or anything, but I certainly won't care about your comfort, convenience or... rights. In short, I'll treat you just like I would someone driving like a jerk in a car.
On the flip side, follow the rules of the road, stick to roads suitable for bikes in terms speed, etc., use hand signals, have lights and safety equipment and so on? I will not pass you inappropriately, will give you tons of room, and totally respect you.
In response to #53, cyclists who run red lights and terrorize pedestrians in the crosswalk (and this has happened to me, too) I think a short piece of broomstick is perfect. Just jam it into the spokes and let the fun begin.
Now, more seriously, how about everybody obey the law and treat the others around you with courtesy and fairness. Just like you would like them to treat you.
And when that doesn't work, just start shooting.
I pay taxes and thus I have as much right to use the roads as motor vehicle drivers. The entire road, if necessary, and not just the glass and debris strewn shoulders.
If I am in the middle of the lane and you can't pass me, it's not because I enjoy making you late for work or dinner, it's because I've deemed it unsafe to ride any closer to the shoulder, and I don't want you trying to pass me. If this holds you up, tough luck (maybe you should leave earlier next time). 99 times out of 100, once an impatient driver has honked, hollered, and passed me, I catch up to them at the next intersection. Had the driver simply slowed down and waited for me to get to a safe point, the result would have been identical, minus the aggravation on both sides.
I ride on sidewalks where congestion and unsafe road conditions deem it necessary, and in any case, except in specifically designated areas, it is perfectly legal to do so (I'm not sure why drivers care either way.) And when I do so, I defer to pedestrians (though not to jaywalkers, who piss me off to no end.)
I stop at red lights and stop signs, but I do often run red lights after making sure the coast is clear. I realize that this is technically illegal, but it is for a good reason, and not simply because I am in a hurry. Many drivers at red lights are a) talking on the phone, b) so impatient to cross or turn that they don't even see the cyclists around them (even after passing them), or c) both. I feel safer getting as far ahead of accelerating or turning vehicles as I can.
I'll stop doing that when drivers don't roll halfway into the intersection at stop signs before braking, running red lights, and driving while ignorant of their surroundings.
Dear angry, sobbing motorist,
Please refer to this brilliant Andy Singer car-toon for an explanation as to why I don't care if you wet your panties as I safely go through that red light to get away from your sedentary rear as fast as possible.
http://www.electrifyingtimes.com/andysinger.jpg
Your friendly cyclist friend.
PS. Please don't almost run me over on your way home tonight while you take puffs from your cigarette while chewing that cheeseburger and sipping a coffee while listening to music and txting while your passenger argues with you about how your turn-by-turn GPS isn't giving you a fast route home, again.
This kit is almost an embodiment of my kneejerk hind brain response when an idiot driver almost kills me.
If I am lucky the rest of my brain catches up and reminds me that I am alive and I love cycling for the other 99.999% of the time.
Perhaps a gentler kit could be developed. A TV remote that causes the vehicle to pull over whilst playing soothing music to the crazed lard-arse behind the wheel, maybe a serve of donuts, just to really calm them down.
...whilst I quietly pedal past
hehe
Bike lanes are dangerous and cities shouldn't build them. Bikes are a means of conveyance and belong on the road. Motorists just have to accept that. Bikes can go wherever cars can go. Riding on the shoulder at 40mph where there are rocks and other road debris is a good way to wreck your bike and break a bone - or worse.
With that said, this kit is a stupid idea. I have to assume that it is meant as a JOKE.
Where's the citation kit for the motorist who has to deal with an oblivious, pretentious bicyclist who chooses to slow traffic to 15 mph? I love riding my bike, but the sometimes the rubber band is on the other claw.
Hey yeah, I guess they should be going 65 on a bicycle eh right? As far as "pretentious" goes, I guess you imagine the cyclist is thinking of some kind of hip avant-garde thoughts while they're cycling?
To all the sourpusses here, this kit is obviously a joke.
I think that we've got the "Bicyclists are assholes! No, drivers are assholes!" meme pretty well covered now. Anybody have anything interesting or entertaining to say?
It's a terrible idea really. Your best defense is to get away from the insanity and let darwin do his work. It took years of riding for me to realize this.
Besides, it seems rather impractical, like you're gonna crash yourself trying to get this stuff out.
But in the spirit of the post, I point you to ninja rocks:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninja_rocks
illegal to carry in california and washington
spectacular results!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtNDvoxI3ck
Drivers: Please remember every street is a street that cyclists will travel, possibly taking the lane because they feel it's the safest place, where a driver will notice them or to avoid road hazards. It actually is their right to use the road, you are only licensed. Pass safely with courtesy, changing lanes if possible.
I need me some "SMOOTH MOVE, EX-LAX" stickers. In crackback. An maybe a magnapoon. Yeah, that would rock.
Can this still be used if you were running a red-light when they cut you off?
A personal anecdote; one time I accidentally scratched a car while riding my bike. (For context: I was pressed into a tight pass, my handlebar slammed into a parked car's rearview, and I bounced off that into this guy's passenger door. Very pinball.) My first, gut response was to ask the driver "Are you ok?" Now, in what universe does my scraping your paint with my pedal equal me having to worry that you were injured? And yet, that was the first thing I thought to do. Because that was my primary--really, my only concern.
This dude proceeded to get out of his car and be... well, a bully. He didn't get violent, though he used violent language. He used his words and physical presence to try to intimidate me. And I admit, I am sure I wasn't using my very best nonviolent communication back at him--I was on the defensive, plus still experiencing physical chemical effects from the very recent impact.
Still, I couldn't believe when he said, "You hurt me."--as I said, the very first thing I did after impact was ask about his physical safety, plus, he was surrounded by metal when I hit him, and thus not really vulnerable to injury. Half puzzled, half worried, and half incredulous (yes, three halves; my emotional landscape is a big place) I asked, "Hurt you how?" He answered, pointing to the scratch in the paint: "You hurt my car!"
"You hurt my car." What a thought! Here I am, happy to be alive, happy to not have hurt anybody, and this guy is yelling at me because I HURT his CAR.
There is this narrative (at least in the US) of cars as extensions of one's body, and damage or insult to the car being equal to damage or insult to one's person. I am here to say: this is NOT TRUE. A car is an object. An expensive, resource-intensive object, but a repairable and ultimately replaceable one. And I speak as a motorist and former owner of cars. I know what it's like to get behind the wheel and feel enveloped by that protective presence. I know what it's like to feel harried and frustrated by traffic conditions and the behavior of others on the road. I have had emotional attatchments to cars, and I have mourned them when they died.
