Tree Huggin' Hippy Granola's!

My employer is located in Madison, WI but I live about twenty miles from where I work. Madison is a GORGEOUS city with the lakes and beautiful downtown. They have made a large effort to make the entire city navigable by bicycle to keep up with it's "green" image.

Now I'm going to tell you how stupid this "green" thing has gotten. I'm driving up Dane County Hwy PD in a group of about 30 vehicles. One guy on a bike waiting to cross hits a button and our now green light becomes red so he can cross.

Now tell me this... "How much did we increase the carbon footprint by bringing 30 vehicles to a crashing halt and then asking them to accelerate again up to 45 MPH versus one guy biking to work?"

I truly believe we need to protect our environment and save the outdoors so I have deer, pheasant, and ducks to shoot...but who makes up such an idiotic traffic control? Is there any reason he couldn't wait for the normal changing of the light so he could cross like I would have to?

Had to vent. OK...I'm done now. Had to let off some steam.

Yep,

Gotta look long and hard to find any common sense anymore.

Allan

(quoted from post at 07:10:35 05/23/12)
I truly believe we need to protect our environment and save the outdoors Had to vent. OK...I'm done now. Had to let off some steam.

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Know what your talking about. They have gone green here too. Bike trails have to be paved, snowmobile trails groomed. bridges for atv's. Now they are building a million plus overpass for bikes and joggers when there is a light at the same intersection. Think of the non green in equipment exhaust etc in building that. Good rant, Bob

Kinda like people spending a dollar to save a dime.

It is even better in rush hour traffic. One nut on a bike peddling along at 10 MPH with cars backed up behind him for a mile. BUTTTT he is saving gas. LOL

I had to follow one for about two miles while I was in a loaded truck up there a few weeks ago. He was in the middle of a traffic lane and would not move over one inch. Every time on coming traffic would clear he would go clear over to the center line. It took some time for me to get a enough clear road to pass this idiot with a loaded truck. It really made me want to just run over the fool and see how big a SPLAT he would make.

The best part was I talked to the farmer where I was going about it. He says that there is a bike path that goes along the road I was on but it is rarely used as the bikers claim that is too boring of a ride. No they want to be A holes and block all the rest of us. I also think the laws that give them the right of way and a full lane of the road should be repealed.

There is a bike trail close to me. It is an old railroad bed. It is rarely used. The county pay big money to keep it and the bridges repaired but the bikers don't use it much. I say bulldoze the old RR bed flat and let the farmers that had the land took from them have it back. A bunch of the land here was origianlly leased from the farmer. Some how that lease got change to a deed when the groups bought them. The land should have gone back to the original properties. The leases stated that if the RR quit using the right of way it was to go back to the owners. Big tree hugging money twisted the original lease around so these non profit groups and the state now own the RR bed.

One of the major streets in my town used to have two lanes, with parking on both sides. Cost about million bucks to widen it (some buildings had to be modified to accomodate the widening)- now we have two wider lanes, plus a turn lane in the middle, and bike lanes on both sides- and we lost all the parking in the bargain! I very seldom see the bike lanes used, because almost nobody bikes around here- it rains all the time, and the roads in the country have no shoulders.

Some wag at a city council meeting volunteered to be their "stupidity consultant"- he would review each proposed project, and come up with innovative ways to make it even more idiotic than it already was.

I live just out side Houston. Recently we have been inundated by bicycles on our rural roads. Couldn't figure out where they where all coming from. Obviously not locals.

The idiots drive their cars out from Houston by the thousands to ride bikes in the country.

2 mile trip to town now takes 15-20 minutes on Sat morning. They don't obey traffic laws, leave a mess, And are in general rude.

Local cops have been writing tickets so that is helping.

Sherif deputy stops by one Sat am.

I'm sitting on the back porch drinking coffee an shooting the occasional rat in the garden or sparrow on the Martin house.

Seems one of the bikers called in reporting "shots fired".

I got the deputy a cup of coffee and asked if he wanted to help. He has to respond to all calls regardless of how stupid. He was not real happy with the bikers and their antics.

(quoted from post at 08:26:34 05/23/12) I live just out side Houston. Recently we have been inundated by bicycles on our
I got the deputy a cup of coffee and asked if he wanted to help. He has to respond to all calls regardless of how stupid. He was not real happy with the bikers and their antics.

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Thats a good one, would be even better is they could bill the idiot for wasting the deputy's time. Bob

There's a four lane intersection I have to use early every morning near my house out in the boonies. There is a hill over which I can't see oncoming traffic from one direction. Lots of times I'll trip the light from my empty side road and then there is the screeching of brakes and a couple of semi rigs have to brake from 55 or 60 to zero to let just lonesome old me cross the road. Makes me feel like a chump. From the other direction if I see anyone coming I'll stop short of the trigger to let them go on in peace. Could someone pat me on the back please? TDF

The ones by me will not ride single file. They will block an entire lane by riding three or four wide.

