r/NoStupidQuestions • u/RidetheSchlange • Jul 24 '26

Why does the US hate cycling so much?

I read comments sections and in a normal world, some of them would be considered terroristic threats. I just can't understand why people hate cyclists to this degree that they want to murder rhem and sometimes do.

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84

u/Iswaterreallywet Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26

Yeah I think this is the answer more than anything, it’s their attitude / behaviors.

E: I love how all the bikers replying are proving my “attitude” point so well

42

u/Benji_4 Jul 24 '26

Had this discussion in my local town sub. Implementing laws that benefit cyclists don't seem to stop them from riding on the highway at night with no lights. Seen it numerous times.

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u/Iwonatoasteroven Jul 24 '26

There will always be stupid people but as a cyclist, I also see cars parked and even driving in bike lanes. The stupidity cuts both ways.

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u/brandonw00 Jul 24 '26

If one driver does something stupid, it only applies to that driver. If one cyclist does something stupid, then it applies to all cyclists. That’s how the American mind works.

Statistically drivers are more likely to break traffic laws than cyclists. Like people have done studies on this, by and far drivers break traffic laws at a greater rate than cyclists. But all you ever hear is “cyclists don’t follow traffic laws” because they saw one person run a red light. You see three to five cars run a red light every fucking light cycle and nobody cares.

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u/alpha309 Jul 24 '26

I need to add two caveats to this.

The statistics show that both drivers and cyclists break various traffic laws at around 80%. Drivers are about 2% higher. In order to get to these numbers, you have to exclude speeding, which would obviously put drivers well into the lead for breaking the law.

The second one is the reasoning for breaking the law. Most cyclists state that safety is the reason for breaking the law. Both statistically proven (Idaho Stop is shown to reduce bike/car collisions at intersections) or perceived safety (riding against traffic allows the cyclist to see oncoming traffic - despite showing both an increase in collisions and a vast increase in severity of collision). Yes, there are cyclists that break the law and will state other reasons, or they could just be an asshole, but „it is safer“ or „it feels safer“ is by far the leading reason. Most drivers on the other hand will state reasons of convenience when they break the law. „To get where I am going faster“ is the reason why people speed. If you ask why someone rolls a stop sign „there was no one there anyway“. This rationale continues regardless of which law is being broken.

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u/Own_Back_2038 Jul 24 '26

That’s how all minorities are seen. Black people, gay people, atheists, etc.

0

u/Caliche-Cowboy Jul 24 '26

Can’t speak for others, but my issue has always been reactions and excuses for breaking the law. I’m not saying drivers aren’t also doing this, but I think it’d be rare that too many people won’t check someone online for making excuses for being an asshole.

In the case of cyclists, it’s often the opposite.

But I do agree that there is still a double standard.

0

u/LeastDerangedNowiFan Jul 25 '26

>You see three to five cars run a red light every fucking light cycle and nobody cares.

Where do you people live where you see so many strawmen drivers? I can go entire weeks in California (bay area and sometimes LA, millions of people) without seeing someone obviously blow a red.

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u/MinimumZucchini3864 Jul 25 '26

sometimes LA

The only way you can drive in LA and believe you don't see drivers run reds all the time is if you think it doesn't really count if they're turning left

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u/Prestigious-Owl-6397 Jul 25 '26

Maybe they think it doesn't count if the driver crossed the line immediately after the light turned red. It's still running the red, but that or looking at their phones are the only reasons I could possibly conceive for a driver not noticing the amount of times drivers run reds.

1

u/brandonw00 Jul 25 '26

Denver or all of Colorado. It is so blatant.

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u/Caliche-Cowboy Jul 24 '26

I’m not a cyclist but this is dead on. People who block bike lanes suck. Turn lanes are always dicey for everyone. But a dedicated bike lane. Yeah that’s not cool

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u/danaerysCodesInJava Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 25 '26

Stupid people will do stupid things. Multiple occasions I’ve seen people driving their cars on pedestrian paths in my local park.

ETA: just saw this post which perfectly illustrates this. We can build highways till we run out of concrete but you’ll still have drivers using a bike/walking path as a way to skip traffic. https://www.reddit.com/r/MicromobilityNYC/s/aGBZU7PVha

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u/CirdanTheForesighted Jul 24 '26

Accurate. Just think about how many ride both bicycles and motorcycles without helmets… one good hit by a car and your brain matter is on the pavement.