But--and this is important--not as much as I mourn people who have died.
Contrast the above story to the response of the driver who hit me on my bike--the very first thing he thought to do was try to drive away. I was still sprawled on the road in oncoming traffic. After this guy was chased down, his response was to sit in his car until the cops came. When he finally came over, the first thing he said to me was scolding. He pointed to the road rash on my arm and said, "Why didn't you wear sleeves?" (It was July.)
I still haven't wrapped my brain around that one.
andygates has it when ze terms this kit a "fantasy revenge kit". Just as I can appreciate Hothead Paisan or other revenge fiction without wanting to actually murder anybody, I can "right on" the sentiment of self-protection by any means necessary without actually vandalizing cars. Also: notice that this kit is not conceived for indiscriminate use on All Cars Everywhere (those horrible cyclists!! oppressing those poor cars!!!!1) but on cars that have actually *endangered the lives and safety of cyclists*. In other words, if you never drive like a jerk, then you have nothing to worry about! 8-D
But in seriousness, I drive my bike every day in battle-zone city traffic, and the most effective thing I do to protect myself is communicate, communicate, communicate. This includes: signaling turns! Indicating my intentions to drivers as specifically as possible! (I have to drive through one really hairy roundabout on my daily commute, and I will totally go up to a driver and say "I am going this way, I need to get in front of you here." Mostly, they say "Sure, go ahead!") And I've even been known to wear some funny things (re. cowtown's charming comment) so that I become more visible to motorists.
The thing is: I can do all these things, AND STILL GET HIT. Even if I do everything right, stop at all the lights, stay within the lines (even though I have the legal right, at least in NYS, to ride outside the lane) all it takes is one driver with a mad-on to completely ruin my day (oh, and possibly kill me). Not to beleabor the parallel, but I find car harassment similar to plain ol' street harassment--I keep my eyes up, use all my good defense and defuse techniques, follow the rules, and I can still be victimized. No wonder I find catharsis in the idea of educating bullies by more direct means, using their own language of intimidation and force.
Though having clicked through and read the citation, I am not a superfan of the wording. The "cars suck and bikes R awesum" thing just doesn't appeal to me as a political platform. It's oversimplified and misses the real point.
some bikers are actually jerks.
some drivers are actually jerks.
most people are not jerks and are doing the best they can. sometimes they make mistakes. that may annoy you. that is ok. it should not make you hate them as a person. that is not ok. it should not make you retaliate. that is very not ok.
Wait! Where's the spare batteries for the bike light? Where's the reflective tape? Where's the helmet? Where's the handbook for rules of road, including hand signals? Where's the brake pad replacements?
Oh, this isn't so much a "bicycle defense kit", as much as it's a "self-rightous cyclist offense kit". Got ya.
Now excuse me, I've got to hope on my no brake fixie and ride around at night dressed all in black without lights or a helmet and scream "WE ARE TRAFFIC!" while blowing through stop because "I've got to keep momentum, because bikes are the only things with momentum."
Fuck bikes.
You're right that the SFBay has tons of two wheeled pricks, but I've never seen a bicyclist on Highway 17.
As a lover of bicycles (I don't ride as much as I should, so I'm hesitant to call myself a cyclist), I think this kit sucks. Although it is a great way for Mark to get TONS of comments on his post . . .
Anyway. Vandalizing cars isn't going to help. It just pisses people off. And, NEWS FLASH: MOST PEOPLE DRIVE LIKE DICKTARDS REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU'RE ON A BIKE. So should there be a "Car Defense Kit" for wronged motorists?
The main problem, I think, is that there aren't separate bike highways. There should be, especially in cities with good climates (like Oakland or San Francisco). Then your bike commute or ride can be relaxing instead of a harrowing ordeal fraught with mortal danger and war-zone levels of anxiety.
rogueModron & AndyGates: I thank you. I'm off to the bookstore. But will I ride a bike or drive?
@stevecopley it's a mountain road. (California Highway 17) You have to go 75 (until you hit the 90 degree turn) because
A) Gravity
B) Everyone behind you is also going 75.
Brake fluid is alcohol based and will eat through paint. It seems benign, but it's nasty stuff. So is antifreeze. And gasoline. And oil. Basically everything fluid under the hood is nasty and gross. That's why I wear two layers of gloves whenever I dive under the hood.
@zikzak "Meanwhile, cars kill cyclists, pedestrians, and other drivers constantly. Cars are like the motherfucking plague - a source of death so massive and constant that it fades into the background and becomes an accepted part of life."
Yeah, cars kill cyclists. Cyclists kill pedestrians. But you know what? According to the California Highway Patrol, in 80% of bike-car accidents -- including fatal accidents -- THE BICYCLIST WAS AT FAULT. In Santa Cruz CA, a cyclist was killed at the same intersection two years in a row. Both times, CHP investigated including pulling surveillance camera footage and ruled the cyclist at fault.
Face it. Cyclists get themselves killed through their own arrogance.
Shocking I know.
http://www.amazon.com/Snow-Crash-Bantam-Spectra-Book/dp/0553380958/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257466392&sr=8-1
You also promise not to pass me on the right or ride next to my car in the lane. I am continually amazed by the bikers who are angry when a car passes them in a lane, but who will pass a whole line of cars in their lane.
See, either you're a bike with special rules and we start debating about what those are, or you're another vehicle subject to all the same rights and *obligations* as the other vehicles.
Right. We have to "start debating" because there are no laws stating what bikes can and can't do. Certainly I didn't quote a law about passing cars on the right in the very comment you're replying to: "...the bicycle operator may keep to the right when passing a motor vehicle which is moving in the travel lane of the way." (Incidentally, bikes are also allowed to drive on sidewalks in MA, provided they're clear of pedestrians.)
Bikes and cars are not exactly the same, and one can do things the other cannot. It'd be a stupid law indeed that equated them — so, yes, there are "special rules" depending on what sort of vehicle you're driving. (There are "special rules" for trucks, trailers, and motorcycles as well.) Cars and bikes still have the same right to be on the road, regardless (at least under state law here in MA).
There remains one aspect of this debate which is profoundly asymmetric: when a cyclist tangles with a car, the cyclist loses. Big time. It's simple kinematics.
