Comment 77197

By moylek (registered) - website | Posted May 22, 2012 at 19:35:52

I have yet to see a fellow cyclist obey the rules of the road (the law) in my travels on my bike. Its maddening to me that I have to be so careful

That's an broad overstatement, of course.

But similarly it flies in the face of experience to claim that cyclists and drivers are more-or-less equally likely to flout the traffic laws. Even if the percentage of highway motorists who speed were the same as the percentage of cyclists who blow through stop signs, the two violations feel rather different to the observer. And can have very different consequences.

I don't claim to be the only cyclist in West Hamilton who signals turns and stops for stop signs, but I'm quite clearly part of a minority - to say 25% would be generous. Twice, I have had drivers roll down their windows to thank me for signalling. Far more often, I have watched driver just sit at their stop sign and stare at me with my arm stuck out, since they quite clearly don't expect me to signal my intention and wait my turn. And last week, a cyclist on Sterling called me a faggot the third time I braked in front of him for a stop sign.

Highway drivers do not appear lawless for speeding. Cyclists do appear pretty lawless as a group.

I am not suggesting that everyone has to bike the way I do before we "deserve" proper infrastructure. But I do believe that it hurts our credibility when cycling advocates claim that cyclists are no more lawless than drivers.

More of us need to ride a little more seriously - which is only marginally less fun - if we are to be accepted as part of the trafficscape. But I'll not argue with anyone who suggests that improved infrastructure is even more important.

Comment edited by moylek on 2012-05-22 19:42:59

-- Kenneth Moyle Hamilton, Ontario

Permalink | Context

Events Calendar

There are no upcoming events right now.
Why not post one?

Recent Articles

Article Archives

Blog Archives

Site Tools

Feeds