Discrimination and Loss of "freedom of movement" for poor and disabled

Is exclusion and discrimination of the poor and disabled in regards to cycling a serious problem?

  • yes

    Votes: 10 12.0%
  • no

    Votes: 29 34.9%
  • I am ignorant on the issue (lack of knowledge, not dumb)

    Votes: 16 19.3%
  • your trolling

    Votes: 19 22.9%
  • your not trolling

    Votes: 1 1.2%
  • They are a danger and should not be allowed (for what ever reason)

    Votes: 2 2.4%
  • I never knew I was discriminating by "exclusion"

    Votes: 2 2.4%
  • I don't want them cycling and think you need to be silenced

    Votes: 3 3.6%
  • please educate me

    Votes: 12 14.5%
  • TMI (if this is your selection please PM as to why)

    Votes: 8 9.6%

  • Total voters
    83
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If it's any help (I fear it may not be) my wife manages to apply her make up using a tiny little mirror that flips up out of some sort of compact.

It is circular and about 3cm in diameter. No blind spots. Perfection achieved every time. Never been knocked out of her hand by a negligent driver.
 

mattobrien

Guru
Location
Sunny Suffolk
DR, I have a question.

Why do you need to move out of the way of cars/ why do they expect you to move out of the way?

Over here in Blighty there are generally two cycling positions, secondary (nearer the kerb) or primary which would see you occupying the centre of the lane you are travelling in, or there abouts.

If a cyclist is cycling in either of these positions it is fairly standard for cars to overtake the cyclist and hopefully they will even wait until it is safe to do so, but not always.

If a cyclist is cycling in secondary then there isn't a way for them to move out of the way and if they are in primary it is for a reason and again they won't be moving out of the way, it is up to the car to wait to pass safely.

I am sure things could work differently over the pond, but why do cars expect you to get out of the way?

I also have another question and apologies if you have answered this already, why don't you look over your should while cycling to see what is behind you?

Personally I wouldn't feel safe if I were cycling and I didn't know what was behind me. I use bother hearing and vision to do this. I understand that you, along with many other cyclists have a hearing impairment, but are you able to look behind you?
 

Canrider

Guru
I am sure things could work differently over the pond, but why do cars expect you to get out of the way?
On this narrow point, the average NAmerican driver is faaar less tolerant of cyclists than the average British driver. I'd also argue the standard of driving in general is lower.
 
OP
OP
D

disabled rider

Regular
Ok.
So why now? What's changed that your neighbours feel the need to;
a) Loiter
b) Get you off the path
c) both
I assume if you feel they're breaking the law themselves you've mentioned this when approached by any police officers?

I do not really like characterizing people like this: 8 old sick people, who have no part to play in society, are miserable people. Who like to make misery for others to feel better about themselves. They go outside to smoke 1/2 use mobility devices. Instead of parking them in a row along the side of the side walk they park in a big jumbled knot taking most to all of the with of the side walk. These particular residents think that they have a right to force an unrealistic mold on to other people. They are mad that they got forced out of the drafty building to smoke. Due to secondhand smoke causing health problems for the non smokers. in their own apartments from the draft effect. They live to make other peoples lives miserable I am not the only one targeted by them. They probably got bored riding the others, who are in the social areas and decided to nail me for a while again.:banghead::beatdeadhorse:

I got a copy of the city ordnance and read it to them. They willfully ignored it, I gave said copy of ordinance to management at the tower. Requesting that they share it with the 160 apartment in the building. They have not done so.

there is a bit of confusion on the law as well in regards to the state saying no bikes on side walks in business district unless the local authorities give permission to do so

the local ordinance Writes
bicycle restriction: any area that is posted as no biking is off limits.

when you put them together there is two ways to read it. first no business district and no areas where it says no biking. If this is true then what is the purpose of putting up the no biking sign in the peace plaza when it is smack dab middle of the business district and putting a sign up at a stretch of trail across form the government center by the river which is not in the business district?