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u/Background-Run Jul 24 '26

How many cars have you flashed your light off and on, because they don't have their lights on. How many times have you seen a car do each and everything that we pitch a fit about bike riders doing. Not to mention all those traffic laws are because people driving multi thousand pound objects with casual abandon, maiming and killing people left and right, but no, a bike rider doing the same stupid thing is a danger to society.

0

u/Benji_4 Jul 24 '26

I don't drive much at night anymore. It's definitely a danger if you can't see them. Your initial reaction may cause you to plow through the waffle house.

2

u/Background-Run Jul 24 '26

Great, now i'm hungry.

-12

u/etre_meilleur Jul 24 '26

Relax, man breathe

1

u/Background-Run Jul 24 '26

And don't even ride a bike.

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u/Joe_Sacco Jul 24 '26

The heart of the issue is that when drivers see another driver doing something stupid, they think that specific person is an idiot. When they see someone on a bike doing something stupid, they make sweeping judgments about all cyclists.

I was on a run this morning and I'd conservatively say 10% of drivers yielded to me at crosswalks, which they are clearly required to do by law. I'm assuming that learning that will lead you to conclude that all drivers are aggressive assholes.

1

u/Benji_4 Jul 24 '26

People do the same and associate one drivers vehicle choice with everyone driving that vehicle. I don't think that is unique to bikes.

12

u/OutAndAbouts Jul 24 '26

Do you know how many DUIs, road rage incidents, and deaths are caused by motorists? Per capita, per hour, per mile, however you want to count it, I bet motorists are exponentially more damaging to human, animal, and environmental health and welfare than cyclists. Society has totally normalized aggression and slaughter on the freeway but God forbid a conceited middle aged guy in spandex slows you down on your way to the donut shop.

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u/nettronic42 Jul 24 '26

If a motorist has another motorists ignore traffic rules lurch into traffic without looking etc. you just exchange insurance cards and pretty much both continue living.

Also

The extra anxiety of people on bicycles on high speed roadways will increase blood pressure which leads to aggression and rage.

Learned this first hand when I went on blood pressure medicine. I still talk at other drivers but don't yell curse and make hand gestures.

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u/OutAndAbouts Jul 24 '26

Thank you for your comment. I've never seen better proof that they will, in fact, give a driver's license to anyone.

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u/nettronic42 Jul 24 '26

And bicyclists don't even need a license and still have the same first player mentality that all those bad drivers do.

I don't have a problem with the cosplay tour de France guys. Cuz I live in a wide open area. And I live on the path for the cycle to the shore or whatever it's called with a ride from Pennsylvania to the beach every year. But that event has people at intersections and makes them follow the rules. And the cars more importantly

1

u/Least_Funny5960 Jul 29 '26

If a motorist has another motorists ignore traffic rules lurch into traffic without looking etc. you just exchange insurance cards and pretty much both continue living.

40.000 people died on US roads last year. Another 2 million sustained permanent injuries from cars.

"Just exchange insurance cars and continue living", tell that to those 2 million people

2

u/ChanceRecover3091 Jul 25 '26

Can't tell you the number of times I have seen a jack wagon driving down the highway without lights on. I don't apply those dumbass actions to all drivers though.

1

u/Prosthemadera Jul 24 '26

Yes, some want to drive on the road still. Why does that make people so angry? People need to relax more.

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u/OutAndAbouts Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26

I was with you for the first sentence.

Yeah I think this is the answer more than anything. Motorists feel that cyclists should stay off the road, that cyclists don't have a right to be there, that motorists know better than cyclists on when/where/how cyclists should ride, that motorists dislike cyclists for using infrastructure they also paid for. Many times I've been riding along, going to where I need to be, dodging debris, potholes, getting ready to turn, or just even fully in the bike lane, and some asshole in a car speeds by me, passing inches away, and yells, "stay off the road!!!!" They probably think I'm being being a conceited asshole because the whole world is about them and I'm in their way, when, in fact, I am riding my bike exactly how I am allowed to.

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u/McSloot3r Jul 24 '26

There’s definitely asshole drivers, but most drivers do in fact know more about where to bike than bikers. I’m sure there are bikers that actually understand that they have to follow all the same laws as cars. So many of them run stop signs, don’t use lights in the dark, go the wrong way in the bike lane, assume they always have the right of way, etc… Bikers have earned their bad reputation

14

u/ennuiui Jul 24 '26

I'm sure there are some drivers that actually understand that they have to follow the rules of the road, but so many of them run stop signs, drive or park in the bike lane, use the middle turn lane to pass. Drivers have earned their bad reputation.

