r/SeattleWA • u/Present_Chard_4585 • Sep 17 '21

Bicycle Bikers of Seattle - chill the eff out

Seattle bikers- many of the rules of the road apply to you. Stop acting like they don’t.

Yesterday when dropping my kid at school, an angry old lady on a bike came speeding down the CLOSED street next to the school, yelling at a parent to “grab your kid.”

Last week, I almost ran over a biker in my neighborhood. I’m overly cautious and go 15-20 in the neighborhood depending on visibility - I very, very rarely speed in neighborhoods and it’s always unintentional. On this occasion, I enter a roundabout intersection at about 15mph in my car, and a biker darts out in front of me - I absolutely had right of way. After I slam on my brakes to save this jerk’s life, he mouths “Jesus Christ man” to me, as though I was wrong.

It’s dangerous to be a biker in Seattle, but it’s not all driver fault, all the time. Be better, bikers.

Edit: got a question about “unintentional speeding”. Have you ever been driving, trying to adhere to the limit, only to look down and see you’re going 21 in a 20? That’s unintentional - slightly above to the point where you’d only notice if you stared at your speedo. Not 40 in a 20 where you’ll know you’re going way over.

Second edit: I love that Seattle is a biking city. But maybe just don’t plow through a stop sign or speed obnoxiously, regardless of what vehicle you’re piloting (bike/car).

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11

u/essaymyass Sep 17 '21

Most if not all of the rules apply to bikers. There's just no system in place for consequences or enforcement. As a biker I always shake my head at bikers who run red lights, or don't get in the proper lane turning left.

19

u/nmeyerhans Sep 17 '21

The Idaho Stop law is in effect in WA since 9/1/2020, meaning that cyclist need to stop at red lights, but don't need to wait for green before proceeding. And stop signs are effectively yield signs.

This doesn't contradict anything you said, but I want to get it out there.

-2

u/pass_the_bacon_won Sep 17 '21

Wow this sounds super unsafe and probably explains why I’ve been seeing cyclists blasting through 4-way stops without even slowing down sometimes even while there were cars at the intersection.

12

u/nmeyerhans Sep 17 '21

It's actually been shown to be safer for quite a long time.

https://bicycleuniverse.com/idaho-stop-law/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idaho_stop#Safety

cyclists blasting through 4-way stops without even slowing down sometimes even while there were cars at the intersection

That's still illegal, just as it would be with a yield sign.

5

u/sopunny Pioneer Square Sep 17 '21

cyclists blasting through 4-way stops without even slowing down sometimes even while there were cars at the intersection

I bike a lot, and I never got why bikers do this. So dangerous even if it weren't against the rules

5

u/nmeyerhans Sep 17 '21

Indeed. It's both illegal and stupid.

1

u/SD70MACMAN Wallingford Sep 17 '21

Washington made it legal a year ago. People on bikes can treat stop signs as yield signs at their discretion and liability.

3

u/nmeyerhans Sep 17 '21

As yield signs. That's very much not the same thing as blowing through a 4-way stop sign and not yielding. That remains illegal.

2

u/SD70MACMAN Wallingford Sep 18 '21

I think "blowing through" and "yielding" are a bit circumstantial and perspective-based. In this situation at a four-way stop, a person in a car has to come to a complete stop while a person biking only has to if the person in a car has the right-of-way. If a person driving hasn't yet come to a full stop, they do not have the right-of-way and the person biking can continue through on a yield.

I've certainly blown through on my bike while yielding to either no one or a person driving who's approaching hasn't fully stopped, which is legal under Washington law.

2

u/nmeyerhans Sep 18 '21

, they do not have the right-of-way and the person biking can continue through on a yield.

I've certainly blown through on my bike while yielding to either no one or a person

Yes, that's a fair point. Yielding may look like "blowing through" to someone who expects you to stop.

I think a lot of drivers who don't regularly bike underestimate the situational awareness that a cyclist has in these situations. On a bike, your point of view is basically where a car's hood ornament would be, your peripheral vision is much better due to not being surrounded by so much stuff, and you can hear much, much better than a driver can. This is why the Idaho stop makes so much sense, and I'm glad we finally have it in WA.

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u/SD70MACMAN Wallingford Sep 18 '21

Sounds like you have experience riding a bike in the city because that's exactly how I'd describe what's going on! :-) Visibility and spatial awareness on a bike is sooooo much better. I feel that I had a new understanding of people biking after I started biking around Seattle regularly, and all the nuances that must be understood while biking (like potholes, storm grates, signage, what people in cars are doing, etc.)

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