trying to share the lane with vehicles in the USA is very dangerous

  • @[email protected]
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    1 year ago

    I just cycle in the middle of the lane in UK. No one seems to mind but the odd (rare) driver but they still overtake on the incoming lane with no issues.

    Who really cares if your drive is slowed down 30-90 seconds by waiting for a cyclist. Driving has a strange competitive mindset about making your journey in an “expected time”. I’ve never understood that

    • @[email protected]
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      131 year ago

      There’s this weird perception issue that I’ve noticed while driving. A car is able to cover so much distance so quickly that even small delays in time can equal a huge loss in distance.

      Not that it really matters though because having to wait 30 seconds for a bicycle just means that you’ve lost 30 seconds. The amount of distance you have to make up is irrelevant, you’re still only 30 seconds behind where you would have been.

      And in any case, those same people will get to the parking lot and will circle around for minutes looking for the perfect spot closest to the front doors so they don’t need to waste time walking.

    • Doc Dish
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      1 year ago

      My wife was a “Bikeability” (UK) teacher and this is how they teach people to cycle. Unfortunately there are too many entitled arseholes that can’t bear to not be doing the speed limit 100% of the time. And I say this as a car driver.

    • HexesofVexes
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      21 year ago

      Ah, I can explain that “competitive mindset” - some are more interested in the destination than the leisure of the journey (travelling is not everyone’s cup of tea, I personally hate any travel after work). This is especially true for people with high workloads whose leisure time is measured in minutes rather than hours on an evening, or those with caring responsibilities and a medication schedule to deal with.

      Also, keep in mind, you’re being charged every second you travel (fuel), so for those forced into a car commute there is double the pressure to make the journey quickly and cheaply.

      If you’d like to empathise, think of it as working an extra 10-15 mins per day, and having to pay for doing so. You other option is to work an extra 2 hours a day without pay, in case you were wondering ;)