When I’m on my bike, I complain about cars and their drivers, when I’m driving my car I complain about bikers. See I fit in with both groups.

Reading these posts reminds me why I should quit reading these posts. Bunch of old curmudgeons.

If I understand the statute correctly, the cyclists can Not go through the stop sign. They must come to a complete stop before proceeding as a group. Blowing through the stop sign is not acceptable.
Also, I did not interpret tvflguy's post as a threat, but as simply a warning that, sooner or later, a really bad accident could happen.
Understand and obey the rules, and don't go looking for threats where there are none.

How dare they!!! About the same as all the drivers that think the 35 mph speed limit is for everyone else!!

I’m a road bicyclist and have been for over 60 years. Yes I stop at more than posted stop signs. Learned at an early age I would lose to anything on the road that would make me have a bad day. Cars, Trucks, Trains, Dogs and especially Cats. They are very strong. I don’t ride in groups because all it takes is one bump and everyone may fall.

Florida law states that bicycle riders have to obey all traffic laws like a car drivers. However, a driver's license is not required to drive a golf cart or a bicycle.,

It's not a blind corner, or close to it. The water tower circle is a two-lane circle, a pretty big one that goes all the way around the entire country club building, pool, golf cart garage for cart rentals, and starter shack. If you're stopped at the line on Lester, you have a view to your left of all traffic coming from Boone (which around 1/3 around the other side of the circle). If you inch forward you can see almost to Boone itself, and all incoming traffic from the parking lot at Hilltop.

If someone coming from Boone actually stopped at THEIR corner first - then the bicycles on Lester would have started back up from their stop, and already be on the circle by the time that car gets around to Lester.

If someone had come in from Magnolia, they'd be on the inside lane, and wouldn't be interfering with incoming traffic on Lester at all.

This
 

Exactly. It’s a matter of practical efficiency.

And that is the key if you stop. At the intersection of Lester and Watertower Circle coming from Lester there is a row of bushes on the left hand side on the far side of the Hilltop golf parking lot. One needs to get close to the stop sign to see around them. Now back to the issue - are the cyclists required by law to stop. Some are saying yes and some are saying one stops and ten can go through.

Head right at them with horn blowing FULL BLAST and watch them poop tier pants. It works, they ALL STOP.

Yeah, I've seen those hand signals.

What does the one mean where a rider raises one hand high over his head with a certain finger extended?

Yup - they stop, right in front of you. And you are stuck there until they get around to moving again.

That'll learn'em!

Also - if you're heading "right at them" then you're going the wrong way around a 1-way traffic circle, into the wrong lane. Way to go, Skippy!

It means "get the #()$* out of my way."

Yes definitely, a very slow moving wobbly accordion.

But ebikes make it a hell of a lot easier to get going again so there is that.

Joe

That about sums it up!

Maybe that is why there are so many DOA bicyclists all over the country.

That is also why there are also so many DOA auto deaths per year as well as DOA golf cart deaths. Another startling statistic is the number of pedestrians that die each year by being hit by motor vehicles. Then again the largest cause of death each year in the US is heart disease. Heart disease is often due to lifestyle choices such as over eating and lack of exercise. Heart disease kills more people than anything else, but no one here talks about this because they like to overeat, drink, and not exercise. If people were really concerned about people being DOA they would pay attention to the most frequent causes of death, but no, they complain about all the little stuff, not the elephant in the room. I guess that’s human nature

I just became aware of an accident that occurred where a bicyclist who blew through a stop sign hit an SUV and totaled the SUV. The driver and passenger in the SUV were both seriously injured and taken to a local trauma center. The bicyclist was a 23 year old visiting his grand parents in The Villages. He was unscathed by the collision and his bike had a few scratches and a flat tire. The police are investigating.

Lame excuse.
So, biker group blows a stop sign and an accident happens. Police show up and shoot everyone involved. The rookie asks why and is told, "it's a matter of practice efficiency". Saves time and money for everyone.

The bicycle riding groups create traffic and safety issues especially when large groups are riding on Morse and Buena Vista.