Yes, because the entire idea is to enrage the drivers so that they'll get out of the car and break your bike over your skull.
Incidentally, I just found out a friend of mine got hit by a car while biking today. He's about as conscientious a person as you could care to meet — polite, genteel, pathologically horrified by the thought of inconveniencing or offending another person. The driver darted out of a line of cars stopped at a light because he wanted to get around them and turn right — no turn signal, no looking where he was going, and as a result he sideswiped my friend (who was obeying traffic law). Fortunately, J. wasn't too badly hurt, and there was a cop nearby, but it could've been a very different story.
Guess he's part of that 20%, huh, Coaxial?
The no lights/helmet thing is always a bad idea, but I see a lot of people making fun of lite-brite outfits at the same time. Hrmmm.
As for momentum, you push pedal- car go vroom. People complain bikes are too slow and impede traffic, so when we speed up/run a sign to get a head start it's also wrong. I think you're just jealous that a biker can move and your stuck until the light changes. It's so petty. Get over it.
Really, most of these motorists should just admit that they don't think bikes should exist and be done with it. Then we know you (just like the cyclists who think cars shouldn't exist) are an inconsiderate douchebag who should be ignored in serious discussions- because you're not willing to apply reason to the debate. It's the same nonsensical stupidity espoused by the anti-gay movement when complaining that "teh gehys are putting their gheyness in everyone's face and should just go be ghey somewhere else."
TO BE CLEAR: I'm not equating anti-bike sentiment to outright bigotry, but the lack of 1st grade live-and-let-live logic employed in both is pretty much equal.
It's not too large for you to carry in your Hummer's trunk. You may have to take out your spare Land Rover, but it's worth it.
Fixed gear cyclists are the worst. Fucking hate them and their impractical idiot machines. Get some gears and brakes and grow up! I speak as a 50 mile a week urban cycle commuter who rides a bike that is actually suited to safely and efficiently riding city roads in traffic! Can we have an anti-fixie dick retribution kit please?
And that cyclist's name was Lazarus?
In other words, become an aggressive cyclist.
Doesn't seem like the smartest strategy for a guy in a funny hat and no armor.
Yes, it turns out that bicyclists are at fault for an unreasonably large number of car-bike accidents. There's a database of 2,000 crashes over the last decade for the bay area over at sfgate.
Overall, bicyclists were more than twice as likely as drivers to be blamed by the police agencies that compiled the reports.
Wow, I used to have a fairly high level of respect for the BB comments crowd, but the amount of stupidity this posting has exposed is a real disappointment.
I guess any moron can get a drivers license (and most of them do)
TheChemist, I agree that anti-bike sentiment =/= outright bigotry. But I believe it's a useful parallel for explaining the discourse I see here (and other places in my life). Some bikers are antisocial, ergo all bikers are demonized. When bikers get upset about their consistent ongoing bad experiences with cars, people tell them to chill out/they must have provoked it somehow/bikes are also bad to cars, and think they've somehow debunked the biker's actual complaint. Propping up strawmen, judging entire groups based on actions of some members of that group, crying "reserve discrimination"--all of these techniques are familiar to any apologist for oppression. And, most importantly, as has been mentioned numerous times: the car has all the advantage in any interaction with a bike. Power + privilege.
I understand how there are structural differences. There's more mobility (ha!) in the bike vs. car war than in your example of heterosexism. Maybe it's more comparable to oppression based on some freely-chosen quality like political affiliation. You could change, but you shouldn't have to.
The problem is, is that you are incredibly vulnerable on a bike, and pretty much every other human being is a danger or an obstacle when you're on one. You have to be incredibly focused, which a pedestrian, or a driver, doesn't necessarily. It can be a pretty tense thing, at times,in a big city,probably all the time. Is that an excuse for being a dickhead? Well, is there ever really a good excuse for being a dickhead? Probably not. But when someone nearly causes you a serious injury because they are not paying attention, reason tends to go out the window. I would suggest that those of you who have had serious, and legitimate at times I'm sure, beefs about the behavior of cyclists to take a go at it themselves, you might find yourself doing the exact kind of things that piss you off as a driver or pedestrian.
Yeah, what would be the equivalent of this for pedestrians to use against cars? In fact, where's the "defense" kit for me to use against the asshole who hit me while I was crossing the street (in the crosswalk, with a walk signal) and then drove away? I don't think the surprised look on my face had much of an effect on him.
I so want to go old school PHRACK and leave my perfect motorist caltrop recipe. But I won't because I'm a responsible adult.
You all seem polarized on the issue and that's great but one thing we have to agree on is that the oil will run out one day. What are we gonna do about it? The day of everyone driving massive Detroit steel everyday allday is over. We are the smart people. We have to fix this.
And as anecdote... when I saw this article I instantly thought, hey... I finally have a place to put my capsiacin, my pebbles, compass... whatever. Then I realized it was an altoid tin. Sigh.
p.s. to the person above who didn't know... in most of the united states you are still able to apply for and carry a concealed weapon...i.e. a gun. The law was instituted as a measure to protect a polarized large scale society from exercising its legitimate armed forces against a substantial minority within it's own borders. An armed populace has rights. A disarmed populace has either evolved past the necessity for ever needing violence or it will again suffer it.
I for one am shocked, SHOCKED, that you can buy stupid and potentially dangerous things on the internet.
Here's the wisdom that I've extracted from this thread:
- The problem isn't drivers.
- The problem isn't bicyclists.
- The problem is Americans.
Even if we had vast swathes of inner city that kept out cars and bikes, and only allowed pedestrians, we'd still have road rage incidents.
You're all psychotic, I'm taking the bus.
I bike to and from work in a town - Yuma, AZ - that is decidedly not bicycle friendly.
Yes I feel I have a right to the road, and yes I take care to follow the traffic rules like stopping at red lights, yet I encounter on a weekly basis some form of hostility.
This week as I passed through the green light of an intersection on my way home, a car that wanted to turn left couldn't because I was crossing and someone in the back seat leaned out the window and while yelling obscenities tried to take a swing at me.
Of course I try not to get too angry, because I think that in 20 years this whole argument will seem silly as almost all of us will bike to work out of necessity.
ANY instance of Bike-Nazi offenses such as those described here will be met by me with instant tire slashings, seat thefts, light breakage and or theft, bent spokes, epoxied locks, wheel-stomping, chain cutting, brake line cutting, dérailleur destruction, bike lane blocking, sudden braking for people riding in my draft or holding onto my bumper, or direct splashing with lycra-dissolving solvent.