Or it can be read as by the local ordinance putting in a restriction, it in effect saying, you can ride every where else but the restricted posted area. This would explain the no biking sign in peace plaza but no where else in the business district.

we have 4-5 business districts here so saying you can ride here here here and having to establish between address here and here and here It can get bogged down and confusing. (knowing this I had assumed the restriction in the local ordinance was the permission to ride in the business district on the walks. With the exception of the posted areas by sign.)

But the gang above is taking the first described.

They have tried to get me evicted for other lame stuff too like BO, well yea been biking, what else am I suppose to do?Get a body morgue bag and zip myself inside, while I hop upstairs, before I suffocate to death, Take a quick shower, Put on toxic Body odor control chems that I am sensitive too, hoping no one steals anything left down stairs? They went to the health department and everything, for BO:huh::wacko: . Trying to twist the system to force their standard of a mold. This drove the management nuts and the management did not say one word to me about the whole thing, Bless their souls.I over heard it when it came up in a community meeting with the building owner. By the way this is a senior housing with 10% disabled. their idea of mold is everyone is a senior or has obvious externally recognized disabilities, leg braces, power chairs etc. I don't fit that mold of disability either. I just want to be me.

when they go forward with the police action, telling the police about the blocking and loitering is going to be petty revenge in the police eyes. And just make things worse.

I do not care if they smoke on the sidewalk even though I am allergic to it, as long as they share the side walk. I have told these folk repeatedly that I am, But never told them to stop especially when they are polluting my air I am breathing in.. :cycle:

disabled rider
 

Canrider

Guru
Dude, this is rapidly moving away from anything to do with your cycling. If you're going out deerhunting on a bicycle, surely you can haul yours past 4x 'mobility devices' and resume normal riding service..
 
OP
OP
D

disabled rider

Regular
DR, I have a question.

Why do you need to move out of the way of cars/ why do they expect you to move out of the way?

Over here in Blighty there are generally two cycling positions, secondary (nearer the kerb) or primary which would see you occupying the centre of the lane you are travelling in, or there abouts.

If a cyclist is cycling in either of these positions it is fairly standard for cars to overtake the cyclist and hopefully they will even wait until it is safe to do so, but not always.

If a cyclist is cycling in secondary then there isn't a way for them to move out of the way and if they are in primary it is for a reason and again they won't be moving out of the way, it is up to the car to wait to pass safely.

I am sure things could work differently over the pond, but why do cars expect you to get out of the way?

I also have another question and apologies if you have answered this already, why don't you look over your should while cycling to see what is behind you?

Personally I wouldn't feel safe if I were cycling and I didn't know what was behind me. I use bother hearing and vision to do this. I understand that you, along with many other cyclists have a hearing impairment, but are you able to look behind you?

will recap, I wrote it in the really super post.

The way the law is written They tell you, you have the same rights and privileges as a car. Here is the catch you have to by law, ride as close to the curb or parked car as possible to your right. only time your allowed to leave that position is to do a left turn or pass something in front of you. Oh we drive on the right side. head on traffic is on your left. You are allowed to do two abreast but in single lane traffic you have to go single file to let the cars behind you pass.

In a double lane bikers can do two abreast in the right of the two lanes unless turning left. This forces the following cars behind the two bikers to do a lawful full lane pass where they move their car entirely in to the left lane completely over the divider line.

When your alone you can not take the whole lane , in order, to force the car behind you to follow the correct passing of the full lane pass as described previous. In order to pass by law you MUST do a full lane merge to the left to pass the one on the right.

When We are forced to ride far right it leaves most of the lane open BUT not enough space to give the 3 ft clearance right away off the left handlebar. drivers either stay entirely in the lane in 98% of the cases or 1% does a 1/2 lane pass where the car only goes over the divider line 1/2 using both lanes to pass instead of the 1 lane to pass required by law which is the last 1%.