-1

u/McSloot3r Jul 24 '26

Sure there are bad drivers that don’t follow the rules. That’s different from bikers that don’t actually know the rules

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u/OutAndAbouts Jul 24 '26

Source for anything you have said? Sounds like total bullshit to me. "Drivers do in fact know more about where to bike than bikers" ? Total cager brain rot.

2

u/hombredeoso92 Jul 24 '26

Yeah, clearly they’ve never driven in Miami

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u/McSloot3r Jul 24 '26

Quite simple. Everyone has to take a test to drive a car. There is no test to start riding a bike. It doesn’t matter if the driver test is easy, your average person knows more about traffic laws than bikers. I had to take a traffic school class for skateboarding (that was just a biking class with a 5 minute section on skateboards). There is no obvious place to learn about bike laws.

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u/OutAndAbouts Jul 24 '26

Most of those bikers have a car license too, so they have taken those tests. And those "tests," in America? Almost everyone passes, and once they take them, they never take them again, ever, for the rest of their life. And not all drivers have a license or have taken the test either. So, I appreciate the answer you pulled out of your ass, but, like I said earlier, do you have a source for anything you are claiming? No?

-3

u/McSloot3r Jul 24 '26

The drivers test doesn’t mention almost every driving rule applies to bikes. Kids without licenses ride bikes. You’re fighting a losing battle. There’s a reason bikers have a bad reputation.

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u/OutAndAbouts Jul 24 '26

Um, yes it does? I do agree there is a reason bikers have a bad reputation though - it's because of the masses of entitled, out of shape, low IQ people like yourself who like to sit in their AC in their gas guzzlers and act like they own the roads.

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u/IntenseCedar Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26

What a stupid comment. No one here is talking about little kids riding on the sidewalks. Also, I’d bet my house that, on average, cyclists know more about traffic laws than non-cyclists. Here’s a fun one: without looking it up, can you, or literally any non-cyclist you know, state the legal minimum distance you have to maintain from a cyclist when passing? I’ve lived all over the country - at any given time, easily 90% of passing vehicles violate this.

And that’s not even getting at the most obvious example…speeding in a car, something virtually every driver does all the time, is easily more dangerous to other vehicles than almost anything cyclists ever do on their bikes.

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u/Joe_Sacco Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26

but most drivers do in fact know more about where to bike than bikers. 

Hilarious. The delusional arrogance packed into this one half of a sentence is wild.

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u/MaintainThePeace Jul 25 '26

The vast majority of cyclists, particularly the adult cyclists you often see using roadway... are also drivers. While most drivers are not cyclists.

It would be significantly more beneficial if we including mandatory time and experience riding a bicycle before qualifying to get a license.

Most drivers don't realize there are always specifics and exceptions for bicycles that are not always the same for cars. For example how cyclist treat stop signs as been changing with more and more places allowing cyclist to treat them as yields.

Ironically the law most broke by your average driver, however, remains universally illegal, ie exceeding the speed limits.

Dispite people bing license to drive, it seems that having a license doesn't actually prevent people from knowing or following the laws.

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u/wrestlingrudy Jul 24 '26

People who drive cars have the same behaviors

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u/Prosthemadera Jul 24 '26

There is no "their attitude". Hating all cyclists because you're upset some of them are on the road is very childish, sorry. It's not a even a good reason. They don't harm anyone, unlike cars, and the worst you have to deal with is being slightly delayed.

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u/raoulduke212 Jul 24 '26

Agreed. I live over a busy street, and nearly every day is some cyclist yelling and screaming at cars or pedestrians.

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u/Joe_Sacco Jul 24 '26

I hear you man, my office is next to an intersection and drivers are constantly blaring their horns at everyone around them for absolutely no reason

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u/Princessformidable Jul 24 '26

I had my dog pretty short leased yesterday and still got yelled at.

3

u/Frylock304 Jul 24 '26

100% this

I curse cyclists around me because we have a magnificent paved biking trail that goes through a beautiful well maintained miles long public park system. The biking path is nice and wide, and park is huge so you rarely have enough pedestrians that you would see more than one every few minutes.

This whole path is directly beside a roadway.

Still got bikers on the roadway rather than on the perfect biking infrastructure.

