Montana Senator Anti-bike Ranting

[Bronco]

Just a heads up to Bozeman folks to think about this next time Senator Sales is up for re-election.

http://missoulian.com/news/governmen...50bf22472.html

HELENA – A bill to establish a safe distance between cars and bicycles sharing the road was voted down by the Senate on Monday after Senate President Scott Sales called cyclists "self-centered” and “rude.”

House Bill 267 was carried by Rep. Frank Garner, R-Kalispell. It had passed the House on a 62-37 vote and cleared a Senate committee last week on a 7-3 vote. It failed on a 24-26 vote on second reading in the Senate and was indefinitely postponed shortly after.

Current law now says vehicles must pass cyclists "without endangering the person riding." But Sen. Jen Gross, D-Billings, who carried the bill in the Senate, said the perception of "safe" varies from driver to driver. The bill would have defined reasonable and prudent as at least 3 feet between vehicle and bicycle at 35 mph or less, and 5 feet at faster speeds.

“It’s a common language with defined distances we can all agree on,” Gross said.

Those who opposed the bill said it was unenforceable because drivers wouldn’t be able to gauge the distance. Sales said if cyclists want more safety, it’s up to them.

“They’re some of the most self-centered, rude people navigating on the highways and county roads I’ve seen. They won’t move over. You can honk at them. They think they own the highway.”

The Senate president also criticized cyclists by saying they use the road without paying a gas tax to support maintenance, and suggested cyclists over the age of 16 should pay a $25 tax.

“They have this entitlement mentality, many of them, that we should just wait for them, and quite frankly I think that’s wrong. … Quite frankly I don't want more of them in the state because there’s already too many of them as it is.”


Raising the gas tax has been hotly debated this session as the fund to help pay for highway improvements has dwindled in recent years with more fuel-efficient vehicles on the road. Garner is also carrying the bill to increase the gas tax by 8 cents. That is still sitting in a House committee waiting to either be passed onto the full House or voted down.

Sen. Dee Brown, R-Hungry Horse, who voted against the bill, said there’s not enough room for drivers to give cyclists that much space. “If we look at just the width of most of our roadways, it’s critical (that) 10-foot wide pickups be able to use the whole lane.”

[kidwoo]

"10-foot wide pickups"


Heh. You guys got some serious bro dozers up there.

[jamal]

It's so frustrating. I thought I would wait a day or two before firing off an angry letter.

We just had that bullshit where the guy wanted to ban bikes and pedestrians from all two lane highways without a shoulder too. Which is, like, most roads in the state.

[WaistDeepGroomers]

"10-foot wide pickups"


Heh. You guys got some serious bro dozers up there.

Easy, now - that's the official state animal you're talking about there.

[detrusor]

Yeah, it might keep them from the bar for like, an extra 10 seconds waiting to move over safely and pass with space. Fucking twat

[stuckathuntermtn]

If you don't drive a brodozer you don't have to wait.

[toast2266]

Why the hell is Bozeman so anti-bike? For a place with such a huge outdoor economy, that place needs to pull its head out of its ass.

[plugboots]

I would gladly pay more than a $25 tax if it guaranteed I'd be given safe space. Sounds like a bargain.

[hick]

Why the hell is Bozeman so anti-bike? For a place with such a huge outdoor economy, that place needs to pull its head out of its ass.

Been wondering that for years.

[Notchtop]

The city streets in my town are so fucked up 5 feet would be impossible. 3 might be pushing it. I just go bike speed if I'm in a big truck until the biker turns. Passing close sketches me out.

[Bunion 2020]

Been wondering that for years.

And to add, Mountain Bike/Road Bike, same thing.

Sales is an asshole on a lot of issues.

[evasive_MT]

The city streets in my town are so fucked up 5 feet would be impossible. 3 might be pushing it. I just go bike speed if I'm in a big truck until the biker turns. Passing close sketches me out.

The point is that you actually have use the other lane, like passing another slower vehicle. The 3 or 5 feet just gives an actionable passing distance.

[jamal]

Yeah, if there's not a wide shoulder/bike lane, there isn't room for a bike, a passing car, and an oncoming car. I really like road riding, but every time it's like "gee, wonder if I'm going to get hit by a car today?" Only had about three close calls this afternoon including a uhaul that almost took me out with the car trailer it was pulling- yeah those axles and fenders stick out a little farther buddy.

[creaky fossil]

Just a heads up to Bozeman folks to think about this next time Senator Sales is up for re-election.

Sounds like Bozo area trustafari are as spoiled and entitled on the bike as are Zoola area trustafari.

"Whoa, not allowed to ride on sidewalks? That's so CORPORATE, bro! I'm gonna blame backward Montana redneck idiots for not recognizing my progression of the town's vibrancy! Didn't you see my dreads, bro? So CORPORATE!"

I'm sure you'll find a way to blame it on the 4% of cycling population who are meth tweakers or repeat DUI offenders, however.

Yeah, if there's not a wide shoulder/bike lane, there isn't room for a bike, a passing car, and an oncoming car. I really like road riding, but every time it's like "gee, wonder if I'm going to get hit by a car today?" Only had about three close calls this afternoon including a uhaul that almost took me out with the car trailer it was pulling- yeah those axles and fenders stick out a little farther buddy.