I am a biker. I live in a bike-heavy, bike friendly city. And I like these things. But EVERY, and I mean *EVERY* time I leave my home in my car, I count FAR more bike vs. car violations than I do the opposite.
And I'm SICK OF IT.
"Critical mass" can ....nevermind. Don't wanna be banned.
"ARMS RACE"
this is part of the arms race. it was begun when motorists started threating cyclists with their vehicles (this has happened to me).
yeah, it's retribution not defense. but what the hell? when someone shoves you, don't you wanna shove back?
i dig it. and again, it's "outlaw" not "political."
You means anyone on a bike, not you you. We debating means the entire comments section and this general debate. As in, either all of us, cars and bikes, agree that bikes are vehicles and subject to the rules (laws) of the road, or they are something else. If the former, the bikes passing stopped cars on the right, running reds and driving too slowly, etc., are breaking the law in most jurisdictions and, well, wrong. If the latter, then that would be a healthy debate about the proper role of bikes and what they should be allowed to do or not. But it'd be a different debate.
And equal treatment doesn't mean identical treatment. I think it's pretty clear what I meant.
As a long time motorcyclist and bicycle commuter I can see where the motivation comes from - though can't imagine what would make someone actually carry through with anything so aggressive.
Actually building the kit, even if as a joke, has netted so much hostility, that it should probably have stayed as an idea.
"Citizen Citation"? As in -- the same thing featured in the South Park episode "Smug Alert"? Well, I might think of something else the rider could do to possibly make the automobile driver hate him more
but I'd be hard pressed.
As many others before me have pointed out, this is the *worst* possible thing for already strained bicyclist / motorist relations. I'm a bike commuter (and occasional weekend rider) myself, and I absolutely detest the p3n1s-size contest (in the level of hostility and inconsiderateness towards others, even other bicyclists) that a vast majority of road bikers engage in. And this is in the Bay Area.
I've heard friends say "damn there are gonna be so f*ing many stupid tourists on the (golden gate) bridge" that I'm lead to wonder if they're really concerned about the couple extra seconds they'll need.
I've seen a collision between bikes where the person at fault (passed too closely on a heavy traffic route) gave a super-lame explanation about how "accidents happen in races" (this wasn't a race, just a saturday morning ride).
And I've had my fair share of idiot motorists who cut across in front of me making an (unsignalled) right turn, got out of a mall when I was a few ten meters away, et al.
While I can see what gave the creator this idea, I cannot digest it actually being implemented, and at $20 each. FFS, the citation even says "in return, some of us coast through red lights" -- stop doing that!
Anonymous, my point is that the laws already exist. I propose that we obey them, although working to change them is also fine. In MA, that means a) I can't blow through a red light, but b) I can pass a row of cars on the right, and c) I can ride my bike on a sidewalk (depending on how crowded it is).
So, yes, I agree that bikes are, and should be, subject to the rules of the road. But the rules of the road are (sometimes) different for bikes and for cars, just as they are (sometimes) different for motorcycles, trucks, and other kinds of vehicles.
When you say we should "agree that bikes are vehicles and subject to the rules (laws) of the road, or they are something else," you're creating a false dichotomy — bikes are vehicles, they are subject to the rules of the road, and they are something else. It's just that the rules of the road vary depending on what kind of vehicle you're driving, as they should. (Is heavy construction equipment, driving legally on the highway at 30mph, violating the "rules of the road" because they're not going as fast as a car must?) There's no debate about whether bikes are vehicles with special rules — the special rules already exist.
Shouldn't you folks who take this opportunity to vent about bicyclists based on this one person be venting about Muslims by now? Keep up!
i prefer to sling my poo at cars
So, do they have a Pedestrian Defense Kit from when some idiot cyclist ignores traffic laws, runs right up on the sidewalk, and generally treats those of us walking as some pinball machine??
Of course, I live in Seattle, where the cyclist mafia demands drivers respect them - and then proceed to act just as bad if not worse towards walkers.
Seriously, I'd have a lot more sympathy to the cyclists if so many of them didn't act like self-rightous douchebags.
Antinous:
I agree that cyclists, motorists and pedestrians are all equally capable of great stupidity- but what's up with pinning the blame on Americans? I assure you that "asshole on the road" is hardly a phenomenon unique to the United States.
Rule #1 in dealing with the public in any capacity whatsoever is:
"Never assume malice when incompetence will do."
You can feel free to replace "incompetence" with "ignorance" if you like. But the point is that the overwhelming majority of motorists are not out to make life hard on cyclists. They're not out to make life hard on motorcyclists, either. Not even other motorists.
The fact of the matter is, we live in a densely populated society, and we're all tending to our individual business as much as we are able, sliding past and around each other as we go. Sure, some people might take sadistic joy in stepping on someone else's toes from time to time, but that's so rare. It really is. Most people aren't out to get you. We're just out. All at once. Sorry for the inconvenience.
As a cyclist I find this article to be offensive and inappropriate. It only promotes hate. Please consider unpublishing it.
What kind of things would go well in a *real* cycling defence kit?
I'm liking the idea of the non-damaging post-its or leaflets.
Wide-angle clip-on video cameras for the back of the seat and the handlebars would be *really cool* as a deterrent, if they were clearly visible. Especially if they could be made to stream their video elsewhere.
Soft, flexible foam sticks to stick on the edge of the handlebars, to encourage cars to give a bit wider berth, but not wrench the handlebars if they *don't*.
Rearview mirrors. Why the heck do so few bikes have these?
What else would be truly cool and defensive?
on my motorcycle i used to carry a good sized jawbreaker in my pocket or bag within reach. toss that thing at a car who hits and runs you (happens sometimes) or throws something at you (happens often in traffic). deadly and delicious. ;)
I can't believe the amount of bile from motorists in this thread. Just one example: "a car when they want to be, a cyclist when they want to be, a pedestrian when they want to be = an asshole all the time."
Yes a bike is not a car and is not a pedestrian, what a fine observation. What makes you think it should be either one all the time ?
Personally I live in a bike friendly city in Europe and when I lived in the US I was shocked that most motorists don't even swerve when passing a bike. Here's your reason for bikes now riding in the middle of the lane: you can't just skip by 2" away anymore, you have to slow down and pass.
