File under "stupid"

[moose8]

http://www.boston.com/news/2015/08/05/man-rides-bicycle-interstate-during-boston-rush-hour/TNPBbcfVZ920usQAjGqTBJ/story.html?p1=feature_sec_hp

The picture with the article gives me chills.

[makoti]

Nothing loads off that link...

[moose8]

Nothing loads off that link...

Weird. Seems to work off my computer. It's an article about a dude riding a bike on a highway without a helmet during rush hour in boston. It includes a scary picture of the guy riding along.

[seanile]

they're in between the sullivan square exit [28] and on-ramp. pretty long way to go if you got on from storrow...

http://p.o0bc.com/rf/image_700w/Boston/2011-2020/2015/08/06/Boston.com/BCOM/Images/biker%20on%2093.JPG

So much for sticking to the bike lane.

A man on a bicycle was spotted in the middle of one of Boston's busiest interstates during rush hour Wednesday evening. He wore shorts, flip-flops, and headphones, but decided against a helmet.

Everyone was keeping a pretty good distance, Melanie Toomey, a commuter who spotted the man on her way home from work around 5:30 p.m., told Boston.com.

The biker seemed calm, Toomey said. He merged from Storrow Drive onto I-93 North before crossing over the lanes with ease in the end-of-day traffic while drivers tried to give him some space.

A state police spokesperson couldn't confirm if police responded to the incident but said no ticket was issued or arrest made.

Biking on the highway isn't smart. You could argue taking a picture while driving isn't either. For Toomey, it was too good of a photo-op to pass up.

"It was rush hour," she explained. "We were moving, but we weren't going 70 mph in traffic."

[MattTuck]

This story should be about the criminal driver who was driving distracted. Using his phone to take a picture while behind the wheel is both unacceptable and morally indefensible.

It sickens me, as a cyclist, to see this kind of gross disregard for the safety and welfare of other road users.

[etu]

This story should be about the criminal driver who was driving distracted. Using his phone to take a picture while behind the wheel is both unacceptable and morally indefensible.

It sickens me, as a cyclist, to see this kind of gross disregard for the safety and welfare of other road users.

LOL:beer:

[FastforaSlowGuy]

This story should be about the criminal driver who was driving distracted. Using his phone to take a picture while behind the wheel is both unacceptable and morally indefensible.



It sickens me, as a cyclist, to see this kind of gross disregard for the safety and welfare of other road users.


I'm going to assume this is tongue in cheek.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MattTuck]

I'm going to assume this is tongue in cheek.




You can assume at your own peril. Much like you can assume the car approaching from behind isn't being piloted by a 19 year old idiot taking a picture of you and uploading it to her tumblr page. :no:





;)

[Ken Robb]

The stretch of I-5 between Gennessee Ave. and Sorrento Valley Rd. is designated as a bike route because there is no alternative. It is a pretty steep hill where I have seen 50+mph or struggled to maintain 6 mph depending on my direction of travel. :D
Happily the shoulder is as wide as a regular traffic lane and I have never seen a rider wander into the lanes for motorized traffic.

[sworcester]

Based on the outfit, probably riding back from RAGBRAI.

I saw a guy one time riding his bike the wrong way on the fastlane shoulder in Dallas. I called 911 to inform them of it, since we didn't have camera phones then

[FastforaSlowGuy]

You can assume at your own peril. Much like you can assume the car approaching from behind isn't being piloted by a 19 year old idiot taking a picture of you and uploading it to her tumblr page. :no:





;)

My point wasn't that it's okay to take pictures while driving, its that while she's an idiot for taking a photo, we shouldn't not lose focus here- that guy on a bike (I won't call him a cyclist) is exploring new depths of stupidity. Her moment of distraction could have hurt someone, but we all know who would get the blame in the end.

My general rule of thumb when on public roadways - in a car or on a bike - is to avoid doing unpredictable things, because that's when folks get hurt. Biker guy is not only endangering himself, he is putting others at risk because he is creating surprise and uncertainty in a very unexpected way. People suck at driving around cyclists on backroads, and I'd guess they have no idea what to do on the highway. Plus, he makes us all look bad.

And I can't tell you how often I've seen people take pictures in rush hour Boston traffic. No excuse, and it pisses me off, but it's not exactly a rare bird either.

[OtayBW]

You can assume at your own peril. Much like you can assume the car approaching from behind isn't being piloted by a 19 year old idiot taking a picture of you and uploading it to her tumblr page. :no:





;)
You sir, are clearly a misogymnast.

[bicycletricycle]

possibly making some kind of political statement?
double dog dare?
drugs?

I like this guy,

It's like seeing a cute brightly colored little bird amongst the smoking ruins of a burned out village in some kind of apocalyptic movie symbolic of hope for the future.

[MattTuck]

My point wasn't that it's okay to take pictures while driving, its that while she's an idiot for taking a photo, we shouldn't not lose focus here- that guy on a bike (I won't call him a cyclist) is exploring new depths of stupidity. Her moment of distraction could have hurt someone, but we all know who would get the blame in the end.

My general rule of thumb when on public roadways - in a car or on a bike - is to avoid doing unpredictable things, because that's when folks get hurt. Biker guy is not only endangering himself, he is putting others at risk because he is creating surprise and uncertainty in a very unexpected way. People suck at driving around cyclists on backroads, and I'd guess they have no idea what to do on the highway. Plus, he makes us all look bad.

And I can't tell you how often I've seen people take pictures in rush hour Boston traffic. No excuse, and it pisses me off, but it's not exactly a rare bird either.

Did you miss my winkie face at the bottom of that post? I'm with you. Guy on the bike is in the wrong. My post was more social commentary on how cyclists can have a bit of in group bias.

