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With nice weather here, outdoor exercising such as walking and jogging is on the rise. Runners and walkers face traffic, and when we can, we use sidewalks; however, in many neighborhoods we must use the road. I urge all drivers to please share the road. Don't feel like you HAVE to stay in your lane - it is so easy to slow down and if no other vehicles are coming to merge into the other lane for the runner or walker. I cannot understand those of you who have the attitude that it is your lane, and you're gonna own it. It is not safe nor is it necessary. Usually, if a runner hears another car coming up behind then they will get off the road. Running or walking off the road can be dangerous due to uneven ground, so please SHARE THE ROAD!
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It's safer to use the tracks at one of the high schools. You'll get a better workout and each lap is measurable. There's a handful of people who do this every morning at Dolphin Field. They normally finish their workout before 7:00am which leaves plenty of time to shower and get to work... and they're able to avoid the kids who drive to school.
I know it's kind of a pain to drive to a track field just to exercise - but it's much better than being hit by a vehicle. Regardless of the majority of people who demonstrate road etiquette on a daily basis, it's quickly becoming tourist season. That means your chances of being hit are becoming more likely. Please consider a safer way to exercise.
Some people use a bike for transportation though. And, regardless of why someone is biking, motorists need to watch out for cyclists.
Roads and streets are buiilt for and designated to vehicular traffic. It is their lane! If you want to run along the roadway, the safest place to be is on the shoulder or sidewalk. Drivers should be alert and respectful to those running or walking, but the lane does indeed still belong to them. A pedestrian on a roadway is jaywalking.
The road was built for cars to drive on it. I was coming off the downtown bridge onto Lady's Island last week around 5pm. There was a group of bicyclists in the lane with me, but they were riding three wide!!! My question is why are we being preached at to "respect" people on bikes when people on bicycles don't respect people in cars? This was a group of about 10-15 riders, and they were all at least 2 or 3 wide and clearly obstructing traffic. Now, I don't think bike riders as a whole are disrespectful, but come on, LI, 5pm, they could be a little courteous.
bicyclists have as much right to drive on the highway as motorists.
As long as cyclists obbey the rules of the road they have as much right to it as any motor vehicle. It's in that little book you are supposed to learn before you get your learner's permit in South Carolina. Just because they inconvenience you on your home commute doesn't mean they don't have the right to be on the road. Otherwise, the road would be empty all the time, because at one time or another, we all inconvenience somebody.
The road was built for cars to drive on it. I was coming off the downtown bridge onto Lady's Island last week around 5pm. There was a group of bicyclists in the lane with me, but they were riding three wide!!! My question is why are we being preached at to "respect" people on bikes when people on bicycles don't respect people in cars? This was a group of about 10-15 riders, and they were all at least 2 or 3 wide and clearly obstructing traffic. Now, I don't think bike riders as a whole are disrespectful, but come on, LI, 5pm, they could be a little courteous.
It is breaking the law in South Carolina for more than two bicycles to ride abreast on a road.
who have this mentality, and make it unsafe for pedestrians and bikers. Those who use bicylces as transportation DO have a right to the road. It would just be nice if those of us who walk or jog got some courtesy. It is not all motorists, but some with attitudes like this one.
I think you missed something in what I wrote. I did say that motorists should always be respectful of walkers and runners. Any motorist should always be alert and mindful of anything on the roadways. But the fact remains that those roadways were built for and intended for vehicular traffic. If someone chooses to use those roadways for walking or running they are taking their lives in there own hands because some drivers may not see them or be paying attention. It's a fact, not a biased opinion. And, bicycles do have a right to the roadways, but if you read the laws carefully, they have that right only as long as they do not impede normal traffic. I ride a bicycle and a motorcycle, and honestly I don't feel safe on the roadways on either most of the time. When I am on a roadway on either I am 150% in defensive mode. If I were walking or running on a roadway, I would stay well away from the pavement. You just never know what's coming around the next bend or over the next hill, and when on foot, you can't always move fast enough to protect yourself.
Do you ride down the middle of the road because you have no choice or just for kicks? Cyclist have laws that they have to follow as well and I'll be darned if most of them do. Nothing like seeing a 10 year old riding down the median on Boundry. Maybe they should start a training class for cyclist or better require them to take a test so they can be held accountable for the traffic hazards that they DO cause when not following the rules of the road. Get real.
With the rising cost of Gas, probably more and more people will resort to biking to and from work to pinch pennies and stay healthy. Gas is going up and we are most likely going to cut some of our vacation distance this year and go camping up here somewhere. There are those who will continue to care less about the consumption, but they will after it is rationed. Get a locking gascap if yall don't already have one. Mopeds are being seen more and more in the college communities up here. Because they are smarter? Just wait for the Mothers against higher gas prices!!
You obviously didn't read the content of the post very well. No where did I mention that I run down the middle of the road. I asked that motorists share the road. I run in a neighborhood, and I face traffic as the law requires, but I do walk on the edge of the road because the shoulder is uneven with washed-out areas which create holes. What I am talking about, which I apparently didn't make clear, is that some oncoming cars refuse to share that lane even when no other vehicles are coming in the other lane. This is a residential neighborhood, not Boundary Street or Ribaut Road where there are sidewalks. This is the situation I can't understand. Sure, there are cyclist and runners who try to "hog" the road, but I am talking about a neighborhood where there are many, many people exercising on a regular basis.
It was simply a plea for motorists to drop the selfish attitude.
Susan,
It isn't a selfish attitude, it is illegal to enter the other lane except to pass in designated areas or in the event of an emergency. The appropriate thing to do is for the walker or runner to step off of the road and allow the vehicle to pass....then resume your walk or run. The traffic lane belongs to the vehicle by law! You have this all backward!
Road cycling is my favorite form of exercise, relaxation, and rejuvenation. While I , as all other cyclist. mostly ride alone, I do enjoy the occasional weekly group ride. I feel safer riding in the group due to the increased visibility. Groups will at times ride two abreast but rarely if ever have I seen them go 3 wide. Groups will sometimes take a majority of their lane to establish a safety zone in dangerous areas. This forces vehicular traffic to slow and not try a pass which could be deadly. As soon as conditions permit the group normally returns to a single pace line. But be mindful that the lead of the pace line is constantly changing with that rider dropping to the rear so you will still encounter two wide situations. Remember that a few precious seconds of your time is not worth more than someones life.
Runners can also establish safe zones by running against traffic and avoiding congested areas. Turn the volume down on the headset so that you may hear vehicles that may be approaching from the rear. You may be running against traffic but you could still be killed by a vehicle attempting to lawfully pass a slower car.
Oh and enjoy yourself.