Exactly. Look for a redneck to blame.

Meanwhile, I get more close-call brushoffs from the town's Power People, tooling around in their 75k vehicle while simulatneously texting and watching their vehicle's interior display screen.

Maybe you haven't been here long enough to see the changes, though, so I'll cut you some slack. After all, you post on TGR, bro.

[kathleenturneroverdrive]

FWIW Sales doesn't rep the city of Bozeman. His district (the 35th) is in the same county and has one border that's semi-close to town.

Sounds like he's planning to resurrect this bullshit bill:
http://www.bicycling.com/culture/adv...i-cyclist-bill

[jamal]

This came up today and I heard about a friend of mine who called Sales and left a message. He called back, and then argued about it, and doubled down on being an asshole about bikes on the road.

Sounds like Bozo area trustafari are as spoiled and entitled on the bike as are Zoola area trustafari.

"Whoa, not allowed to ride on sidewalks? That's so CORPORATE, bro! I'm gonna blame backward Montana redneck idiots for not recognizing my progression of the town's vibrancy! Didn't you see my dreads, bro? So CORPORATE!"

I'm sure you'll find a way to blame it on the 4% of cycling population who are meth tweakers or repeat DUI offenders, however.



Exactly. Look for a redneck to blame.

Meanwhile, I get more close-call brushoffs from the town's Power People, tooling around in their 75k vehicle while simulatneously texting and watching their vehicle's interior display screen.

Maybe you haven't been here long enough to see the changes, though, so I'll cut you some slack. After all, you post on TGR, bro.

What?

[stuckathuntermtn]

Oh god, I thought he finally self-deported or was banned, but I guess not.

[Harry]

Maybe you haven't been here long enough to see the changes, though, so I'll cut you some slack.

What?

Oh god, I thought he finally self-deported or was banned, but I guess not.

Yo Jamal,

This alias who calls himself Creepy Fossil used to post here calling himself "Uncle Crud". He got banned from TGR, so he popped up with a new alias.

He is a disbarred attorney from New Jersey who got a beat down from a bunch of Missoula cops a few years back.

Note his "you have not been in Montana long enough to....". That is his normal schtick: anyone who arrived in the state after he rolled in from New Jersey gets that rubbed in their face.

I would say ignore him, but he has a proven track record of doxxing attacks against other mags, so watch yourself.

[Bunion 2020]

Republican Legislator Plans to Introduce Extensive Anti-Cyclist Bill
Senate Leader Scott Sales has called cyclists “some of the rudest and most self-centered people he’s ever encountered”
Republican Senate President Scott Sales-Bozeman is gunning for cyclists’ rights on the roads. Earlier this week, Sales helped kill a bill mandating that vehicles going 35 miles per hour give cyclists three feet when passing, and five feet when going beyond that speed.
And he’s not stopping at stalling safety measures. Yesterday, Sales—who says cyclists are “some of the rudest and most self-centered people he’s ever encountered”— announced plans to introduce legislation next session that would remove riders’ rights to use many state roads and highways. During a Wednesday morning interview with Bicycling Magazine, Sales clarified his comments, saying that 15 to 20 percent of riders have “left a bad taste in my mouth,” but cyclists “shouldn’t be on the roads anyway.”

http://mtcowgirl.com/2017/03/18/mtgo...ing-seriously/

[stuckathuntermtn]

Is that guy aware of how hard he can go fuck himself? Someone should bring that to his attention.

[stuckathuntermtn]

Assholes like state senator mcrageypants would have Montana be turned into a toxic, arid wasteland because "jobs," but having to go around an idiot in stupid shorts is a problem?
It must have been a really traumatic experience for him. Maybe there's a support group for people dealling the the butthur...I mean PTSD of this mild to non-existent inconvenience. I mean, I wasn't there, so I'll never know what it's like.

[Alaskan Rover]

The other side of that coin is the cyclists who ride doggedly just inches from the roadway when they have plenty of decent bike-friendly shoulder to the right, thinking that the supposed 3 foot courtesy zone will save them.

With cars going by at 50 and 60 mph, when I'm cycling, I'm riding as DEFENSIVELY as possible. And I this case, I think defensive riding means limiting the impact potential between myself and a 4000 pound steel moving mass. Sure...I get a few more flats riding on the right part of shoulder, but I'm alive.

One of the "white line riders" recently got killed by doggedly riding the white line. Not me. Fuck that.

But at least we are starting to see wider more bike friendly shoulders where they are doing road improvenents....with dedicated bike lanes... So things ARE gradually improving for cyclists in a general manner.

[stuckathuntermtn]

Not being a roadie douche is also a good start. And stop with the grape smugglers. Is there's some rule that you have to look ridiculous on a road bike?

[2FUNKY]

Not being a roadie douche is also a good start. And stop with the grape smugglers. Is there's some rule that you have to look ridiculous on a road bike?

From what I see, apparently, yes.

[Mofro261]

Dudes, don't you know know anyone not burning petrol all the time is automatically a liberal? So yeah liberals/type A cyclists, yeah fuck those guys.