This kit is obviously a joke, but the real thing I would want to find is something to fight against the dangerous assholes in scooter, mopeds and even quads who ride on the bike paths. I've had 3 collisions in 2 years...
I've never been much for traffic laws while on a bicycle. I'm usually in a hurry, and red lights just seem stupid and pedantic. I generally wouldn't go in front of someone who is passing through a red light, but I feel no qualms about zigging behind them.
In four years of riding in Chicago, once I really learned how to ride properly, I never ONCE felt threatened by a car or angry at one. It's all about asserting your position on the road, and in feeling in complete control of the bike, and showing basic courtesy. Bikers who are aggressive towards cars are displaying insecurity on the road. My philosophy is that if you're a good bicyclist/motorcyclist and stay hyper-alert, it won't matter WHAT the cars do: you should be able to sense it, find an out, or take some evasive maneuver.
And ALWAYS show absolute respect and give priority to pedestrians, and generally to anyone who is behind the wheel for their job...
That said, I was a little annoyed when a guy doored me, smashing me into a new Passat, and the VW driver got out and starting freaking out about the little scratch in his car and not paying a bit of attention to me bleeding on the side of the road. I was just happy to convince the VW driver not to call the police on the illegal immigrant who had doored me in the first place, and to go on his way...
Good grief, there's a lot of angry people on the internetz today. Chill out people, try to be better at it, try not to f**k up!
The most glorious part of riding bicycles is that you're almost completely outside the law. But angry, stupid, dangerous car drivers are just part of the game. So don't let them get you but otherwise ignore them. In fact no matter what style of transport you're using, all the other people on others styles and even the same style will do stupid things. And some times it will feel like they're doing their level best to f**k you up. So your challenge is to work round that and try not to screw up yourself and just make it all worse. Because unfortunately, life has no CTRL-Z.
Still waiting for the portable nuke that can take out a city block and fits in an Altoids tin. But perhaps more realistically, maybe what we cyclists and motocyclists actually need is a portable mobile phone jammer. Phone-be-gone instead of tv-be-gone.
I bike to work every day and I obey all traffic laws and carry myself in a civil manner. Every day some oblivious driver fails to see me or fails to bother to see me, even though I ride slowly, in a predictable, legal fashion, with four different bike lights and a bright yellow jacket. That's every day someone comes very close to seriously injuring me or killing me in some way. I have a car too and I have been driving for 25 years. I know how to conduct myself in a civil and safe manner on the road, period. Those who are oblivious or willfully negligent or actively dangerous to others (pedestrians, bikers, and drivers alike) need serious discipline, and they aren't getting enough from Johnny Law. It's especially easy to get very angry when someone threatens my unprotected body with 3 tons of metal, but I try my best to remain civil. It's hard though. I'm just trying to go to work and go back home.
Whoa, whoa, guys! Calm down! Seriously. I've never made a comment on BB so far, but I think it's time to break my silence now.
Yeah, this sort of thing is wrong (well, actually using it would be, safe maybe for the "citizen citation" thingies), but I was really surprised (and, quite frankly, disgusted) by the sheer number of people who expressed opinions along the lines of "I'd like to run over a cyclist or two right now - that'll teach 'em", or "all cyclists are assholes, no exceptions", or even "I won't treat any cyclists with respect until all cyclists treat me with respect - and if they get run over, they only have themselves to blame".
Yeah, there are bad apples, and believe me, as a cyclist, I generally consider other cyclists to be the second biggest hazard on the road (the biggest are taxicabs, in case you're wondering; cars rank a distant fourth, after pedestrians).
But if you want to complain about immaturity, illegal behaviour and so on, then by Jove, you really shouldn't be immature and/or advocate illegal behaviour yourself.
Let's all treat each other with a bit of respect on the roads, shall we? Let's all drive defensively, and let's not risk or cause accidents just because we're "in the right". And let's not be bigotted hypocrites who shed crocodile tears about potential property damage and then advocate physical violence against random uninvolved bystanders who merely happen to be part of the same group.
OK? Thanks!
Here's a book which is full of cycling goodness: http://www.cyclecraft.co.uk/. I reckon it's saved my bacon a couple of times on the road and should help obviate the need for retribution.
Thanks. I can finally use this against bicyclists.
• Issue "citizen citations" with official-ish tickets. To those who bikers who thinks stops signs and signals and traffic doesn't apply to them.
• Label offending vehicles with an "I was a jerk of a cyclist" sticker.
• Introduce the risk of paint damage to a bike with a Jolly Rancher.
• Create certain coating cremation via DOT3 brake fluid. Right on the seat and bike.
• Make bike or bike rider stink with a carefully-placed stink bomb.
• Throw a trusty bolt to scare the crap out of bike riders.
• Lock out loony bike riders by filling their bike chain locks with super glue.
• Cut through bike riders tire valve stems with a utility blade.
The two greatest things I've seen used in bicycle defense are an air horn jury-rigged to the handlebars and used as a bike horn and a 2 foot length of pipe. I know, I know: That's too violent, blah, blah, bikes running red lights means drivers can do what ever they want blah, but if your car is drifting close enough to me that it can be hit by me swinging a two foot length of pipe in my hands, then you're too close. What's funny to me is that this thread is full of angry motorists who are posting under the illusion that their cars don't kill, or at least bicycles kill as much (if not more!) than their cars. Personally, I ride the sidewalk as much as i can when there are no pedestrians on it because I don't want to die from some idiot driver who can't be bothered to watch the road long enough to not kill me.
Cyclists scare the hell out of me no matter what the situation. Either they have a two or three foot long bike lane and don't go completely straight, wobbling a bit so it feels like they will wobble right into my bumper, or they have no lane, and proceed to try with all their might to go faster than 20mph.
For drivers, it's either aggravating since cyclists are going way too slow, or frightening since you have to drive past them in their bike lane (you'll always be going faster), and they might wobble into your car.
I don't mean to say that cyclists should be banned from roads, but roads are made for cars; the US' infrastructure is based around them (e.g., needing to go long distances, needing to carry groceries from a store 10 miles away, etc.). As a driver, that's what irritates me; it feels like cyclists are encroaching on the structurally defined mode of transportation by encumbering my driving — as I said, either by going too slow and impeding traffic, or being worryingly close to the car lane (and if a cyclist gets hit, you can bet the driver is going to get the blame, no matter the situation).
All in all the feedback seems to be:
Cyclists (and myself) hate this idea.
Drivers are happy to find more reasons to hate cyclists now.
