[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by golf2140

It just amazes me that these type of issues don't happen in the summer time. It must be because everyone stays home during the heat of the day !!!!!

Diplomacy is a beautiful thing.

It is going to get very crowded soon. There will be many people unused to driving in our area and the roads will be crowded with them. They will make many mistakes and some of them will kill people who drive in unprotected golf carts. Be careful. PLEASE be careful. I would like to count all of you reading this at the end of March when it becomes less crowded.

Drive as if every person behind the wheel is crazy, because sometimes it appears that is so here on the roads in The Villages.

[LitespeedRider]

Originally Posted by outlaw

Why on earth would you ride to the left of the bicycle/cart lane! I always ride to the right side of the cart lane.

Because the PROPER place for a bicycle is 2-3' to the RIGHT of the white line (even more so when going speed limit). I have more rights to the road than a car...and if a driver really wants to may some medical bills and just over $15k for a bike (plus damages)...we can have at it. :-)

Plus, if a drunk in a cart hits me - he may not have insurance. Chances are the guy in the car will....Simply. I take the lane I have the most rights in...that, more often than not is the lane of traffic. What is nuts, the only reason I was in the cart lane is that I had a backpack on that I was going to drop off at a friends house about four blocks away.

I should have the police report this afternoon. If so, will have a claim filed against the driver.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by LitespeedRider

Because the PROPER place for a bicycle is 2-3' to the RIGHT of the white line (even more so when going speed limit). I have more rights to the road than a car...and if a driver really wants to may some medical bills and just over $15k for a bike (plus damages)...we can have at it. :-)

Plus, if a drunk in a cart hits me - he may not have insurance. Chances are the guy in the car will....Simply. I take the lane I have the most rights in...that, more often than not is the lane of traffic. What is nuts, the only reason I was in the cart lane is that I had a backpack on that I was going to drop off at a friends house about four blocks away.

I should have the police report this afternoon. If so, will have a claim filed against the driver.

Really??? Please elaborate on the "additional rights" you have

[spring_chicken]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

Really??? Please elaborate on the "additional rights" you have

Starting to sound like someone looking for a fight (lawsuit). It's a shame the OP's thread got derailed by this nonsense.

[Lovey2]

Originally Posted by villagetinker

At least once per day, I am going 3/4 around the roundabout, and therefore I am supposed to be in the left (inside) lane until I am ready to make the LEFT turn from the INSIDE lane, and I really look around and use my SIGNALS so people are aware of what I am doing. I have been here for 3 years, and still getting used to this way of using roundabouts. As long as the cars ENTERING the roundabout actually yield to ALL of the traffic on the roundabout, this works well, when they only yield to the right lane, bad things can happen.

Exactly!! My brother is just moving here, and last time in the car with him I nearly fainted. He calmly went into the circle while someone was in the inside lane. I yelped, and he told me, calm down, we have lots of circles in NJ, I know how to use them! I told him Toto, you are NOT in NJ anymore!! These circles are different and you would be wise to simply stay out of a circle until it is clear. Never trust someone is going to stay in or use the proper lane. It's a free for all usually and you have to be mindful of your own vehicle.

[outlaw]

Originally Posted by LitespeedRider

Because the PROPER place for a bicycle is 2-3' to the RIGHT of the white line (even more so when going speed limit). I have more rights to the road than a car...and if a driver really wants to may some medical bills and just over $15k for a bike (plus damages)...we can have at it. :-)

Plus, if a drunk in a cart hits me - he may not have insurance. Chances are the guy in the car will....Simply. I take the lane I have the most rights in...that, more often than not is the lane of traffic. What is nuts, the only reason I was in the cart lane is that I had a backpack on that I was going to drop off at a friends house about four blocks away.

I should have the police report this afternoon. If so, will have a claim filed against the driver.

You do not have more rights than autos. Florida law requires you to use a bike lane if provided. You make bike riding unsafe for all of us bikers. Remember karma is a biatch. Maybe next time you won't be so lucky.

[LitespeedRider]

Originally Posted by outlaw

You do not have more rights than autos. Florida law requires you to use a bike lane if provided. You make bike riding unsafe for all of us bikers. Remember karma is a biatch. Maybe next time you won't be so lucky.

I had a typo- my rights as a cyclist it to the LEFT of the white line. As for state law -
"
As of 2011, the lane position and bike lane law include an exception for avoiding a potentially unsafe condition. This is significant in that it allows bicyclists to anticipate dynamic conditions which have the potential to make a bike lane or far right lane position unsafe."

