Yes, not only are cyclists required to use whatever badly designed and bizarre installation supposedly passes for 'cycling facilities', we've also got to put up with the lane being used as a parking lot.
Slovenian cyclist pirano has had enough and has decided to do something about it:
A few weeks ago while riding my bike on the clearly marked bike paths along Ljubljana's congested streets, I came up with an idea on how to deal with these self-absorbed bike lane-parking morons, and it finally sprung to life this evening in the form of a flickr group whose sole purpose is to cast more attention on these attention-seeking self-absorbed bike lane-parking morons. I decided to call it Self-Absorbed Bike Lane-Parking > Morons.
It's probably right up there with idiotdriver.com.au and other protest actions for effectiveness (i.e. not very), but why not? It might just make a few selfish bastards stop and think.
Well, I can hope, can't I?
[Photo by Mark D Hudson on Flickr]
Comments
Just a minor point of clarification -- the "if practicable" clause in the bikelane legislation effectively renders it advisory rather than mandatory -- meaning that if boneheads park or smash bottles in the bike lane, I'm well within my rights not to use it. I have to say that I've taken advantage of this clause in plain view of the police on many occasions without ever being so much as questioned about it.
It's a shame more cyclists aren't aware of that. I would have thought a heap of cyclists refraining from using the substandard "faclilities" would have drawn far more attention to the problem than a few websites which are likely to be known only to a few cyclists.
Indeed. Which is why I doubt the real effectiveness of something like this, and rate it more of an amusing diversion for irritated cyclists than a deterrent for thoughtless motorists.
But there is a serious side: changing lanes involves a small amount of extra risk regardless of the vehicle you're piloting. And anything that forces you to change lanes increases that risk.
That said, a competent cyclist should generally be able to manage a smooth lane change in traffic. But as we've discussed before bike lanes can lull the less experienced cyclist into a false sense of security—and then there might be a problem.