drivers have rights too

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I am all for cycling. But as a driver I have rights too.

I was driving on Ravine Road in East Whiteland. It's twisty and narrow. The cyclists were not going one by one up the road, they were traveling a couple across which would not have made for safe passing. (And it's a road where you could not even pass safely in my opinion.)

So I put on my hazards and stayed behind them at literally a snail's pace. And these two cyclists in front of me were talking to each other on their way up the hill. No offense to them, but they were on a windy and narrow public road with cars behind them and opposite them, not a nature trail.

And when they got up to where Ravine meets West King, you can see clearly in the second photo where they just migrated across the road without even the courtesy of a hand signal.

Once years ago when I worked in Conshohocken, on my way to work traveling down Conshohocken State Road which is another windy and somewhat hilly narrow road, I passed by police and paramedics tending to a cyclist who had been hit. I never forgot that scene. It was horrible.

I have a lot of friends who cycle, and they're courteous to drivers. When you run into cyclists like this who seemed so oblivious to their surroundings and vehicles, this is why motorists get frustrated with cyclists.

Please cyclists, we as motorists are trying to be courteous and cautious when you are on the road with us. Please afford us the same courtesy.

18 thoughts on “drivers have rights too”

  1. It’s downright rude what they did. I’ve encountered that as well in Penn Wynne. I did get a hand signal though even though they ran a stop sign that if they stopped at like they were supposed to, I could’ve easily passed them. The sense of entitlement astounds me. I’ll never understand this behavior.

    • Don’t worry, they also claim they pay road taxes for their bicycles because they have cars so that”s the mentality your dealing with.

    • But see that’s kind of my point – I know you have to give them a certain amount of buffer if you wish to pass them, and you can’t safely pass them on a road like I was on, yet when they ride two and more across like that they put drivers at risk for getting rear-ended as well as anyone else swerving on other side to avoid them.

      • The ” certain kind of buffer” you need to give cyclists when passing is 4 feet. And when it’s safe to pass. It’s the law.

      • Eyes rolling, yes I know. I am a safe driver and respectful of cyclists. Most of the time I end up NOT passing them, because it is so rare I find the distance, etc is safe. What I am finding are the cyclists who are NOT like my friends who are cyclists, in other words, they do not share the road and are not courteous to drivers who are trying to be courteous of them. And FYI for your comment about Ravine being a short road, it is also a very steep and twisty and narrow. SO what I was afraid of the other day was two things (a) getting rear ended because I could not safely and would not pass there so I was crawling up the road with my hazards on (not like it’s a road where I can pull over and wait) and (b) was afraid because they were riding more than one across and migrating without hand signals I was afraid they were going to get hit.

    • With all due respect, sir, you are incorrect. Every cyclist I know has a car; some more than one. Therefore, they too pay vehicle taxes, income taxes, gas taxes (although likely not as frequently as you). By the same token, a bike causes much less wear on the road than a car, so by riding a bike they are likely paying more than their share to use the road, which is, more often than not, poorly maintained for their use. There are potholes, cracks that run parallel to their line of travel, etc.

      So the fact is, that not only do cyclists pay to use the roads, they receive very poor value for their money.

    • Pay nothing for road taxes? That is a stupid statement, I’ve been paying taxes for years, probably the same ones you pay. Why do motorists think cyclists don’t pay taxes? That’s idiotic.

      I do agree that cyclists need to show common courtesy and common sense when riding, if a car is behind, they should ride single file. As an avid cyclist, I get annoyed when others do that I will and have pulled alongside to let them know what they are doing isn’t smart.

      • Show me your friggin license plate on that bike. That is the direct road tax for using the road. Fuel taxes, a direct tax towards repair of the roads. I haven’t seen one bicycle w/o a motor buy gasoline yet. And if is does, it needs to be registered. And your car is your car. That is not a bicycle. You pay taxes for THAT car. Hollow argument. Ooooo, “I pay taxe” that have nothing to do with the subject at hand.So, “with all due respect” you pay NOTHING to Penndot for the use of that road for your bicycle. You car, yes. Not your bike. That goes for every one of cyclists that are trying to “umbrella” your ridiculous argument buy hiding under your cars use of the road. My Daddy pays taxes so that should cover me, too. Try that one with the IRS.

        And while your at it, how bout y’all follow ALL the laws of the road like stop signs? Oooooo, we do! No, you all don’t.

    • Ummm. Yes, we do pay road taxes. Most cyclists, myself included, own a car and have jobs. We all pay taxes.

  3. There is probably no safe way – and more importantly, no legal way – for a motorist to pass a cyclist under any circumstances on any part of Ravine Road south of the Amtrak tunnels due to the narrow roadway, lack of shoulders, and poor visibility. It makes no difference whether they were riding single file or two abreast in this case; there’s no safe place to pass. As frustrating as it may be, the motorist did the only thing that was safe and legally allowable: remained behind the cyclists all the way to the end of the road. Further, the stretch of road in question is uphill and a cyclist probably can climb it no faster than 5 to 10 mph. which I’m sure adds to the frustration. A polite cyclist might get completely off of the roadway (if this can be accomplished safely) to let queued traffic pass, but they are not required to do so.

    This is not to excuse any rudeness or any violations of any law by cyclists, but simply to make the situation clear with regard to the one and only set of rules that govern how cyclists and motorists may use PA roadways: PA law.

    Anyone can familiarize themselves with the parts of the PA motor vehicle code that address bicycles by looking online. http://www.penndot.gov/TravelInPA/RideaBike/Pages/Bicycle-Safety-and-Pennsylvania-Laws.aspx. I would recommend that all cyclists and motorists familiarize themselves with the law in order to avoid accidents and misunderstandings, and to promote peaceful coexistence on the road.

  4. I would love to ride the county on a scooter, but the roads won’t allow it. I am realistic. People in cars drive crazily on even the most country of roads. To be a bicyclist is just even more frightening. I, too, have come up on riders riding 2 abreast on a country road. Engaged in conversation, they don’t really hear a slow appoaching car coming from behind. It is a bad situation because sometimes it is hard to see around to pass. We all have to be more aware of each other I guess.

  5. If it’s unsafe to pass cyclists giving a 4ft allowance, than don’t pass. The writer states that Ravine Rd is unsafe in her opinion to pass on. Perhaps that is why the cyclists didn’t single up. Fortunately it’s a short road and the delay wouldn’t be long. In any case, we should all share the road and follow the laws, whether driving or riding.

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