Retaliation and revenge get us nowhere
How about a kit that helps everyone share the roads and get where they want in a reasonable amount of time?
How about a useful kit that helps a cyclist out of a jam. Tools, tire patches etc. a throwaway to hand to the flatted rider you pass. Perhaps a kit that is useful to an aggrieved cyclist, providing legal means for reporting and supporting suit in a hit-and-run case.
-Shlep
tell me more about this "gorilla glue" and how to use it... lack of imagination on my part...
How soon before we see a car owner shoot a biccclist who was vandalizing their car? This type of idea just invites trouble! #fail
"And, I think it's deplorable that pedestrians get "run down," but they are also partially to blame, if they aren't watching where they are going, and step in front of someone who is traveling at a rate of speed where stopping THAT quickly might not be possible. Pedestrians need to look for cyclists--especially on streets with bike lanes/heavy bike traffic--as well as cars, before stepping into the street."
The exact same thing can be said about bicyclists who proceed against red lights.
Tdawwg @41: Around here, running a stop sign/red light is 4 points on your license regardless if it's committed on a bike or in a car. The laws you eschew apply to you, dear cyclist. And it is enforced. Enjoy your higher automotive insurance rates for the next several years.
paradoxcycle @83: Neil Stephenson hasn't written that many books, but you will find that each gets quoted from on occassion in these parts.
I was his by a car while biking in 1991. The car turned into me because the driver wasn't paying attention. The stitches, broken wrist and dislocated shoulder totally sucked. I mostly drive now. My latest car is a hybrid. SUV drivers seem to really, REALLY hate my car. I'm not looking forward to how much it's going to suck when one of those asshats finally takes a serious swipe at killing me. Hopefully, no one else will be in the car at the time.
My point is, douchbaggery is all around us. The competitive drive behind American culture is highly destructive and incredibly uncivil. The sentiments expressed by both cyclists and motorists in this thread is emblematic of the current state of incivility in the US. We can do better. Cyclists should take more responsibility for their own safety. Motorists should share the road. Personal responsibility on both sides can go a long way toward assuring mutual safety.
Mods need to take this post down before someone gets hurt and EVERYBODY points their collective fingers at Boing Boing. Really; condoning vandalism and anti social behavior. You should be ashamed.
I used to bike commute in the US (DC and NYC). It's brutal. Pretty much every day I'd have a, "oh my god Im going to die" moment. Seriously. It's traumatizing.
Now I live in Amsterdam - where biking to work is a dream.
I've noticed three differences:
1. Almost everyone bikes. So when people do drive, they're a lot more empathetic.
2. Almost all major roads have distinct bike lanes - either painted lanes, or physically separate lanes (very common on busy roads).
3. The law is tilted in favor of cyclists.
Yeah, you read that right. If there's an accident, the car is presumed at fault. (That's how it's been explained to me by Dutch people I know.) While this might not seem very "fair" it's very practical. (Dutch people tend to be a pragmatic bunch.)
Cyclists and motor vehicles (cars, trucks, buses) share the same transportation ecosystem. They're often in competition for street space.
Cars have a natural advantage. They are big. They can kill you. Car drivers instinctively know this. (Even I know it, when I'm driving a car.) So they have certain expectations when it comes to right of way.
So the law is set up to counter-balance the physical reality.
I don't know which of the three points above helps the most. All I know is that I don't fear for my life biking around the city, and I don't feel like I'm at war with car drivers.
No, they don't; no, they aren't. See the above: daily practice trumps unenforced, unenforceable laws every time. Too bad if you don't like that.
Drivers are so sanctimonious, thinking they drive around without causing any harm, claiming that it's always the "crazy, aggressive" cyclist's fault whenever an accident occurs or animosity arises. What about the fact that cars kill thousands of people every year? What about the fact that cars pollute our environment, and driver's use of oil has had a direct impact on US foreign policy in oil producing states, leading to war and terrorism? What about the fact that America's obsession with cars has led to the construction of highways that have ruined neighborhoods and encouraged vast tracts soulless ex-urban sprawl?
If the little pranks in this kit induce 1/100th of the damage that cars do maybe drivers will wake up a little and realize how detrimental their behavior and their machines are to society and the world.
Jerkzilla: If you take a swing at my vehicle with your piece of pipe, I WILL stop, I WILL take away your pipe, and I WILL detain you until the authorities arrive. Your disgruntlement with vehicles vs. bikes does NOT include damaging my vehicle and possibly injuring my children and my spouse.
******
This whole discussion makes me believe that it's time to redesign our cities to allow for human powered and slower speed vehicles. Honestly, I don't think anyone here, driver or rider enjoys dealing with a 60km/h speed difference on the same roadway. It scares the hell out of me both as a rider and a driver. Time to add completely separate low speed paths that do not intermix with high speed or pedestrians except when absolutely necessary.
"Asshole-in-a-can." Funny. That's exactly what sentient people think of every single car driver.
Not in New England.
The argument that the same laws should be applied to cars as to cyclists makes about as much sense as a law that would equate carrying a gun with carrying a thumbtack. Sure, a thumbtack could scratch you and a cyclist could knock you on your butt (if you were walking, not protected within a ton of steel and glass). But guns and cars kill thousands of people every year!
Listen, this is simple. You treat me (on foot or on bike) like another car and I will kick in your headlights? I've done it before, I will do it again. If you have a problem with that and escalate it it will be good that you've already called 911.
Now, if you drive responsibly you won't get into this sort of shit with anyone, but if you do, your talk of 'restraining' someone who you've almost just killed are going to cost you. in teeth.
Hell, If I'm walking BY an see you acting that way Im goinna kick your ass for the bicyclist.
tough guy. ;)
As a rider, I find the kit resonates with some of my more extreme revenge fantasies, ones I will never carry out because I have found a better way to cope with traffic.
1. Plan the route for minimum exposure to chaotic traffic. I live in Richmond, VA, a city with just a few token bike lanes of limited utility, but it has still been possible to map out lesser used roads for getting to my destinations.
2. Ride lawfully - yes, I mean stop a the lights, at the stop signs, and wait in line when stopped. When I first started to do this, it was frustrating, but over a period of time, the drivers on the road with me during my regular commute learned to give me respect and space.
3. Ride predictably, signaling, keeping a straight line and staying in a consistent lane position.
4. Ride defensively, using a mirror to monitor rearward traffic, wearing bright clothes and using lights, and taking the mid-lane position at intersections when possible to avoid being right hooked and when there are parked cars to avoid getting doored.