They may be in shape, but I don't think they are a match for the average "farm boy". One Saturday morning I was following a neighbor that lives 3-4 miles down the road from me. We got backed up by a pack of ten or so bikes entirely blocking. They would not ride single file and share the road. He finally passed them, then promptly stopped in the middle of his lane. He explained to them where their bikes would be if they didn't use a little common sense. Funny, these 10 or 12 bikers were silent enough to hear a pin drop. This guy is around 6ft 7in and 350lb, not fat either. Very intimidating to look at, nice guy if you know him.

Other day I was leaving my house, couldnt figure out what was in the road about a 1/2 mile away. As I come closer, its two bicyclers stopped in the middle of my lane!! I slow down and stop, as I pull up they say hi. I ask them if everything is ok, being they are stopped in the middle of the road. They tell me they were just resting where there was shade!!! I swear, that is not a lie. With logic like that, Darwin shouldn't be too far behing these two.

Rick

Safety is different. Rudeness has no excuse.

Appears to me, you are not being rude, just trying to be safe.

Biker crossed the road right in front of me once when I was pulling into a gas station. Nearly hit him. Gave him the horn and thought he had gone on his way. About ready to get out of the Jeep when I feel and hear "WHAM!" He was off his bike and rammed the front wheel into the Jeep door. Was "pizzed" that I had honked at him. I grabbed his bike and threatened to throw it over the bank and would have too if there hadn't been an interstate down below. He threatened to call the police. I told him "Be my guest; I'd like to talk to them!" He skedaddled.

Most bikers around here tend to be yuppies who think that the world is theirs and are ready to cry for Mama over every little thing.

I love the Darwin comment Rick! Natural selection baby! Bring it on!

I've never seen common sense in Madison, they've also gone off the deep end for hybrids and electric cars, of course it's "clean energy" for them 'cause the power plants are out in the country. I personally think they should implement a "carbon tax" and send it to the county were the electricity was generated, the oil refined, the oil or gas well dug and the coal mined or port of entry for imported products. Might make it easier to build new power plants, refineries and mines.

Reading the rest of the replies I can understand your response, and it makes you a rarity when compared to the biking crowd around here. That said the majority of bikers want to be treated just like they are a motor vehicle, or better, when it comes to having their rights on the road. In that case, if they want to be treated like the people who are using the roads and actually paying taxes on the upkeep on the roads ((((including the instillation and upkeep on the biker exclusive perks like an automatic light changer))) what gives them the right to feel like everyone else is obligated to cater to them? I mean seriously, when I first learned to cross theroad by myself walking, and later learned to ride a bike, the vehicle larger than myself was ALWAYS given the right of way in the interest of my own safety. With these light changing buttons it takes the responsibility to do the common sense thing like walking the bike across the road when safe to do so, or riding it to a place that it's safe to cross when riding. Seriously, if you needed to be on the other side of the road you are either going to cross it or not, regardless of the light, and aren't going to do it until it's safe to do so. What makes you any different on a bike than someone else walking? That said the only places I have ever seen a 'walk' button it's at an intersetion within the city limits, or possibly at a school crossing where it is designed to make the crossing a bit safer for young kids that might not have the amount of good judgement required to cross on their own otherwise. For an adult that should never be an issue, either it's safe toi cross or it's not, you don't need help.

Taking this scenerio a bit further, large trucks are typically slower to get going to cross or get onto a road than even a bicycle, and they pay FAR MORE in road taxes than any other vehicle on the road. Even with all of the money paid in, I don't see any of them routinetly getting special 'I'm to slow to do this by myself without help' buttons, unless the light is in front of a fire station or something like that where speed is of the essence. Everywhere else they simply have to set and wait until the movement of their vehicle is safe. Again, if bikers want their bikes and movement on the road to be treated the same or better than auto's then they need to be held accountable for the same sets of responsible driving practices every one else is.

In other words the it used to be that people had to use a little common sense about things. Nowdays the "green" crowd is catered to almost to the detriment of themselves and the environnment. Like a lady on a radio call in program stated some years back during a discussion about the bikes around here riding several abreast, etc on the curvy, back country roads around here, 'If I'm on an empty road, doing the speed limit, and go around a curve to find a group of bikes blocking my lane (stopped or at a speed I can't quickly slow down to match), and there happens to be a car in the other lane, WHO DO YOU THINK I AM GOING TO HIT? Especially if I've got my kids in the car with me, you can bet it's not going to be the other car."

