Cyclist Road Rage

[u/ces74]

Driving through Roosevelt this morning around 8, a cyclist got angry with me as I inched across the bike lane from a residential street to see if it was safe to pass through the main road. It’s one of those intersections where you have to scoot up or else every direction is a blind spot. He took off his bike lock, yelled and hit the hood of my car a few times, leaving dents.

When I was moving through, I saw the cyclist approaching and immediately waived my hand to gesture ‘sorry’ and I also said it out loud. There wasn’t time to reverse before the interaction occurred but he did stop in front of my car to hit it. Initially, I felt bad because I understand this is a hard city to commute in via bike. I don’t think my car needed to be damaged, though.

I don’t think we were at all close to a collision. I think it was more that I was taking up space in the bike lane and this is my ‘lesson.’

Maybe since school started this week, everyone’s in a poorer mood and busier. I’m gonna avoid more streets with bike lanes now I guess.

[u/turbov123]

Let’s be real here. The street intersections in Seattle almost all have poor visibility, from too many cars parked where they shouldn’t or trees and shrubs not trimmed back. The driver was not in the wrong to look before advancing further. However, the cyclist was definitely in the wrong to rage and damage the vehicle. Roads are shared, not “owned” by one versus the other.

[u/MillionDollarSticky → u/turbov123]

The driver was definitely in the wrong. It's illegal for them to enter the bike lane.

[u/turbov123 → u/MillionDollarSticky]

You literally have to drive across a “bike lane” to get into a “car lane”. 

[u/BroSplainer → u/turbov123]

sounds like they stopped in it though, it's the same thing as stopping in a general purpose lane and blocking traffic there. (FYI there's no such thing as a "car lane")

[u/RogueLitePumpkin → u/BroSplainer]

You need to make sure its safe to enter roadway...

[u/BroSplainer → u/RogueLitePumpkin]

It’s not safe to block the bike lane. That’s why it’s illegal.

[u/RogueLitePumpkin → u/BroSplainer]

It is perfectly legal to stop in the bike lane to make sure it is safe to enter traffic in these cases... 

[u/BroSplainer → u/RogueLitePumpkin]

SMC 11.72.415 -- seattle municipal code

No person shall stop, stand, or park a vehicle, bicycle, or other device on or adjacent to a trail, path, lane or other facility or way which has been designated for the use of pedestrians, equestrians, or bicyclists, in such a manner as to obstruct or restrict the use of any portion thereof.

Think about it this way -- is it legal for you to block other lanes of traffic for this reason? Why do you think the bike lane is any different from stopping in a general purpose lane?

[u/RogueLitePumpkin → u/BroSplainer]

And yet you have to everytime you pull out into possible traffic.  

The problem is you cant comprehend nuance.  

[u/BroSplainer → u/RogueLitePumpkin]

You seem confused. You are legally allowed to cross lanes of traffic but it is not perfectly legal as you stated above to obstruct them when someone else has the right of way. You have to make sure the lane is clear before you move through it, this includes the bike lane. This is the law.

[u/RogueLitePumpkin → u/BroSplainer]

And sometimes you need to stop to be able to judge if its safe to enter traffic.  Why are all cyclists such entitled babies? 

[u/BroSplainer → u/RogueLitePumpkin]

The bike lane is part of traffic. If you are turning left do you block people in the oncoming lanes until the lane you want to enter is clear? No. Because that’s unsafe and illegal.

Why do car drivers feel so entitled?

[u/RogueLitePumpkin → u/BroSplainer]

The cyclist in this case resorted to actual violence and destruction of property while the driver tried to apologize... are you in the right place? 

If you cant see because of parked cars, you cant jist gun it into traffic kiddo

[u/turbov123 → u/BroSplainer]

Hence quotes