Submitted by SeaworthinessFit2151 t3_zz8deo in baltimore

What’s the unspoken rule for narrow one way car driving streets? I drive for a job and support bike culture as much as I can but it feels very dangerous when bikes come down the opposite way on a street. I just dodged one. A dad with a kid on the back. Of course I was going slow it just felt like a bad move.

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Matt3989 t1_j2a2fel wrote

The bike is in the wrong for going the wrong way.

It happens, sometimes that's just the best way to get somewhere and on a slow/low traffic street it's nbd, but the bike should be respectful and be the one that gets out of the way.

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munchnerk t1_j2au63u wrote

I'm lowkey curious where this happened - there's a pretty well known dickbag in Hampden who rides around with his toddler on the back of his bike and deliberately puts himself and his kid in harm's way to antagonize drivers. He's unhinged and well known in the neighborhood. Stuff like crossing at speed in front of a car when the driver is proceeding on a green light, then following the car while screaming at the driver. All with a toddler on the back. What you described could just be regular city-living lapse-in-judgment, but yeah, watch out for this dude.

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Timid_Teacher t1_j2bxbka wrote

He's a redhead right? I see him all the time, if so. I think his kid may be older than a toddler now.

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RL_Mutt t1_j2b3yti wrote

I’m pretty sure I’ve seen this guy too. Riding in the street on the opposite side of the clearly marked bike lane. What a shithead.

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TheBananaStan t1_j2epm12 wrote

God that guy sucks. Whenever I see him in the neighborhood I just feel so bad for the kid tbh

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refutalisk t1_j2at57k wrote

I'm not sure if everyone on this thread will know already, but there are also a lot of places in Baltimore with one-way car traffic and two-way bike lanes. Certain motorists and pedestrians will be caught off guard by this, especially when it's fairly newly painted/installed like on Lanvale or on 20th.

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megalomike t1_j2a72p2 wrote

bikes are supposed to follow the rules of the road. ironically that type of street is one of the safest types of streets to bike correctly on, low speed crowded one way streets you can go almost as fast as a car. sometimes on huge roads you will see people counterflow but that's so they can see whats coming at 45mph. sounds like this guy was just taking a shortcut.

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okdiluted t1_j2a6hgq wrote

cyclists need to follow the flow of traffic--they can take the full lane but have to go the right way! that's super dangerous for everyone involved.

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MikeyFED t1_j2djiqh wrote

All I know is when I was a kid… those little rear wheel bike seat attachments for small kids / toddlers were popular. ( where they sit on top of the wheel )

Now?

It seems like the most batshit insane idea ever. It’s on par with letting a toddler sit up front on a bench seat with no seat belt back in the 60s.

You may be talking about the ones that are hitched on like a bike trailer though.. but even one of those in the city… fuck that. And fuck that especially if the bike rider isn’t following the rules of the road.

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completethesestreets t1_j2esgji wrote

It's perfectly safe to ride around with a kid on a bike seat as long as they're secured and have a helmet on. Obviously you need to stick to low-speed roads, preferably with protected lanes, and follow the rules of the road.

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geonerd04 t1_j2fahc1 wrote

I’d say the cyclist is in the wrong… but that’s my opinion and mine only. Baltimore is a very fragmented city, and certain niche lifestyle lobbying groups like Bikemore have capitalized on that. Cars, buses and trains= bad and a waste of taxpayer dollars. Bikes and dedicated bike lanes= the savior of humanity.

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