I for one find the golf cart lane FAR more unsafe than the lane of traffic. Plus, the carts are simply too slow, do not signal and are not mandated to have abilities (such as vision) to drive.

The order is...walkers, horses, cyclists (non motorized)..and then cars.

As for cyclists in TV...I have seen a few of the clubs ride. They need not wonder why it is they are hated on the roads (three and four abreast and on and on)

[Doro22]

Originally Posted by Lovey2

Exactly!! My brother is just moving here, and last time in the car with him I nearly fainted. He calmly went into the circle while someone was in the inside lane. I yelped, and he told me, calm down, we have lots of circles in NJ, I know how to use them! I told him Toto, you are NOT in NJ anymore!! These circles are different and you would be wise to simply stay out of a circle until it is clear. Never trust someone is going to stay in or use the proper lane. It's a free for all usually and you have to be mindful of your own vehicle.

Yes -I totally agree. First thing I tell my visitors: "Try not to drive in the circle beside another car. They will cut you off most of the time." When my daughter in law was driving one day a truck with a trailer full of pine straw cut us off in a circle, & she was totally surprised, & said he can't do that. Huh...he just did. And she is a really smart girl, just returned from three years in Europe where traffic circles are common.

[Chatbrat]

You haven't lived in the villages until you haven't someone pass directly in front of you while going around a circle--the closest one we ever had was a landscaper pulling a trailer decided to turn left from the right lane, at the last second--thank God for MB's emergency braking

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Originally Posted by villagetinker

At least once per day, I am going 3/4 around the roundabout, and therefore I am supposed to be in the left (inside) lane until I am ready to make the LEFT turn from the INSIDE lane, and I really look around and use my SIGNALS so people are aware of what I am doing. I have been here for 3 years, and still getting used to this way of using roundabouts. As long as the cars ENTERING the roundabout actually yield to ALL of the traffic on the roundabout, this works well, when they only yield to the right lane, bad things can happen.

I do this all the time and I have no problem with it. Of course I use my directionals and mirrors. Drivers like you and I really don't have a problem because we are aware of our surroundings. Sure plenty of people make mistakes when driving. It is up to us to be on the look out for them and take action to avoid collisions. Other than insurance issues, if you are in an accident, it really doesn't matter whose at fault. Your car is still damaged and you and possibly others are injured. I feel that it is my responsibility to make up for people that don't know how to drive.

[biker1]

You do need to pay attention in the roundabouts. The MMPs are not without their own issues.

Originally Posted by Charlie J

You have to be completely nuts to ride a bike in the traffic circles in the Villages. You're asking for trouble. Multi-modal paths are named that for a reason. I always ride in them.

[biker1]

Regarding using the "cart lanes" (aka diamond lanes), if you are talking about a 2 lane road such as Hillsborough, I stick to the cart lanes. There is too much traffic doing 35 mph that would have to pass in the oncoming lane and you are only going to antagonize drivers. Just sayin ...

Originally Posted by LitespeedRider

I had a typo- my rights as a cyclist it to the LEFT of the white line. As for state law -
"
As of 2011, the lane position and bike lane law include an exception for avoiding a potentially unsafe condition. This is significant in that it allows bicyclists to anticipate dynamic conditions which have the potential to make a bike lane or far right lane position unsafe."

I for one find the golf cart lane FAR more unsafe than the lane of traffic. Plus, the carts are simply too slow, do not signal and are not mandated to have abilities (such as vision) to drive.

The order is...walkers, horses, cyclists (non motorized)..and then cars.

As for cyclists in TV...I have seen a few of the clubs ride. They need not wonder why it is they are hated on the roads (three and four abreast and on and on)

[Sandtrap328]

The "diamond" lanes are for bikes and golf carts. Go along Morse and they are marked that way with the wording.

[ColdNoMore]

A lot of problems could be avoided, if people understood that they cannot cross a solid line...whether it be yellow OR white.

[Rapscallion St Croix]

Originally Posted by spring_chicken

Starting to sound like someone looking for a fight (lawsuit). It's a shame the OP's thread got derailed by this nonsense.

Naw. I am so intuitive that I sat here wondering how to best start a thread about cyclist's rights and "Eureka!"....it came to me....I will simply start out talking about a car getting cut off in a roundabout.