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New_Examination_5605 t1_j83ng49 wrote

Reply to comment by Blecher_onthe_Hudson in Driver, Pedestrian, Cyclist: no matter what I am, I feel unsafe traveling by lordleft

Nice sweeping generalization about e-bike riders. Would you rather they were driving cars?

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Blecher_onthe_Hudson t1_j84fh9v wrote

Why does that have to be the choice? I would rather they behave like the motor vehicles they are, and obey traffic laws. I have less sympathy for them blowing lights & stops than someone who has to hump on the pedals of a bicycle to regain their momentum.

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panamera1994 t1_j84s7pt wrote

Lmaoo. I deliver by ebike and agree. I see a lot of other ebike couriers ride on people's heels as they walk. Ride up on kids. It surprises me. No $8-$25 order is worth rushing like that. Or maybe caffeine intolerance. I can't fathom tbh.

I, otoh, got hit by a lady three weeks ago who was kind enough to run a stop sign on me. Now I have a fractured rib and an accident case (will likely edit or delete this comment).

But you have to consider, Hudson county has about 700k people in it. And we have mentioned the reality of JCPD's absence in local traffic patrol. I believe they don't patrol traffic because they can't afford to create hiccups. In terms of flow of traffic and even violence. A few months ago I was walking to my apt when a news caster stopped me to ask me if I knew about this accident he was reporting on in which two guys had some road rage argument about a parking spot. Once guy punched and killed the other actually in self defense and he was charged manslaughter. The hostility in Jersey city might be the real issue. and I understand why it exists but that can't be remedied so easily.

I think there will have to be a law that ebikes can not ride more than 9mph on the sidewalk. Or $75 minimum fine. Idk if ebikes will ever have to be registered but in 5 years bike lanes are going to invade like moss. Construction sucks but it would help. Jc is still in the infancy of it's development/gentrification. I used to live in Paulus hook 5 years ago. Completely different already. The city is already too wealthy to not be revamped and progressives don't want city miles. In 15 years I actually think it will become a bike city. Everyone thinks Texas is ridiculous, you need a car for what would be a 5 minute walk. It is still jersey though so there will always obviously be cars.

Man I could even speak on how ridiculous the car industry is. I drive too (not for work) and I personally believe only 2/5 of people who drive should be allowed to own personal vehicles. But it seems the auto industry is such a pillar of the country's credit that they'll let anyone drive. That and all the areas designed for car ownership... Like I popped a curb in my driving test when I was 16 and still got my permit.

I'm about to head out to deliver on my bike now and I am not looking fwd to it. I hate the cars, I hate the people, but I like it all a lot in other ways. I'm trying to dig myself out of my current financial hole atm. Delivering was only supposed to be a back up plan. There looks to be a surplus of delivery people right now. I do think the apps deserve some responsibility. Some of them put you on a wait-list but not for long. They function on revolving door hiring. You should read the NYT article about the billions Uber has poured into psychological research to keep their "freelancers" working around the clock.

Thankful this thread exists and for the links shared bc I think about this issue every day and spend many hours facing it's realities.

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Blecher_onthe_Hudson t1_j84x5ia wrote

Thanks for such a long, thoughtful, and non confrontational response.

>I think there will have to be a law that ebikes can not ride more than 9mph on the sidewalk. Or $75 minimum fine.

Who's going to enforce this? Especially when these motor vehicles do not have any license plate identifying them, not that that's even very effective on cars these days when all sorts of clever methods of obscuring the plate are available, and even simple ones like a smoked plastic cover do not get ticketed by law enforcement.

I wish there was an answer other than law enforcement personnel. But it seems that we live in an era of entitlement where everyone tries to get away with absolutely every single thing they can, and the fact that it affects other people negatively seems not to matter, everyone is the star of their own movie, and other people are just extras at best.

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Ilanaspax t1_j83xctx wrote

Yes. 80% of e bike drivers seem to be morons with a death wish.

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