Cyclists/Golf Cart Drivers
 

I agree wholeheartedly. I hate it when people call cyclists entitled, I believe it’s the golf cart drivers that feel they are entitled. I am a cyclist myself and ride around 100 miles a week on the villages module paths.
I would estimate that out all the many golf carts I meet on my sessions that:
A) 20% come to a complete stop
B) 50% do a rolling stop
C) 30% ignore them completely, drive straight through without looking or slowing.
Also many of these carts are going at speeds way, way above the 20mph , they don’t give a crap about anyone but themselves.

[QUOTE=cyrillulu;2165272]I agree wholeheartedly. I hate it when people call cyclists entitled, I believe it’s the golf cart drivers that feel they are entitled. I am a cyclist myself and ride around 100 miles a week on the villages module paths.
I would estimate that out all the many golf carts I meet on my sessions that:
A) 20% come to a complete stop
B) 50% do a rolling stop
C) 30% ignore them completely, drive straight through without looking or slowing.
Also many of these carts are going at speeds way, way above the 20mph , they don’t give a crap about anyone but themselves.[/QUOTE

/// My apologies - I missed you gave credit to 20%.

Assuming these are simply reasonable estimates and not intended to be precise, I would agree with the numbers.

So ignoring stop signs is kind of like illegal immigration, breaking the law is simply a matter of practical efficiency? But it’s still breaking the law!

To my knowledge, the only time a "group" is allowed to go through stop and yield signs to "stay together" is a funeral procession, which they might just get if they continue to blow through as a group in front of an oncoming vehicle.

Apples and oranges. Yes, there are some terrible golf cart drivers out there, but that is totally different from INTENTIONALLY VIOLATING THE LAW ON A BICYCLE because it is "inconvenient" to stop or they want to stay together as a group.

Sorry, it's still the cyclists intentionally violating the law

The operative phrase----FULL STOP. Last time I saw that happen was when Ramses II got stuck at the Red Sea :1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

WOW!!! You actually saw that? No wonder you are so wise, having lived so long. You must know lots of stuff!
😯

Sounds like a great public service announcement

Interesting post. A cyclist who feels golf cart drivers are entitled. How surprising :1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl: As far as the percentages of cyclists for the same scenarios:
0% come to a full stop
2% do a rolling stop, and
98% blow right through.

BTW, I do favor the 10 go through in a group AFTER stopping new law, and believe it or not I support cyclists treating a stop sign as a yield---assuming no one is coming and they are prepared to yield if necessary. My objection here is ONLY to those that blow right through a RB in front of me so that I have to jam on my brakes to protect THEM from their idiotic move. A good rule of thumb, regardless of the vehicles involved, is that anytime I have to brake unexpectedly because of the action of another (backing out driveway, running through stop sign to turn in front and then crawling, turning on red when traffic is coming, etc.), that person is in the WRONG and has violated traffic laws to one extent or another.

You KNOW I do!!!:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

The city of Clear Lake, Iowa will ticket bikers that ignore stop signs and stop lights.

The states of Delaware, Idaho, and Colorado would not issue tickets as they have passed laws to allow bicyclists to roll through stop signs. The reason these states cite is that most accidents between bicyclists and vehicles occur at intersections. The reason many cyclists roll through is that they instinctively know that the quicker they can get through an intersection the safer they will be. Stopping and then restarting is slow and dangerous as cars can come upon a bicyclist very quickly and if a biker is going only going 5 mph he will be very vulnerable. It is very understandable for auto drivers to see rolling stops as a dangerous maneuver. It certainly looks that way when 10 bikers are seen shooting through an intersection all at once, but they are doing this for their own safety. The faster they can get through the better. Some reports have shown that rolling stops result in less bike accidents and that is why some states allow it. As a bicyclist and motorcyclist, I am acutely aware that intersections are the most dangerous part of my rides and I make sure to move through them as quickly and safely as I can. (I always come to a complete stop on my motorcycle, but I can accelerate rapidly to move through the dangerous intersections.) Still I can see how that looks to the auto driver. I agree that there are instances where bicyclists make poor decisions and do not yield to an approaching car, but that is something we all try to avoid as it endangers our lives. You are being concerned drivers posting here as you know you don’t want to hit anyone. We bicyclists appreciate that and we are trying to do our best to safely move through the streets and intersections. Maybe if you could understand a little about our situation we could also be more considerate of auto drivers as well. We are after all living in this wonderful place called The Villages.