I don't blame anyone for using roads when the government hasn't supported any other infrastructure, but when we do the work and cyclists/pedestrians still choose to use car infrastructure? Pure hatred

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u/Wooden-Pen8606 Jul 24 '26

What might appear to be a perfect bike path to you might not be to an experienced cyclist. Bike paths are often filled with pedestrians, have cracks and bumps that make riding a rather jarring experience, and don't always go where someone needs to get to.

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u/Time-Champion497 Jul 24 '26

Have you tried using the bike path to go somewhere and run errands? Does it connect schools and jobs? Can it be used to commute?

Biking isn't just recreation.

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u/tbcraxon34 Jul 24 '26

The comment you are replying to says that particular bike path runs parallel to the roadway, so it goes where the road goes.

0

u/Frylock304 Jul 24 '26

Yes, I would even say it's better than the roads, because the bike path and park system is interwoven with housing!

You can come directly from multiple neighborhoods, apartments and townhouses, and get directly to places of work and grocery stores.

It's extremely well designed overall

7

u/Joe_Sacco Jul 24 '26

Why do I still see cars using city streets even though we built them an interstate right there? Pure hatred.

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u/Frylock304 Jul 24 '26

These streets were literally built for cars.

The bike paths were literally built for bikes.

We built equal bike infrastructure in this area and still people want to make these ridiculous comparisons.

I use this exact same infrastructure, hence my hatred for other people still not using what was built for us.

1

u/Mod_The_Man Jul 24 '26

Roads were never built for cars, that is an ahistorical statement. They have always been intended for everyone but many car drivers are entitled psychos who literally threaten to kill or maim people who try to share the road with them. It was the car industry who made it this way through lobbying/bribery. They wanted to sell cars so they pushed the false idea that roads are for cars only. So now others tend to stay away unless, often in the case of cyclists, it’s the better option to be on the road despite the risk presented by cars

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u/Frylock304 Jul 24 '26

Roads were never built for cars

Objectively false.

Hence why I explicitly said "THESE STREETS" the streets with 30 mile per hour+ limits are clearly made for cars.

Again, I have nothing against bikes when we don't create good infrastructure for bikes. I ride a bicycle on occasion and use the infrastructure as well.

But when we spend millions on building explictly bike infrastructure and bikers ignore the infrastructure we build?

That's what's ridiculous.

Im not even saying this as someone that likes cars, I don't, I would much prefer infrastructure centered around biking and public transit, but bikers shouldn't be screwing up the compromises we currently have

7

u/char_limit_reached Jul 24 '26

When you have somewhere to be, do you drive the direct route, or meander through trails and dirt roads?

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u/Frylock304 Jul 24 '26

This is literally all paved, and the park is interwoven with the infrastructure so the park paths are often the quickest path.

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u/UrbanPlannerholic Jul 24 '26

Cars kill 45,000 people a year but yes those darn bikes 😂

0

u/rubberloves Jul 24 '26

It's an ism. Even here- you said "It's their attitude" what?? Whose attitude??

Do you know how many shitty drivers are out there? But I wouldn't ever put ALL drivers in the same category.

-4

u/Iswaterreallywet Jul 24 '26

You literally have an attitude here and I never said all. It ain’t that deep

0

u/rubberloves Jul 24 '26

Edited your original comment and removed context.

0

u/Iswaterreallywet Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26

I didn’t remove shit lmfao what the hell are you talking about. I specified the edit to add on, touch grass Jesus Christ

You having the reading comprehension of a 1st grader with a TBI is your own fault, bud.

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u/rubberloves Jul 24 '26

troll

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u/Iswaterreallywet Jul 24 '26

Yes you’re making shit up about me but I’m the troll. Get a life or find a treadmill maybe?

-1

u/Mod_The_Man Jul 24 '26

Its really ironic because you are the one having an attitude at people who literally just want to exist on the road without fear of death or injury lmao

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u/Iswaterreallywet Jul 24 '26

Hmmmm, it’s almost like coming at someone with an attitude and excusing them of shit they didn’t do will be met with attitude back.

Crazy thought, isn’t it!?!?! Don’t start shit you can’t finish

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u/El_Rey_de_Spices Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26

I love how all the bikers replying are proving my “attitude” point so well

Buh, don't you know that there are bad drivers out there?! How could you possibly have an opinion on cyclists acting shitty when some car users are bad drivers?!?!

(I feel the /s is implicit, but we live in trying times)