[FastforaSlowGuy]

Did you miss my winkie face at the bottom of that post? I'm with you. Guy on the bike is in the wrong. My post was more social commentary on how cyclists can have a bit of in group bias.

Ah. The perils of reading on one's iPhone. Winky face noted.

[Burnette]

Some years ago while on vacation on Hilton Head Island I pretty much did the same thing. I brought my road bike with me, the paths around the island are really for walkers and riding beach cruisers, I wanted to go for a longer road ride.
So on a Wednesday morning, during rush hour, I rode from the house we were renting near the golf course, past all the restaurants and outlet stores, went over the steep bridge and off the island and rode for about ten more miles or so before turning back for the island.
Traffic was thick, most cars gave me room though. The bridge was the hardest part. There was a vortex of wind blowing trash in a circular motion that I had to ride through.
It was crazy, won't do it again, but it is a fond memory. It was fun! Especially coming off the bridge. Leaving from a traffic light in a huge pack of cars on a multi lane road during rush hour is something to be experienced.
Contrary to popular belief, most drivers aren't out to kill us, but my being out there was surely disruptive for them as cars behind couldn't get around me easily. So that was my last go at that. But it is one of my best rides, a fun story that I share, I smile everytime I think about it.
I live in NC, closest we have here to Boston is the city of Charlotte. If I lived there I would give it a go atleast once.

[Louis]

I'm going to assume this is tongue in cheek.

Matt takes his cycling very seriously. I'm going to assume he's being 100% straight up.

[sandyrs]

Some years ago while on vacation on Hilton Head Island I pretty much did the same thing. I brought my road bike with me, the paths around the island are really for walkers and riding beach cruisers, I wanted to go for a longer road ride.
So on a Wednesday morning, during rush hour, I rode from the house we were renting near the golf course, past all the restaurants and outlet stores, went over the steep bridge and off the island and rode for about ten more miles or so before turning back for the island.
Traffic was thick, most cars gave me room though. The bridge was the hardest part. There was a vortex of wind blowing trash in a circular motion that I had to ride through.
It was crazy, won't do it again, but it is a fond memory. It was fun! Especially coming off the bridge. Leaving from a traffic light in a huge pack of cars on a multi lane road during rush hour is something to be experienced.
Contrary to popular belief, most drivers aren't out to kill us, but my being out there was surely disruptive for them as cars behind couldn't get around me easily. So that was my last go at that. But it is one of my best rides, a fun story that I share, I smile everytime I think about it.
I live in NC, closest we have here to Boston is the city of Charlotte. If I lived there I would give it a go atleast once.

Is that an interstate?

[Louis]

A buddy of mine says that the rider must have been Tom Brady - since he can do whatever he wants in Boston.

[Jgrooms]

We may class ourselves into all sorts of subsets, but to the anti cyclist driving public 'we' are all the same.

But, take a close look at the rear hub. Big to me. And is that downtube sporting a battery? E bike. Changes the story a bit.

[schwa86]

We may class ourselves into all sorts of subsets, but to the anti cyclist driving public 'we' are all the same.

But, take a close look at the rear hub. Big to me. And is that downtube sporting a battery? E bike. Changes the story a bit.

Not really -- illegal under MA law (mopeds as well).

[bikingshearer]

Having ridden on a few freeway shoulders myself where it's legal, all I can say is riding in the the number 2 lane of a four lane freeway is just plain insane.

On the other hand, having also had some experience driving in Boston, I'm not sure where he was riding was any more or less dangerous than anywhere else on any eastern Massachusetts roadway ("if you have a choice between two lanes, take the middle one"). Or sidewalk, for that matter.

[Jgrooms]

Not really -- illegal under MA law (mopeds as well).


Not questioning the legality. If its an E bike - essentially a moped - its not a crazy ass cyclist riding on freeway story.

The more I look at it, its battery powered.

[Peter P.]

You can assume at your own peril. Much like you can assume the car approaching from behind isn't being piloted by a 19 year old idiot taking a picture of you and uploading it to her tumblr page. :no:
;)

Maybe a passenger took the photo?

I once rode from Meriden, CT to Springfield, MA to a military recruiting center for a physical. The easy route is straight north but obviously not on I-91. So I decide to "follow" Route 5/15 north. In Wethersfield, Rte. 5/15 curves to the right and the speed goes up to 55mph. Okay...

Next thing I know, I'm on I-91 north at 2PM crossing 3 lanes of highway traffic on the Charter Oak Bridge so I can exit onto Main Street East Hartford and pick up Rte. 5 again.

I'm lucky I didn't get caught, arrested, or run over.

[JAllen]

I like how it kept mentioning the fact that he wasn't wearing his helmet. not trying to start the debate, but a helmet would do nothing to save your life if you got hit highway speeds and has no bearing on the fact that he was riding on a flippin' highway!!!

[moose8]

And another one....

http://www.boston.com/news/2015/08/07/another-boston-bicyclist-took-the-highway/Htgmy1gtwXzLIMStKinSNP/story.html?p1=feature_stack_1_hp

[Jgrooms]

E bike. He is not even pedaling. Such an agenda with these stories & the people taking pics/vids.

[seanile]

^are you talkin about the one in the post right above your comment? because that's a hubway bikeshare bike, not an e-bike. he's...wait for it... coasting.

[Mr. Pink]

A buddy of mine says that the rider must have been Tom Brady - since he can do whatever he wants in Boston.

Brady doesn't have to get around by bicycling. He just spreads his angel wings and flies to his destination, or walks on water when he doesn't want to attract too much attention.