drivers vs. riders
There's been a lot of accidents recently around here, involving cars and bicyclists, and it just kinda gets to me. In every case, especially if it makes the news, people from both sides get their panties in a wad and I keep thinking....can't we just get along?
First there's the drivers. I hear everything from "bikes don't belong on the road, so stay off it" to "I don't mind sharing, but those cyclists hog the whole thing, riding two and three across...and they don't obey the law. They blow through stop signs/red lights, etc. etc." to the best one (and I'm paraphrasing, but this was actually the comment) "if the speed limit says I can do 55 and I come around a blind curve and can't see you and hit you, that's your fault for being there."
On the cyclist side, I hear "the law says we can take the whole lane, so shut up"
I'm not going to address the people who say we shouldn't ride on the road. We can. We do. Get used to it and please watch out for us. For the people who say we don't obey the rules, you're right and I for one, apologize. I do obey the rules for the most part, and I cringe when I'm in a group that blows through a light, or I see those people on the road. They give all of us a bad name, and that pisses me off.
One caveat - there are time I will blow through a light. I ride several routes a lot, and I know the lights. I know which ones have sensors that can detect me and my bike and which ones can't, and the chances are about 50/50. I've sat at lights, waiting and waiting.....and waiting some more, and have it just not notice I'm there, until a car pulls up behind me. After doing that once at a specific light, I won't do it again. If the coast is clear, I'm pedaling. Most of the ones on newer roads can figure me out though, if I park right over the center and wait for them to change. Stop signs, I'll slow to a near stop and if I'm clear, I'm going. Complete stops are a pain in the butt if I don't have to. If its an intersection and I'm not there first, I stop and wait my turn.
The other complaint is about us hogging the whole road, and here again, I side with drivers, and I cringe when I see cyclists riding 3 abreast and socializing on the road. Yeah, the law says we can take the lane and cars should go around us. Just because the law says we can, doesn't mean we have to. I went on a memorial ride for a rider who was killed by a driver. It's done every year and follows his route to the place he was hit. There was a brief by the ride leader before hand, and it sounded downright militant. "We'll ride two abreast, filling the right lane at 12 miles an hour." Well damn, people...are we trying to piss people off? We really can ride single file and share the road...really share it. Just because the law allows you to be an asshole, doesn't mean you have to jump into the role with both feet.
I guess, I'm just asking everyone to think of the other people on the road. If you're in your car, please watch out for us. If the speed limit is 55 and you take a blind curve, hitting something around it is your fault. Slow down and take responsibility for what you're doing. If you have to wait a second to get around some bicyclists, well, slow down. If you're bicycling, do your best to stay to the right and really share the road. Take the space you need, but don't hog the lane, and when you get to red lights...stop. I'm tired of living with your reputation.
We could make this work if we all try to be a little more considerate.
First there's the drivers. I hear everything from "bikes don't belong on the road, so stay off it" to "I don't mind sharing, but those cyclists hog the whole thing, riding two and three across...and they don't obey the law. They blow through stop signs/red lights, etc. etc." to the best one (and I'm paraphrasing, but this was actually the comment) "if the speed limit says I can do 55 and I come around a blind curve and can't see you and hit you, that's your fault for being there."
On the cyclist side, I hear "the law says we can take the whole lane, so shut up"
I'm not going to address the people who say we shouldn't ride on the road. We can. We do. Get used to it and please watch out for us. For the people who say we don't obey the rules, you're right and I for one, apologize. I do obey the rules for the most part, and I cringe when I'm in a group that blows through a light, or I see those people on the road. They give all of us a bad name, and that pisses me off.
One caveat - there are time I will blow through a light. I ride several routes a lot, and I know the lights. I know which ones have sensors that can detect me and my bike and which ones can't, and the chances are about 50/50. I've sat at lights, waiting and waiting.....and waiting some more, and have it just not notice I'm there, until a car pulls up behind me. After doing that once at a specific light, I won't do it again. If the coast is clear, I'm pedaling. Most of the ones on newer roads can figure me out though, if I park right over the center and wait for them to change. Stop signs, I'll slow to a near stop and if I'm clear, I'm going. Complete stops are a pain in the butt if I don't have to. If its an intersection and I'm not there first, I stop and wait my turn.
The other complaint is about us hogging the whole road, and here again, I side with drivers, and I cringe when I see cyclists riding 3 abreast and socializing on the road. Yeah, the law says we can take the lane and cars should go around us. Just because the law says we can, doesn't mean we have to. I went on a memorial ride for a rider who was killed by a driver. It's done every year and follows his route to the place he was hit. There was a brief by the ride leader before hand, and it sounded downright militant. "We'll ride two abreast, filling the right lane at 12 miles an hour." Well damn, people...are we trying to piss people off? We really can ride single file and share the road...really share it. Just because the law allows you to be an asshole, doesn't mean you have to jump into the role with both feet.
I guess, I'm just asking everyone to think of the other people on the road. If you're in your car, please watch out for us. If the speed limit is 55 and you take a blind curve, hitting something around it is your fault. Slow down and take responsibility for what you're doing. If you have to wait a second to get around some bicyclists, well, slow down. If you're bicycling, do your best to stay to the right and really share the road. Take the space you need, but don't hog the lane, and when you get to red lights...stop. I'm tired of living with your reputation.
We could make this work if we all try to be a little more considerate.
Labels: Whining
John put this out here at 1:53 PM
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