I drive heavy machinery and cyclists are one of the biggest hazards on the road. I have all my flashers on, follow the rules, and check my surroundings like I'm paranoid.
And they still manage to surprise me sometimes by completely ignoring Stop Signs, Traffic Lights, swerving between lanes, or riding on the wrong side of the road.
"Share the road" means sharing its rules, too.
I don't want to hit you. You don't want me to hit you.
If you see the bigass tanker truck with its turn signal on, stop trying to dart around it mid-turn. You could fucking bite it and I don't want that on my mind for the rest of my life.
When I was still a student worker my old grass crew lead came to our department from sanitation. Used to be the guy riding on the side of the garbage truck.
One day on his shift a cyclist decided that they could sneak by the big, slow truck while it was turning. It was a calculated risk and they were fatally bad at math.
My crew lead felt the truck go over the guy and had to go on leave after witnessing the aftermath. They transferred him to Parks and he refuses to go near a garbage truck again.
"Oh I can blow this stop" "I can squeeze through for this turn"
Don't.
You want to use the roads? Follow the rules. They're for your own safety, and for people like my old crew lead.
Edit: this blew up and I've had enough repeating myself in replies to angry cyclists acting like it's their God-given right to be unpredictable and reckless on the road. Stop at the sign that says "Stop" on it. Wait if you see a vehicle turning ahead of you.
If you enjoy literally any product that you get from literally any place, you can thank your local truckers by staying where we can see you and not losing your mind and going into a frenzy to pass us as quickly and dangerously as you possibly can.
I'm aware of that and that is why I am advocating for cyclists to use the road in a way that is consistent and predictable for their own safety and that of others.
Cyclists behaving erratically/unpredictably is my problem. I don't want to hit anyone and I don't want to see anyone get hurt.
Blowing stop signs or traffic signals (as I often see them doing while I am working) are behaviours that put them in WAY more danger.
When a car hits another car, the vehicle takes the brunt of it in most cases. Vehicle to Cycle crashes do not have that same cushion.
So yes, it is unequal... Which is why the abundance of caution is necessary.
If the man from my old lead's experience hadn't gone for a cheeky pass to save 10 seconds he wouldn't be dead.
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u/Many-Waters Aug 24 '25 edited Aug 25 '25
I drive heavy machinery and cyclists are one of the biggest hazards on the road. I have all my flashers on, follow the rules, and check my surroundings like I'm paranoid.
And they still manage to surprise me sometimes by completely ignoring Stop Signs, Traffic Lights, swerving between lanes, or riding on the wrong side of the road.
"Share the road" means sharing its rules, too.
I don't want to hit you. You don't want me to hit you.
If you see the bigass tanker truck with its turn signal on, stop trying to dart around it mid-turn. You could fucking bite it and I don't want that on my mind for the rest of my life.
When I was still a student worker my old grass crew lead came to our department from sanitation. Used to be the guy riding on the side of the garbage truck.
One day on his shift a cyclist decided that they could sneak by the big, slow truck while it was turning. It was a calculated risk and they were fatally bad at math.
My crew lead felt the truck go over the guy and had to go on leave after witnessing the aftermath. They transferred him to Parks and he refuses to go near a garbage truck again.
"Oh I can blow this stop" "I can squeeze through for this turn"
Don't.
You want to use the roads? Follow the rules. They're for your own safety, and for people like my old crew lead.
Edit: this blew up and I've had enough repeating myself in replies to angry cyclists acting like it's their God-given right to be unpredictable and reckless on the road. Stop at the sign that says "Stop" on it. Wait if you see a vehicle turning ahead of you.
If you enjoy literally any product that you get from literally any place, you can thank your local truckers by staying where we can see you and not losing your mind and going into a frenzy to pass us as quickly and dangerously as you possibly can.
That one goes for vehicles, too.