Let's assume that is correct, and let's assume they are doing it for safety and not convenience. (the second assumption is bigger than the first). Even so, THEY DON'T GET TO INVENT THEIR OWN LAWS IN CONTRADICTION TO THE EXISTING TRAFFIC CODE, at least not in Florida.

BTW, if I shoot through an intersection at 70, I probably will spend less time in it and be "safer":1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

Here's my personal experience as a bike-rider:

If I'm trying to go uphill, and there's no traffic on the cross street, I'll go as fast as I possibly can right through that intersection.

If I'm going downhill, I'll either stop completely, or roll through. It's around 50-50 - depends on how much I'm enjoying the ability to coast down hill that moment.

If I'm on even pavement I'll usually come to a complete stop - I'd say around 80% of the time.

If there's traffic on the cross road, OR someone coming from the other side with their turn signal on to take a left, I come to a complete stop - 100% of the time. If someone tries to give me the right of way I will get off my bicycle, and not get back on until they've passed.
This is especially true if there are people behind the guy trying to give away his right of way, or someone on the other side of the intersection wanting to take a left, while other people are moving in from my left or right.

Lastly - if I'm currently going downhill, but immediately after the stop sign is an uphill segment of road, I will come to a stop ONLY if there are cars approaching from my right or left. Otherwise I will speed through as fast as I can to make sure I have enough momentum to make it up that hill without having to get off the bike and walk.

I violate the law. I admit it. I'm also not a hypocrite who thinks badly of people who follow the same protocol in their cars or golf carts. If there's no traffic in any direction then it shouldn't matter if you, the only person at that intersection, or even near that intersection, chooses to cross that intersection.

I personally think all right turns should be yields, not stops. But - it isn't, I acknowledge that it isn't, I'm willing to take my chances.

That's one whale of a checklist. I got a C- on my last memory test. Barely passed the hearing test. I have my name on the front of my golf cart for two reasons:
1. So I can find it after I parked it
2. Make sure it is mine - those universal keys will get you every time
I think I might be too old to handle the to do list at a stop sign on a bike. I could just come to a complete stop. Much less to remember. The added benefit of coming to a full stop is I can stand up and pull the spandex out of my caboose.

It's not a checklist. I just gave a moment's thought to my usual habits when I ride my bicycle. I've been riding a bicycle a lot longer than I've been driving a golf cart, and I can tell you what my routine is for that too.

Also - wear actual bicycle shorts if the spandex is getting stuck. They're padded and supposedly they solve that problem (I wear normal shorts or jeans).

Agree, can’t remember how many times at night I have taken a left turn with a red light at the intersection of San Marino and Morse in the golf cart. When there is nobody there, I am not going to sit there for two minutes staring into an abyss waiting for the light to turn. I won’t do it in a car because you never know if there is a camera at the intersection that could snap a picture of the license plate.

Realistically, there are any number of laws that people break on a routine basis. I may cross the street in the middle of the block, instead of going way out of my way to cross at a crosswalk. If I'm in my golf cart, I will slow down for all stop signs, but if its obvious no one is coming from either direction, I will go through. How many people have gotten to a red light in the middle of the night, and it takes forever to change. There is no one in sight. The purpose of the light is to control traffic. Common sense tells you to go through the red light instead of waiting another couple minutes for it to change. Anyone here drink when they are underage - raise your hand. How about smoking pot? Raise your hand. Did something on the internet while you were in the workplace, that wasn't work related? Theft of services - Raise your hand. Playing poker for money at home? May be prohibited based on your state of residence. Speeding? .... you get the idea.

Common sense tells me to wait and not run the red, and chance a ticket, points, and a rise in insurance cost...but you do you...