Engineering blunders- Confluence edition

So I went for a bike ride along the section of the trail going from Harnedsville to Confluence. Right on the outskirts of Confluence there's a staircase going from the trail down to the Main Street of the town. There's a sort of groove running next to the handrail so you can just wheel your bike down the stairs instead of carrying it. Great idea, right? Well, it would be if it could actually accommodate a bicycle. The groove is situated flush with the posts of the staircase, so the pedals of your bike will hit every single post. It is impossible to wheel your bike down this staircase. I almost fell over when my bike hit the first post. Someone needs to remove this stupid groove asap before the town gets sued by someone who gets injured from it.

Paul, is there a sign there telling you to use that grove for your bicycle? I don't think so...and forget about the impulse to want to sue someone...just because you don't want to lift and carry your bicycle down the steps.

Ya folks. It's time for the biker bitchers again. I'm one of them, I'm sorry to say. I was in Confluence this afteroon and I encountered bikers everywhere. I was up at the dam and 'tried' to drive across the breast of the dam to go down to the swimming area. I couldn't do it without having to stop from some bikers that had their bikes leaning against the guardrail and they were actually sitting in a circle in the MIDDLE of the ROAD. They moved so I could go around them. As I came back across the road across the breast of the dam, they were again in the middle of the road going out the access road. They knew I was back there they just 'owned' the whole road.

Then on west side one little kid road right out in front of me to get from the Smokehouse over to the other side of the road where his other riders were.and had I been going any faster I would have hit him cause he just stopped in the middle of the road when he saw me.

It's the time of year for the bikers/hikers and we all need to be extra careful cause THEY aren't going to be careful.

People in Confluence have such a rich imagination. I love hearing the fanciful tales of bikers doing all sorts of crazy things. I wonder how people make these things up?

Come on down and spend a month.. you'll see all sorts of 'fanciful tales' going on right in front of you.

I have, and I didn't.

OldTony wrote:

I have, and I didn't.

Tony, get your head out of your rear end. There are inconsiderate riders every day on the road in the west side of Confluence. They ride three abreast or more, and refuse to move over for automobiles. Drivers on that section of the bike trail are very considerate to the bikers and give them a wide leeway when passing. Don't tell me any different , I've seen it.Riders need to learn to do the same, having respect for the residents near that part of the bike trail.

There have been suggestions of other ways of taking care of that problem. I, for one appauld any kind of solution.

Hillbilly wrote:

<quoted text> Tony, get your head out of your rear end. There are inconsiderate riders every day on the road in the west side of Confluence. They ride three abreast or more, and refuse to move over for automobiles. Drivers on that section of the bike trail are very considerate to the bikers and give them a wide leeway when passing. Don't tell me any different , I've seen it.Riders need to learn to do the same, having respect for the residents near that part of the bike trail.
There have been suggestions of other ways of taking care of that problem. I, for one appauld any kind of solution.

Ther are more than just hogging the road so to speak that ppl do that is inconsiderate.Like,block the road in their cars while talking to others, pulling out of a stop sign cutting ppl off. The locals dont even abide the law to wear helmets while riding bikes.You tend to singal out bikers.Its.. ppl everywhere including locals that do things that are inconsiderate and many times we all give those ppl plenty lead way.

I think, folks, that we got off topic about the engineering blunders that was first discussed in this topic area. I agree totally about the bikers as WELL as some of the locals being inconsiderate when using the roads and trail but come on, at least some of the locals move off the roads and don't have picnics and photo events in the middle of the roads OR in residents yards.

I think a topic was started months ago about the bikers, etc. If not one could be started to allow some of us to vent about them.

Turkeyfooter wrote:

picnics and photo events in the middle of the roads OR in residents yards.
.

Ah yes, the infamous "picnic on the lawn incident". I remember it well. Are there photographs? Was it reported to the local police? I would make a great story for the local papers! Too bad it can't be verified.

I love a good story.

It's a road, not a damn bike trail. You see how it's supposed to work, roads; cars bike trail; bikes.There is an adequate bike trail at the other bridge.Again, bike trail; bikes.

From PennDOT codification of Vehicular law -

"In Pennsylvania, a bicycle is considered a vehicle and, as such, is governed by a general set of rules (common to all vehicles) and a specific set of rules (designed for bicycles)."

By the way, what the law doesn't include are ATV's and Lawn Tractors.

Hmmmm ..... makes you think about the phrase "do as I say, not as I do".

OldTony is having a fun time trolling and brings to mind the expression, "Do not feed the trolls."

A 'troll' is defined at wikipedia.com "In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion."

Yes, Toniy, the vehicle code does include bicyles as vehicles with all rights, AND I might add, Respondsibilites. Therefore, those inconsiderate A HOLES like it seems that you are, would be responsible while riding three abreast, and hindering oncoming traffic. AND furthermore, as far as Tony being a TROLL, he should watch out when coming out from under his bridge that he doesn't get cllipped by one of those irate Westsiders. HA
Three points we should be so lucky.

OldTony wrote:

<quoted text>
Ah yes, the infamous "picnic on the lawn incident". I remember it well. Are there photographs? Was it reported to the local police? I would make a great story for the local papers! Too bad it can't be verified.
I love a good story.

Nope, no photographs, they wouldn't share theirs, I'm sure. Reported to the local police.. wellllll.. there IS no full time local police and by the time the state police would get there it would be way past the 'lawn picnicers' dessert. YOU tell me when you folks are going to be picnicing on someones lawn and I'll call the newspapers...'kay!

Hillbilly wrote:

<quoted text> Tony, get your head out of your rear end. There are inconsiderate riders every day on the road in the west side of Confluence. They ride three abreast or more, and refuse to move over for automobiles. Drivers on that section of the bike trail are very considerate to the bikers and give them a wide leeway when passing. Don't tell me any different , I've seen it.Riders need to learn to do the same, having respect for the residents near that part of the bike trail.
There have been suggestions of other ways of taking care of that problem. I, for one appauld any kind of solution.

When bikers are outlawed only outlaws will be bikers. I saw it on a bumper sticker.

OldTony wrote:

From PennDOT codification of Vehicular law -
"In Pennsylvania, a bicycle is considered a vehicle and, as such, is governed by a general set of rules (common to all vehicles) and a specific set of rules (designed for bicycles)."
By the way, what the law doesn't include are ATV's and Lawn Tractors.
Hmmmm ..... makes you think about the phrase "do as I say, not as I do".

If a bicycle is considered a vehicle then why don't all you ppl who ride bikes have to pay registration to ride on the roads and keep up insurance to be able to ride 3 wide on the roads/streets. You are to abide by rules that are common to all vehicle. So get back on your tractor and go home.

I personally know that westside is simply one of those areas where there really isn't room for both the bikes and cars while traveling down River Road.However,common sense is if you know a vechile is approaching move out of the way so they can pass.And drivers they cANT MOVE AT THE SNAP OF A FINGER.How many of you give them time to form a single lane for you to go by?It says share the road. you r guys are bitchers and need to be considerate also.I am not taking side just putting in a more broader manner.But I do believe there has been some drama.

Shouldn't they already be in a "single" lane" instead of several riding abreast?

Dear Just Me, Yes, they should be in a single file. I seem to remember signs along the bike trail that says "ride in single file". Therefore, I can't understand why they think that riding two and three abreast is ok while riding on the road. But we're both forgeting who we're dealing with, and incidently, someone previously mentioned that bicycles using the road do not require registration and insurance. In that case, why are they entitled to the same rights as motorists????? Like I said before; highway;cars bike trail; bikes. That would solve the problem.