For proper clearance to not have to merge in to the left lane fully, the right lane needs to be 18ish ft absolute minimum? it might be wider if it large truck 3 ft biker all the way right and the 3ft clearance and the space for the widest truck, Problem is when Our city was laid out it never accounted for this. Then you add street side parking another 6ft I think?

So when We ride on the street we are using the right 6 ft of the right lane when the 3ft clearance is followed WHICH IS NOT by 98%

HEE HEE I have advantage over other drivers I got free driver safety training, not once, but twice from the state trooper when I worked for the state Minnesota conservation Corp. on top of the drivers Ed when I was 18. safety training was once a year two years in row. it was mainly for insurance purposes for the state fleet. Like NOT using cruise control while driving in the winter. ABS brakes disengaging when doing sharp swerves. Couple of troupers rolled their cars, because of this disengage.

OK the look over shoulder same issue as the mirror with a twist. it would have to be done frequently, when you do, your not looking where your going. The faster the traffic is going in comparison with you the more you have to look back meaning even less time eyes forward. Then you have to be-careful not to do the turn your bars the opposite direction from the direction in which you are trying to look causing you do dive to the right.

Then the fore mentioned, safety training, I took, said you KEEP EYE FORWARD opps I was looking back when the idiot getting out of their parked car illegally opened their door right in front of me :banghead: causing you to close-line your neck on the top of their door :wacko:

We had a lot of nonsense laws in mn books. not common sense. like it is the law you must have a beard if your a man. Guess what I do hee hee.

disabled rider
 

mattobrien

Guru
Location
Sunny Suffolk
OK the look over shoulder same issue as the mirror with a twist. it would have to be done frequently, when you do, your not looking where your going. The faster the traffic is going in comparison with you the more you have to look back meaning even less time eyes forward. Then you have to be-careful not to do the turn your bars the opposite direction from the direction in which you are trying to look causing you do dive to the right.

Then the fore mentioned, safety training, I took, said you KEEP EYE FORWARD

Not wanting to sound unkind, but if you can't look behind you without turning your handlebars in the wrong direction, then you may have bigger issues than you think.

Observation is key and not just forward observation, side observation and rear observation. It doesn't take a second to look behind you so this ought not to be a big distraction from you navigating a safe path ahead.

As for parked cars, give them room not to door you or keep an eye out for people sitting in them likely to door you and act appropriately.

I hope I have followed the correct rules in quoting your post, apologies if not.
 
OP
OP
D

disabled rider

Regular
Dude, this is rapidly moving away from anything to do with your cycling. If you're going out deerhunting on a bicycle, surely you can haul yours past 4x 'mobility devices' and resume normal riding service..

4x mobility devices? 4 wheel? motor vehicle?

Financial constraints imposed by the exclusion factor

2 wheel about 500-800$ no gas no insurance no licensing fees etc. vs
4 wheel $2100- $8000 gas, insurance, licensing fees, Maintenance trouble finding parking possible parking meter fees regular basis.
How many times have I said Poor? i for got. I am poor.

its not rapidly moving away connection between cycling, drivers, civilian/ peds/ laws conflict / discriminates based on poor/disabled / excludes. it all ties together.

My whole thread is about not enough is being done to ensure the safety of persons with needs to minimize the dangers to levels that of people of means, enjoy , with the same level of inclusion in society , in their rights to freedom of movement
 

Mugshot

Cracking a solo.
Have a read of this blokes blog Click Here. He may have some useful hints and tips for you and he appears to be pretty knowledgable when it comes to cycling regs in the US.
 

Cyclopathic

Veteran
Location
Leicester.
Have you considered forming an action group in your area that could involve other people who have similar issues. By banding together and presenting your case as a group you might get more notice taken of the points that you raise. Authorities can easily dismiss the complaints of one person but it gets much more difficult for them to do this when a lot or even some people are involved and saying the same things.
 
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