Bus driver jailed for attack on cyclist

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Ultimately, though, this incident points out (to me at least) that at some point traffic officials need to recognize that bicycles and automobiles really can't coexist in the same lanes of traffic. A whole line of 3000 lb vehicles travelling 35 mph getting mixed in with a 25 lb bicycle (plus the rider) doing 15 mph ? Giving the bike the same rights to the roadway as a car may have worked in 1950 when a car came by once every couple of minutes, but now virtually every urban road has a non-stop line of cars in both directions. Asking hundreds or thousands of drivers to slow down to a crawl to accomodate one bicycle is absurd.

Don't get me wrong, I wish more people would take to bikes. They need bike lanes though. Of course, anytime people propose that the government spend money on bike lanes, mass transit or other transportation alternatives, the opposition is quite vocal.

Another problem, over here at least, many city centers have been the way they are (more or less) for in excess of 100 years, no room to add new lanes. Our roads tend significantly narrower than those in the US too.

 

[aborgman]

Don't be confused. At the end of the day I did not say that the bus driver acted in self defense.

Right.

You never said it, you implied it.

Then you act surprised when someone catches the implication.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

 

[hover]

Right.

You never said it, you implied it.

Then you act surprised when someone catches the implication.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

The big question was...was he being sarcastic?

 

[L-A]

Another problem, over here at least, many city centers have been the way they are (more or less) for in excess of 100 years, no room to add new lanes. Our roads tend significantly narrower than those in the US too.

Same here with the very urban areas. In some sections, you'd have to take buildings down to accomodate for cycling (or pedestrians, for that matter).

The roads are narrow and overused.