A Moment of Reflection – Car Vs. Bicycle
We know some of you car nuts hate bicyclists, and don’t wish to share your roads. But take a moment to look at it from the perspective of the bike rider. This blogger, for one, is an avid city bicyclist commuter. As you sit comfortably in your large, warm automobile sipping Starbucks and listening to The Opie & Anthony radio program (on Sirius 197, XM 202) – we are peddling past the potholes, debris left from windy storms, pedestrians who will NOT GET OUT OF OUR WAY – exhaust, other bicyclists, rain, and that left brake lever that just won’t squeeze properly.
All they ask of you is a small, approx. 2 ft wide stretch of your already over-sized North American highway or by-way. Besides, it’s one less car to get in your way. So take it easy on those “yuppies, hipsters, etc” – in they end they’re doing you a favor.
(Thanks to Evan for the picture)
I wish drivers just understood, a little bit, how scary and dangerous their annoyance can be for the cyclist. When you graze by a cyclist to “teach him a lesson” about making you have to wait 10 seconds before you can proceed unobstructed, understand that you are taking a life in your hands, and one little screw up will end him.
Becareful and considerate out there!
Please stop fear-mongering. They’re not trying to kill you. If nothing else, they don’t want to scratch their vehicle, delay their trip, and deal with their insurance company. Although really, most don’t really want to hurt you either. They mainly don’t know how to react to bicyclists on the road, and often make bad decisions due to ignorance and impatience. With a little communication and assertiveness, you can help them do better. Have you ever taken any bicycle traffic training? It really does help.
Oh, and pedestrians are under no more obligation to stay out of your way than you are to stay out of motorists’ way. Sure, they’re not supposed to be in a bike lane, if that’s where you’re talking about, but other than that, it’s your duty to yield to them in the roadway, on a multi-use trail, and certainly on the sidewalk.
It’s more a satire, not literally saying EVERYONE is trying to run you down. Obviously people don’t want to drive over peds/cyclists. But I look at it as “Careful cyclists, stay alert, etc.”
And you shouldn’t be cycling on the sidewalk in the first place (At least in NY/Philly, not sure if those laws differ in Portland).