Everyone can agree that some drivers are idiots on the road. And everyone can agree that some cyclists are reckless morons.
Most of us fall somewhere in the middle of being safe and courteous on the road with occasional instances where we act irresponsibly, be it in a car or on a bicycle.
What has always amazed me is the passion that is evident whenever the topic of sharing the road comes up, either on the side of the driver or on the side of the cyclist.
I, despite years of cycling, am a driver. Not that I think I shouldn’t share the road with cyclists, more along the line of being irritated that cyclists in the city of Toronto seem to think that the rules of the road don’t apply to them. Don’t get me wrong, there are some cyclists that are perfectly responsible. And to them, I wish nothing but the best in their travels.
It’s the other guys that drive me crazy. Those who seem to be out looking for the person that is going to accidentally kill them. The following is a list of occurrences that I notice on a regular basis. Each is an example of a person that seems to have a death wish:
- Riding a bicycle with no helmet … I’ve had crashes and my head would be a mound of pulp without my helmet
- Riding the wrong way down a one-way street … cars and pedestrians pay attention to the direction they expect you to be coming from, not the opposite
- Riding on the sidewalk … double whammy: it’s dangerous to pedestrians and folks in cars don’t notice you when you are travelling that quickly on a sidewalk
- Riding too close to traffic … It a car is crowding the street where there is no bike lane, give them space
- Riding straight through intersections where cars are turning right … sure the car needs to watch for you, but you are smaller … pay attention
- Ignoring the rules of the road … See that stop sign or light? STOP!
- Weaving in and out of traffic
- Riding way too fast for the conditions
- Riding too close to parked cars and not paying attention … You are asking to get doored
- Riding when the weather isn’t appropriate … I saw two people fall while riding yesterday with nobody around them because it’s slippery
Take my advice: follow the rules of the road; use your head; and wear your helmet.
N