This has kept me safe for years of commuting, though there is always the occasional car that tries to honk me off the road or buzzes me and makes me want to yell and reach for my imaginary RPG launcher. But I try to be patient and not to make obscene hand gestures at them, since they have the tons of metal on their side.
When I started to ride seriously many decades ago now, I had a friend who used to call bad, unpredictable riders "squirrels". There are way too many squirrels riding the wrong way, dodging in and out of traffic, running lights, riding on sidewalks, passing other bikes too closely and without warning. They have elected a darwinian solution to the bike-car problem.
As a concerned, thought full and intelligent person I am appalled by the lack of discretion Boing Boing has chosen to indulge in by posting this item.
When will we learn that encouraging people to vandalise property is not funny or informative in any way?
If I weren't so concerned, thought full and intelligent I would certainly be complaining to the World Wide Web Police in the hopes that this single-minded effrontery on behalf of Boing Boing does not go unpunished.
I say Good Day sirrah!
"What's your contribution to society?"
Wow. So you're saying that people who are pedestrians or drivers rather than apparently in your case self-righteous cyclists make no positive contribution to society just because they're not hopping on a bike?
Priceless.
kiergsmith, in the time it takes you to put down your big mac, stop texting, and turn your attention away from your kids in the backseat to realize that somebody has knocked your window in, then stop your car, undo your seatbelt, open your door, get out and walk ( or even run) across the driver's side of the car to the passenger's side where I was, I will have biked at least 1/4 of a mile away from you, and your (theoretical)unsafe driving is no longer an issue for me nor is a threat to my life. See? The pipe works!
@wjodon: Yep, you nailed it on all points.
I assure you that "asshole on the road" is hardly a phenomenon unique to the United States.
As a cyclist, I find that many (though not all) automobile drivers are self-righteous aggressive jerks.
As an automobile driver, I find many (though not all) cyclists are self-righteous aggressive jerks.
This kit is a product made by a self-righteous agressive jerk, marketed to self-righteous aggressive jerks, to be used against self-righteous aggressive jerks.
What a Wonderful Thing.
What many others have said RE "where's my pedestrian defense kit?"
I live in a neighborhood full of crappy drivers (cellphone-addict douchebags who take their 4x4s to buy groceries around the corner) and equally as obnoxious self-righteous hipster/yuppie assholes on bikes.
As someone who gets around exclusively on foot (with use of public transportation), I have found that by far, the most close calls and near-misses that I have are from the latter group.
FYI, cyclists are NOT allowed on sidewalks. Period. That means everyone from the hassled delivery guys to Lycra-clad hipsters with their double-wide panniers trying to snake in between people on a crowded sidewalk.
Near my job in Midtown Manhattan, I have a "near hit" with some asshole blowing through a crosswalk pretty much every 3rd day. Ditto for guys going the wrong way down one-way streets. Back in school, I nearly got run down off of narrow shoveled walkways by selfish self-styled "eco-warriors." I've actually been hit a few times by cyclists breaking the rules, and THEY always act like I caused the accident--even when I was once standing still, waiting for a light to change (douchenut was trying to squeeze in, fast, between oncoming traffic and the curb and his handlebars hit me and another person).
And yes to whomever gave the Douche Crown to people who put their infants in one of those little 2' high pod things behind their bike, and hope that the bad fiberglass flag attached to it acts as some kind of Magic Safety Force Field against the high-sitting cars and trucks that CANNOT see it, while they hold up traffic by tooling along at a walk. On a related note, wonder if they realize that having a kid creates a much bigger carbon footprint than owning a car (I have neither kid nor car, do I get a cookie)?
In my 'hood, there is only one functional lane of traffic each way due to curb parking (legal) etc. I actually once saw one of the Baby Wheelers pull out from BETWEEN cars off of a crowded sidewalk (which he was both obstructing and making dangerous) into said traffic, and then flipped the bird at the startled 4x4 driver who nearly mashed him.
Cyclists don't get to cherrypick which laws they obey, or other people's reactions when their "lifestyle choices" fuck up everyone else's schedule.
BTW wonder how much EXTRA carbon gets burned by cars every time they have to break for a cyclist?
In the meantime, I would remind folks that umbrellas and short lengths of chain have remarkable effects when introduced into a moving bike's spokes. While that may not be convenient to carry en route to work every day, mace is, and it's legal in my home state. Ditto for roach spray. Also love the Super Soaker idea.
There's a lot of internet tough guys here! I drive around Los Angeles every day for my job AND I bike. For me one of the most important rules to follow: Everybody assumes they are the most important person on the road and they assume everybody is watching out for them. How else can you explain an idiot biker rolling through a four-way stop at 20mph with cars lined up to go through, or any list of idiot things I see cell phone using drivers do every day?
I would think that at the end of day you have issues if you think anyone else is watching out for your safety on the road. Don't be a dick, watch out for others.
It is a wonderful thing to realize that not everyone is an aggressive self-righteous jerk.
Well, yes, we do, and we do so. That's the "problem" that all the cyclist-haters seem to be having, anyway. Maybe move on past "should" and just realize that this happens, regardless of your feelings about it. "Everything that cyclists do, is holy," as William Blake used to say....
There's an awful lot of dick-waving going on here. Please stop threatening each other.
Tdawwg--great, then I hope you don't mind when the next pedestrian that you hit decides to cherry-pick various assault and property laws.
Nice way to get PR for the bike riders, dude.
I can only hope my sarcasm came across.
You rather mistake me meaning, I think. While I do support this kind of cycling, and do it myself, I'm really trying to speak objectively, as "this stuff happens, deal." You know, like how cyclists realize that cars roll through lights and signs, door us, harass us, etc. If my attitude seems flippant to you, consider it a calculated tone suggesting that it's not really about PR for a lot of urban cyclists like myself: while obviously crazy retaliatory tactics will undoubtedly increase rage toward us, again, I think a lot of cyclists face near-constant levels of aggression and interference more-or-less regardless of what we do. Boogeymen get rather tired of caring about the haters and their feelings, no? If you need cyclists to play this role in your life, so be it.
I've never hit a pedestrian, and don't plan on it. So no "next": way to subtly and disingenuously paint cyclists as dangerous. Nice PR, indeed!
