TheDeHymenizer t1_isstq7y wrote on October 18, 2022 at 1:27 PM

This is why I exclusively ride on the side walk. DC is EXTREMELY bike unfriendly. Go on the road, get on the sidewalk, get on the sidewalk go on the road. An 80 year old guy tried to sucker punch me a few weeks back too. But I'd rather get in a fist fight with someone then have that guy behind 2 tons of steel and moving at 40 mph's.

All that being said everyone is an environmentalist until you ask them to take 1 step to their right so you can get by them. Be safe out there and know the law. You have the same right to the sidewalk as any pedestrian you just have to give them the right of way (even if there is a bike lane). While it will annoy them they won't be any better to you behind the wheel of a car and in the road. Your going to piss everyone off no matter what you do the second you sit on that bicycle so you might as well be as safe as you possibly can.

Complex-Marzipan-218 t1_ist0gcz wrote on October 18, 2022 at 2:18 PM

💯 agree. Do what is safe for you. Too many dead bicyclists and no accountability on the road.

oladiamante t1_isu6uwq wrote on October 18, 2022 at 6:58 PM

Interesting take, and rings true. Though I encounter enough reckless cyclists on sidewalks to understand why people might be reflexively angry at them. But we're usually talking bruises/minor fractures at worst in the event of a bike/pedestrian collision, rather than catastrophic/debilitating injuries which occur from collisions with cars. Everyone's better off dealing with bikes even if they annoy you on sidewalks sometimes.