To me that just about says it all. Bikers using some common sense don't bother me at all, but the ones that have the sense of entitlement that everyone else on the road is supposed to bow to their every whim are the very ones that are riding on a wing and a prayer because one of these days that lady, me, or some other innocent driver, is going to be forced to make a life or death decision, and at least for me I know I'm not going to chose the death of myself or my child over some idiot who's stupid actions have put them at bottom of natures survival list.

Here! Here NCWayne! Well stated. My sentiments exactly. Couldn't have said it better myself.

ALL bicycles on the highways should be made to have full coverage insurance plus be liscensed by the county they live in.

Allan, that's because of all the college graduates who are "educated way beyond their intelligence"! The first thing colleges do is to teach you that common sense is wrong, and the way the abundant professors think is the only way to do something. Fella that used to own a big farm auction company here in Va. (he's dead now) used to say he could almost pick the auction date for a family dairy farm by when the son graduate from Va. Tech.

And people wonder why this country is such a mess?!

Billy I worked const. at one time, and had to work in the Madison area. I came to the conclusion that a physiatrist would be a good occupation in Madison. You would make millions treating the people of Madison, but you would need it because if you lived there any length of time there ways would rub off on you, and you would have to go see a shrink to get yourself strighten out.

Bob

From your comment it seems you think I am a biker. Not so. I'm an automobiler. Sorry I wasn't clearer in my post. I do ride a bike occasionally, but it's a 750 Vulcan. TDF

You made me laugh with the VA Tech line. Saw that happen here in the '60's with a local dairy. Son went off to college, came home, talked farmer dad into all new fancy Machinery. Borrowed big money from the bank. Two years later machines repoed, cows all sold. Later sold off pastures to developers. Then the dad died. Son has never really been or done anything that I could see worthwhile other than be the local "expert" on environmental issues etc. And oh yeah, he still keeps a hand in "farming" as he sells a few dozen eggs a week from his flock of free range chickens.
Best Regards,
Charlie

I'll give ya a pat on the back buddy. You are excercising common sense and too often that is not rewarded. Here's to ya! :wink:

There is a bike trail in the area that uses abandoned RR bed. It had to be paved and lines painted and fences put up before the bikers could use it. It crosses a limited access 4 lane divided highway with a median strip. There are signs on the bike path that say "Cross-Traffic does not stop". They are just under the stop signs for the bike path.
A couple of bike riders have been hit at this intersection.
The organization that sponsored, (read campaigned for, but did not directly pay for) the bike trail went to the County Commission for the money to install traffic lights that are controlled by push buttons on the bike trail.Something on the order of $20,000.
That was a year ago. I haven't heard if it has happened yet, but the County is broke, and I doubt if the money is there...

Unless he was on an actual bike path, he was probably breaking the law. Bicycles aren't allowed to ride on sidewalks, nor are they allowed to ride over crosswalks. (A bike is supposed to be walked over a crosswalk.) But no doubt you would complain even more if he was legally riding in your lane of traffic.

first thing it's Madison every nut job in the state calls that place home

Having been a biker I'll try to add some defence.

-They paved the rail beds here, against the wishes of the bikers. The old walking people and wheel chair folks and unknown forces on city council who claimed they had to be paved to plow them in the winter(????)

-Bikes are allowed to use the lane if they want, I try not to if there is room for my to move over, the same as if I'm in the tractor, but a road bike with an average rider is moving at 20 mph on the flat and hitting the shoulder at that speed means crashing.

-Its generally safer for us to be in the lane, because people WON'T move over to pass us! Would you pass a car and clip its mirror or fender? Why do people think its ok to hit a cyclist with a mirror?

-Every year people throw stuff at riders, a co-worker of my wife had a fast food cup of ice hit him in the face throw from a car going the opposite direction at 60 mph. It smashed his lexan glasses and broke a bunch of his facial bones.

-In our town at least, there isn't near enough parking downtown. Every biker means more parking for me.

-I don't ride much anymore, too many close calls on our two lane narrow road. I'll stick to the dirt roads I think.

Oh don't get me wrong...bikers have every right to use the road and the trails system. I just want to know why he can't wait at a traffic light the same way I have to. I can't see sending fumes out the tailpipes of 30 vehicles accelerating away from a stop light that was initiated soley for the purpose of one bike the second he pressed that button. He can wait for a green light the same as the rest of us.

When My Daddy taught Me how to ride a bike
on the road, the most important lesson He gave Me
Was one line.
"Dead right or dead wrong, dead is dead!"
Steve A W

AMEN!!!!!!