Would more of you be convinced if one of the Boingers posted a "ZOMG Cyclists are teh Cyborg Singularity" or "Cyclist Community Building" or "Cyclists as Urban Hackers" or, or, or.... 'Cause it's odd and disconcerting to see a mode of technology, a lifestyle, etc., that fits so many of this site's sacred cows and Wonderful Things, yet is so oddly demonized. All those threats and veiled homoerotic innuendo! Those skinny jeans and bloodstains on the pavement, smashed skulls and dead pedestrians! Think Unicorn Cyclist and chill out! :D
I've been on both sides of this in my town. The roadies think they have the right to ride abreast on a very busy suburban road (Sheridan Road), and the drivers are aggressive assholes (whether you're in a car or on a bike.)
I think best anti-agressive car defense is an air horn that can be pointed directly at the car, and flash flags. You could mod the flash flag to appear to be something the driver would NOT like to have scrape against his/her auto too.
Okay, cyclists (at least here in Minneapolis) have the same rights as autos. They are supposed to follow the rules of the road, just as cars do. They have every right to be on the road, whether or not drivers like it.
And yes, some of them are dicks. But some drivers are dicks too.
I do not own a car, by my own choice, and get to and from places by riding my bike. I would never in a million years dream of vandalizing someones property. I do not think that most bikers would utilize this kit... I'm pretty sure it would piss most of them off to be lumped in with the crazy people who would actually use this kit.
That being said, I have been hit, door-ed, cut off, yelled at, etc, by drivers. One person (in a hummer with conservation plates no less) actually screamed at me to "Get a car!!" So I can definitely see how someone might get to a place like this, where they feel they need to be agressive against drivers and still claim it is in defense.
The sad thing is that cyclists (bicyles and motorcycles alike) are less protected from, say, hitting the pavement and splattering themselves everywhere than a driver is, in a accident involving a car and a bike. We need to respect this. Life is fragile, and once that light goes out, it's out for good.
Until we all understand that cars and bikes have the same rights on the road, this fued is going to go on forever.
Here in Seattle my daily bike commute takes me between the SLU biotech hub and the university district. There are enough bikes on the road, and enough of those that ride 100% legally, that the drivers are nearly all cool with bikes as traffic. I get maybe one jerk incident per year from cars (plus a few from bikes!). I've brainstormed the idea of a bike glove that dispenses stickers with a back of the hand swipe - I figure if the car (or rider) is passing within arms reach they're probably deserving of a little recognition. Of course I'll never do it, but its fun to think about.
This thread makes me realize how many BoingBoing commenters are sense-of-humour impaired. Or have never ridden a bike. Or both.
Holy hyperbole batman. This thread is more full of generalization than anything. All drivers are fat fast food eating idiots, all cyclists are assholes etc. This sort of garbage accomplishes nothing and allows you to argue with caricatures of each other instead of listening to valid logical arguments.
I can see the points of both sides, and generally I'll say that drivers need to relax since they're encased in steel. Most of the time the issues a driver has to deal with regarding a cyclist amount to an inconvenience. Sure it sucks you have to drive at 15mph till you can find a place to safely pass the guy, but big deal, nothing worth putting anyone's life at risk over.
On the flip side, cyclists need to at least take care to make themselves visible and not directly endanger themselves. One of my major pet peeves with cyclists is cyclists at night who don't make themselves visible with lights and reflectors. There's nothing I can do to change the fact that I can't see you come from a side street if you aren't in my beams and don't have a light. Its dangerous and foolish. The same logic can be applied to running red lights or stop signs, yes starting from a full stop is annoying, but its better have to exert the effort of getting yourself moving than to put your life at risk. Its the equivalent of drivers getting annoyed at having to be stuck behind a cyclist, annoying but not worth endangering a life.
Each group needs to respect the other to have a safe experience. Until we can combine responsibility for our own safety and awareness of the safety of others nothing is going to get accomplished.
Looks like tools of cowardice to me.
Depending on the situation, I'll confront and engage the driver whose wronged me with my own abilities.
It seems to me the best tool for all parties is a videocamera, and my phone has one.
You know what else is really cool for a bike? A basket.
Threads like this are why I only travel by levitation and astral projection.
Actually, I have to say I'm surprised at how well and truly the fight was joined by both sides.
Agreed. Civility is the best defense. Following the rules of the road greatly reduces negative motorist interactions as well as chance of death or injury due to a stupidity induced accident such as automatically driving through a stop sign without looking after a long day of coding.
I've been a bike commuter for thirty years. For most of those years, I have made it a point to follow the rules of the road. I credit this with lengthening my life while still enabling me to find cycling to be faster and more efficient that driving a car or using public transportation.
Stop at all stop signs and stop lights. Ride with traffic. Be predictible. And most importantly never, ever, pass on the right.
I think the single most annoying thing cyclists do is pass traffic on the right. It often results in the cyclist getting t-boned by a motorist turning right.
But more often it just annoys everyone else who is being inconvenienced. Motorists get stressed out passing cyclists. Especially in rush hour traffic.
When a cyclist passes traffic on the right and zips ahead at controlled intersections, which caused the traffic to stop and be passable,it forces the motorist to pass the cyclist again. And again. And again.
This leapfrogging is probably the number one tension builder in the relationship between cyclists and automobiles because it forces the motorist to pass the cyclist repeatedly and usually against oncoming traffic built from the same traffic control.
Following the traffic laws reduces stress and increases safety. It also reduces you to think you need a gutless, stress inducing kit like this.
The only defense kit you need to protect you from motorists is good manners. When people honk, wave like you know them and you think their beep was a "hello, good buddy!". And in the event civility fails a cellphone with a camera is the best way to show you mean business. Take their photo and call 911.
The person who made this forgot the fake health insurance card to admit them into a non-ghetto hospital after the motor vehicle operator collapses their nasal cavity with a lift kit or tie iron.
People hung up on cyclists running stop signs should take an hour of their day to sit by a stop sign on a quiet residential street. My studio window faces such a sign, and I can tell you, drivers do it too - only about 30% come to a complete stop. I greatly enjoy the days the cops come and sit in the side street, though their presence decreases the number of passing Taxis by half.
No one should be running stop signs, drivers or cyclists. I'd be far more concerned about cyclists running lights though. Car vs bicycle doesn't often result in a bicycle win. Car vs car is far more likely to injur than kill.
we gotta learn to share the streets... this is not the right direction
that sticker and jolly rancher sure came in handy today! Thanks!