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Jerks that throw beer bottles or try to push bicyclists off the road are not a Big Island only issue. Those kinds of people are a danger to bicyclists everywhere. My daughter and her husband live in a very bike friendly city, so bike friendly that they do not own a car, and they have experienced every possible hostile action by vehicle drivers except being deliberately run over. In my observation those sorts of things are done by one of 2 groups of people, males between 16 and 30 who have too much testosterone raging through their systems, or highly privileged people who feel so entitled that they are not willing to share the road with anyone, much less a bicycle. The best example of the latter is the doctor in LA who consciously pulled in front of a bicyclist and then slammed on his brakes, leaving the seriously wounded rider bleeding in the road. He was convicted of something like felonious assault with a motor vehicle.
As far as how the bicyclist might know someone who threw a bottle at them was a "local" I would guess bumper stickers could be a good clue, you know the ones that say "grown here not flown here" or "local boi" or such self identifiers. There are all kinds of idiots walking this earth, some from every ethnic or cultural group. Saying someone from a specific group did something to someone is not talking stink about that whole group, just the person who took the action. Just like I don't want to be held responsible for every clueless white person who offends long term residents of the Big Island, all "locals" shouldn't be held responsible for the actions of a few lolos.
Carol
Carol
Every time you feel yourself getting pulled into other people's nonsense, repeat these words: Not my circus, not my monkeys.
Polish Proverb
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I agree with Carol that it is hard out there for a bicyclist just about everywhere. When I was 19, I got a new bicycle (a Raleigh 10 speed) and decided to ride it from San Francisco to Long Beach, to visit some friends. I rode Highway One most of the way. I stayed well to the side of the road but along the way, some took delight in attempting to run me off the road, verbally harassing me, or giving me the finger. I was shocked by the hostility shown to me by some just because I happened to be on a bicycle. The car was king and many people just did not understand why anyone would pedal when they could just put the pedal to the metal. Others though were very kind and invited me into their homes or campsites, offered to buy me a beverage, or just gave me a friendly wave. However, one thing I learned after a close encounter with a driver who was not paying attention is that you are more likely to survive an encounter with a person with mischievous intent who is harassing you than an encounter with a kindly, but negligent driver who is paying absolutely no attention to the road ahead. That ride was a grueling and beautiful adventure. Oddly, I did come as close to death as I have ever come, but not from a malicious driver. Near Big Sur, I pulled off on a dirt-road that dead-ended about 100 feet down. There was a fence at the end. I put my sleeping bag right next to the fence and went to sleep. When I woke up the next morning there was a tire right in my face. Some people in a van had backed all the way down the road to sleep for the night. They never saw me but might have seen the fence. They came within less than a foot of running over me. They were shocked to see me emerge from underneath their van.
Drivers in HPP are generally very courteous toward pedestrians and cyclists and will veer over into the other lane to avoid them and to give them plenty of room. The accident took place along my regular route. I missed it that day. There but for fortune. On that day, I installed a mirror on my bicycle so that I could see the cars behind me. There is simply not much margin for error if a driver does not see you. Your best chance is if you see them first. I hope the cyclist is okay.
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Substitute you favorite group for the word "local" and see how you feel?
This is an unsubstantiated second hand story from someone who has shown obvious distaste for "local" people. Yeah, it's bigoted, prejudiced, and probably a lie.
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maybe its time for you to start a
www.defendlocalsweb.com
You could police everyone with supreme power from your own website!
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When I ride my bicycle in HPP, if I see a car, or cars, coming, I will, if possible, temporarily turn on a side street off the 4 main roads and let the cars pass. Then I'll go back onto the main road and continue. The shoulders are often tiny here. Like 8 inches. Makes it tough to ride. That and the dogs.
Bicycling should be encouraged and commended. We use no gasoline or oil when riding. Can't wait till the highway from Shower to Keaau is done, so the shoulders can again be used all week for bicycles. I'm 60 years old, and the ride to Hilo is not a bad one at all. The first time I rode it we threw my single speed bike in our pickup, as my wife was going there anyway. She dropped me at Aloha Fitness. I did a workout there and rode home. Couldn't believe how fast I got back too.
The speeders in HPP are a danger to everyone. I was riding my 150cc scooter back from doing some work for my daughter one night about 6:30 or 7:00. It was dark, and I was coming from 3rd and Makuu heading up to 7th where I turn. I had just passed some pedestrians out for a walk. A moron in a car came over one of the Makuu humps and the car left the ground, flew a ways, and hit down on the road again in a shower of sparks. My daughter rides a bike from 3rd and Makuu, and sometimes tows my granddaughter in a bike trailer. Not in the dark of course. If my those two were hurt or injured due to a speeding moron........
Jon in Keaau/HPP
Jon in Keaau/HPP
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It's nice to know how people feel.
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I haven't read about this bicycler being hit except for here. Anyone know how she is doing?
Jon in Keaau/HPP
Jon in Keaau/HPP
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quote:
Originally posted by unknownjulie
Oh no! This sounds terrible! There was a whole group of them flying down the road here in Hilo yesterday and they were not using the sidewalks that were available.
Let me emphasize this point, because it is so commonly misunderstood. It is ILLEGAL to ride bicycles on the sidewalk in Hilo. You can be ticketed for doing so.
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I don't have a bike....I jog. But if I did have a bike...I would ride it (in HPP) against traffic regardless of what the law says. I want to see what's coming at me and to be able to take action quickly if needed. Lower HPP has no shoulder with the white line running into the grass in many places along the 3 main roads.
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Most times I rather ride on sidewalk because usually the sidewalk much emptier of traffic human or otherwise. And much safer in this mechanized world. Thankfully the police seem to understand that.
