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LightLane Virtual Bike Path to Become a Reality
LightLane Ensures Cyclists a Bike Lane Wherever They Go

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sir_pantsalot
06/24/09

In reply to LightLane Virtual Bike Path to Become a Reality
If this gives bikers their own lanes does that mean there are no more stop signs for them to run.

-Remember "Share the road" means there are absolutely no rules for us bikers only for you lower class people in cars.
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Software_Goddess
06/24/09

In reply to LightLane Virtual Bike Path to Become a Reality
The problem with this is that the majority of motorists will have no respect for the rights of the bicyclist to 'share the road'. The real solution would be to have the bike lanes painted on the rode properly and the space being designated to them. I can see motorists becoming disgruntled by the cyclist audacity to create their own personal lane.
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Kaiser-Machead
06/24/09

@Software_Goddess: I have to agree. The only real way to "enforce" the personal space rule for cyclists is to have an actual official lane designated for them. As many cyclists wouldn't have anything like this, the ones that do will probably not be given any more regard than what they had before, and if your lights are bright enough, the lines may just disappear anyway.
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Kaiser-Machead
06/24/09

In reply to LightLane Virtual Bike Path to Become a Reality
Looks like a pretty nifty concept, but it's too bad that many drivers won't give a sprocket about the green lines projecting from the rear of the bike.
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Lite: hates Illinois Nazis
06/24/09

@Kaiser-Machead: As far as I'm concerned it just shows me how much I need to swerve to knock them off their bike!
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Kaiser-Machead
06/24/09

@Six Demon Bag: Lite: Direct shot +20 pts!
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Save me
06/24/09

@Kaiser-Machead: Youre probably right but it's a start.

Probably the second iteration of this would emit sound to notify either the biker or the driver if they're in close proximity.

I'd call it the LL S.
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Lite: hates Illinois Nazis
06/24/09

@Save me: Sound eh? Like a homing beacon?

Ping...........Ping......Ping.....Ping...Ping..Ping.PingPingPing BAM!

That would be even better than the light for knocking cyclists off their smug perches.
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Nick
06/24/09

In reply to LightLane Virtual Bike Path to Become a Reality
what's that green light?

i dunno -- run it over.
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GitEmSteveDave_ForgotNametag
06/24/09

In reply to LightLane Virtual Bike Path to Become a Reality
Can we get something like this for the walkers/runners out here? Maybe let me blind people who high beam as I walk?
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Nick
06/24/09

@AllToAll,ByMyMustard!_GitEmSteveDave: for the last time: their not my highbeams -- i drive a friggin' truck

/sorry, people always flash me cause they think i am using my highbeams.
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twilight-arc
06/24/09

@Nick: This suggests a design issue.
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Nick
06/24/09

@twilight-arc: yeah, and i should probably have my lights aimed down a bit.
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devonbowers
06/24/09

In reply to LightLane Virtual Bike Path to Become a Reality
That is very cool.

And because it adjusts to your movement, you can't get pulled over for crossing over out of your lane when your biking sloshed.
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Monty
06/24/09

@devonbowers: Now they just need to make an automobile version so driving sloshed is covered, as well.

Seriously - it looks like a nice concept, and I can understand the appeal - to an extent. As a regular commute to work cyclist, I just cannot imagine this ever truly helping. Every time I have been in a near accident it has been because of a driver who is not paying attention at all, and a green light on the ground is not going to help them one bit, unfortunately. (And it is always during the day since standard dusk/night bike lights are plenty good at getting the attention of nearly all drivers.)

But, I guess it is nice just to make the cyclist feel better, regardless of any practical use.
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PurpleMonkeyDishwasher:
06/24/09

In reply to LightLane Virtual Bike Path to Become a Reality
From the video footage, the lines aren't super clear. It's much more easy to spot the biker than the green lines. I guess it's more clear when you see it in person?
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weatherman
06/24/09

@Purple Monkey Dishwasher: the point isn't so much to see the bike, but for motorists to appreciate the "personal space" that they should respect. I think it's the kind of thing that could have a big impact on how much space drivers give to riders.
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Kaiser-Machead
06/24/09

@Purple Monkey Dishwasher: I'm thinking that from a driver's perspective, the green lines dancing around on the street won't mean much to me at all, and you're right about the cyclist being more conspicuous than the lines. I'll stick to a good red strobe.
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PurpleMonkeyDishwasher:
06/24/09

