ALT-2 Motoring and Cycling Sharing the Road
For Motorists from a Bicyclist:
Let's get one thing straight up front. Road safety is your responsibility. I mean, let's face it. I'm not threatening anybody. You're the one driving around in a deadly weapon. Cars kill people every day. Please don't kill me.
The law reflects this. Bicycling on public roads, like walking or using animal drawn conveyance, is an inherent right. Driving a motor vehicle, on the other hand, is a privilege licensed by the state. If you don't follow the rules, your privilege can be taken away. While I try to follow sensible rules, nobody can stop me from biking.
So let's review what nearly every drivers' manual says about driving around slow moving vehicles, such as bicycles. "Follow at a safe distance until there is room to pass safely to the left of the slow moving vehicle without endangering it or oncoming traffic." I trust you'll do that from now on, no matter how much it inconveniences you.
With that out of the way, please allow me to explain some bicycle behavior that may have bothered you.
RUNNING STOP SIGNS & LIGHTS.Let's remember who those devices were created for. I can show you old newsreel of two busy streets intersecting in China. Each is jam-packed with bicycles going each direction. There is no cop or traffic control device, yet the bikes pass through the busy intersection without slowing down and nobody ever gets hit.
Bicyclists are much more aware of their surroundings than motorists. We're out in the open with all our senses engaged and, because we're exercising, we're much more alert. Furthermore, a bicycle is more maneuverable when moving faster. Stopping and starting requires reestablishing momentum, making it more difficult to react.
This is why Oregon law recognizes that a stop sign is a yield sign to a bicycle. Smart cyclists, the ones who survive, don't pass in front of a car without establishing eye contact with the driver, but we also don't always obey traffic signals like a car would.
I was once ticketed for "jumping" a light on a busy street in Seattle. I explained to the judge why I did that regularly and he threw out the ticket. You see, those intersections are bottlenecks, because the sidewalk on each side obstructs the continuity of the shoulder. When the light is green, the intersection is always full of cars and very deadly for a bike. But if I jumped out while it was changing, as soon as cross traffic stopped, I could get out where cars saw me and usually make it across before they started.
NOT RIDING ALL THE WAY TO THE RIGHTGenerally, it's a good idea to ride "as far to the right as practical." but there are exceptions, which sometimes can't be seen from a car. Let me explain a few.
One huge danger for bicycles is getting "doored" by a parallel parked car. We need to ride far enough out from the car so that if a door swings open, we don't bite it.
When you're balancing on two square inches or less of rubber at thirty-five miles per hour, nearly any obstacle can become deadly. Junk tossed from cars and loose gravel tend to pile up on the edge of the road, not to mention the manhole covers and grates, some of which are bike traps. Maintenance of shoulders is often sub-grade and inconsistent, as well.
It's not safe to swerve in and out of traffic as we avoid these obstacles, so good riders "hold the line." We establish a distance from the curb that avoids the obstacles and maintain that distance. You may have to slow or change lanes, but at least you know where I'm going to be.
BEHAVING LIKE A VEHICLE, THEN LIKE A PEDESTRIANYeah, that's one advantage we have. As long as we're not endangering pedestrians, bicycles can sometimes use crosswalks or sidewalks. For a left turn, a crosswalk may be easier than merging through traffic. Whatever our reason, it doesn't hurt you. Get over it.
Sometimes cars are inconvenienced by bikes. Fair enough. Bikes are nearly always inconvenienced by cars. I look forward to the day when you won't be able to afford fuel - maybe sooner than you think. Meanwhile, please don't kill me.