You should be here in Wichita Falls in August when they have the "Hottern Hell" bicycle ride. The first ones (100-150=-) out are in a race. The rest of them around 11,000...yes 11,000 have the right away from 7am untill about 4pm. A majority on this ride will not even let emergency vehicles pass them. We have to use choppers to transport. Cuts the whole county up and make it difficult to get any where. We usally leave town for the weekend. Thankfully it is only one weekend a year in late August. Bycle riders in Texas are goverened by vehicle laws.

I agree completely. Insurance and a license.

These are only the two that are fresh in my mind. There is a nearby cycle shop in town that has two races each summer. The bikers are so rude and ignore every traffic law, one of these times unfortunately one of them will end up flattened when they blow through a stop sign and into the middle of an intersection.

All of the local people complain about these cyclists, they throw trash everywhere, park illegally, just a mess for the town.

Rick

Ok, I understand what your talking about now. In your case all that's happening is the traffic signals are working just as they were designed to allow traffic on the thru road to keep rolling, in the off hours, with a greeen light all the time and it only trips when it senses someone on the side road needing a proper signal so they can move. I agree with the way you feel because I've been in similar situations before myself when a large vehicle has to stop because of me. Like I said my main problem is when someone on a bike is simply offered up a 'give me the right of way' button instead of being forced to follow the same traffic rules concernign safe vehicle movement as everyone else.

The bike riders in my area are the same. I live on a big hill and they will pull into my driveway and rest after climbing the hill. One time when I was coming home, as I pulled into the drive way, two bikers were standing in the driveway and wouldn"t move. Also, three times a year they will have a big ride and they close off the roads to car traffic. If you so happen to leave your house, they will not let you back through to get back to your own house. It is crazy. The worst thing that I can"t understand about some bikers is that they will drive out into the country so they can ride their bikes down some of the country roads. Doesn"t make sense.

(quoted from post at 07:10:35 05/23/12) My employer is located in Madison, WI but I live about twenty miles from where I work. Madison is a GORGEOUS city with the lakes and beautiful downtown. They have made a large effort to make the entire city navigable by bicycle to keep up with it's "green" image.

Now I'm going to tell you how stupid this "green" thing has gotten. I'm driving up Dane County Hwy PD in a group of about 30 vehicles. One guy on a bike waiting to cross hits a button and our now green light becomes red so he can cross.

Now tell me this... "How much did we increase the carbon footprint by bringing 30 vehicles to a crashing halt and then asking them to accelerate again up to 45 MPH versus one guy biking to work?"

I truly believe we need to protect our environment and save the outdoors so I have deer, pheasant, and ducks to shoot...but who makes up such an idiotic traffic control? Is there any reason he couldn't wait for the normal changing of the light so he could cross like I would have to?

Had to vent. OK...I'm done now. Had to let off some steam.

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That's when I love my Juice "with attitude" chip in the Cummins. When I am passing them I hit #5 and put the pedal to the metal...they eat enough hydro-carbons to shorten their life 10 years LOL!

I see the byciclers with attitude a lot too,and I dont get the whole attitude thing riding 3 of 4 across on a buisy highway and holding up traffic ,all the time holding on to their holier than everyone else cause they are saving the world attitude! I would like to mount a BIG air horn under the neon maybe that would get their attention

THANKS for starting this thread !..It's a good
post, and so true...almost as much fun as the
ones about the TSC weekend cowboys starving a
horse on an acre of land!(the same kind of people
who ride bikes, right?)

I disagree! They don"t pay for licenses, road tax for fuel, and probably don"t even have liability insurance, much less collision coverage. They take no test to see if they are competent to ride. As far as I"m concerned they have no "right" to be on the roads. Don"t even get me started on bike lanes, which the same fees and taxes I mentioned paid for. But you hit one of the arrogant idiots and see who has all the rights. If they would get a real job, instead of a "position", and put in a real days WORK, they wouldn"t have so much extra energy to burn off!

I don"t have any problem with those who ride on the edge, and have sense enough to get over and stop when being passed. Funny thing is they are usually kids. IT"S THE ADULTS THAT USUALLY ACT LIKE IDIOTS!

Well....there is a university there with 50,000 students they are probobly smarter than us hayseeds lol!
I would rather drive in a swarm of bicycles than the beltline ugh.

Wow. Those buttons actually *DO* something???

I've seen those buttons at crosswalks in small towns and big cities. I've pushed hundreds of them. Not ONCE has the light instantly changed to allow me to cross. In fact I've *NEVER* seen the button affect the normal light sequence.

At best, it simply lights the "WALK" sign on the opposite side of the street so you step out in the street and get run over by people making turns. Of course the WALK sign is only lit long enough for you to make it halfway across.

same everywhere. Logan Airport Boston MA. Hybrid vehicle parking is on the 1st level front of parking garage. All other "gas guzzlers" have to drive further away to park. Does that make sense?