@Kaiser-Machead: Weatherman makes a good point though. Motorist often have a hard time figuring out how much space to give the cyclist. They either cut it really close or go way around.
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Kaiser-Machead
06/24/09

@Purple Monkey Dishwasher: After watching prickwads swerve halfway into bike lanes to beat traffic lights, people switch lanes in the Lincoln Tunnel and observe car after car parked in a disturbing diagonal to the curb, my faith in motorists wanes.
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FredicvsMaximvs
06/24/09

@Kaiser-Machead: Also, it seems like by the time a car is close enough to see them, the lines would be out of sight below the "horizon" of the car's hood, fender, etc.
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Jack the lazy guy
01/17/09

In reply to LightLane Ensures Cyclists a Bike Lane Wherever They Go
I always wanted to do something like this to put on large trucks to show their blindspots. You could mount a laser on the top of the cab to show car drivers where the driver can't see in the front.

I hate when people cut me and think I can see their economy car 6 inches from my bumper...
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Purple Dave
01/18/09

@Jack the lazy guy:
Can you modify one for me that'll let me blow oversized trucks off the road? I may not be driving an economy-sized car, but I get a bit sick of the idiots around here driving flip-mobiles like they're Formula 1 racecars, and blocking my view with a hood that's higher than the roof of my car when I'm waiting for a clear spot to turn into traffic.
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Jack the lazy guy
01/18/09

@Purple Dave: Ask Boeing to lend you their killing laser, might be useful in those cases.

Imagine seeing a cop chase from the news copter then police chopper just blow the guys car with a friggin laser...
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Purple Dave
01/18/09

@Jack the lazy guy:
I'd really prefer the solution that some European police force came up with, which was flip-down grapples that were mounted to the front bumper of their car, which, when they'd intentionally crash into the rear end of the fleeing vehicle would punch into the trunk, thus allowing the cop car to bring the other car to a slow crawl, if not a complete stop, simply by applying their own brakes. Now, granted, either solution pretty much screws any kidnap victims who have been thrown in the trunk...
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Kakkoister
01/17/09

In reply to LightLane Ensures Cyclists a Bike Lane Wherever They Go
I always bike on the sidewalk lol. It's fun to go really fast and do sort of a human slalom run.
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Claytons
01/17/09

@Kakkoister: You might want to check the laws, but riding on the sidewalk is illegal in a lot of places.
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Kakkoister
01/17/09

@Claytons: BC Canada. Don't know if it is.. And really couldn't care, lol. Chances of being penalized for it is quite low, let alone having a cop care enough to stop and talking to you here.
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gyffes
01/17/09

@Kakkoister: Ah, but a swift kick to your front tire will quickly end your sidewalk-riding days. I've driven more than a few assholes who biked too close to my kid into the street. And once, into a lamp post. Dumbass beady-eyed flappyheaded Canadian.
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Kakkoister
01/17/09

@gyffes:

Lol, I'd like to see you try and kick my front tire while I'm heading towards you at 20-30km/h. Mountain bikes are different from those little wire frame racing bikes. The mass of it could hurt you quite bad if you tried that. And you'd have to have some really good timing to effectively hit the front portion of the front tire from the side in time.. Otherwise your ass is getting caught in the frame.

And obviously I'm going to be putting good distance between children. I'm just having fun, not trying to be an asshole to people :).

PS: Dumbass fat bellied uneducated American. ;)
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IN THE FACE!
01/18/09

@Kakkoister: The sidewalks in my city mostly suck (mostly uneven brick from slightly before the turn of the century). So riding on the sidewalk is pretty pointless in the first place.

And the real problem in my town is drunk people on bicycles (in the street)...
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Kaiser-Machead
01/18/09

@Kakkoister: I'm pretty much in the same boat as gyffes. As one who also rides, it irks me when other cyclists decide to be rude assholes and ride on the sidewalk, where I shouldn't have to worry about inconsiderate riders zipping around from behind without giving me notice (far too many do this). I walk fast, so when I turn into an entrance on a building, I'm not expecting to have a bicycle cut between me and the door, but it's happened, and sometimes they got away...other times they did not. One even hit a siamese outlet pipe because of it. I had a good laugh.
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Kaiser-Machead
01/18/09

@Kakkoister: If you're being extra cautious, then ok. However, here, you're doing so at your own risk, because cops are citation-happy these days.
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