Road Rage.
I saw this headline today, and it struck a chord with me because Aimee and I have had more than our usual share of run-ins with impolite/dangerous vehicles in the last few days:
Realities of bike traffic: The bike-on-bike collision
So I shared my thoughts with the rest of the BikePortland readership:
I'm more vocal than most at reminding road users of their rights and responsibilities. This varies from reprimanding drivers that run stop signs to telling pedestrians that yes, it is okay to use that crosswalk in front of me, and in fact that's why I stopped. I try to smile and give the "thanks" wave when people do the right thing.
But I have had zero success when talking to bicyclists. Even though I stopped the practice of running 4-way stops a long time ago, I can remember the holier-than-thou rationale that we cyclists sometimes use to justify taking the right-of-way from cars when we don't legally have it. But in recent years, in the spring when bicyclists double like bunnies over the previous year, making an illegal move can snub another cyclist as easily as it can a car. It's rude regardless of who the victim is, but with a cyclist they can look you in the eye as you wrong them, and then there's no justifying or denying your guilt.
At least, it feels that way to me. But the other cyclists I've been cut off seem to have hearts of coal, or are too embarrassed to say they’re sorry! Even equipped with a front strobe and a bell on an otherwise dark and silent night, I was cut off by a biker at the 4-way stop at 34th and Lincoln a few days ago while riding my girlfriend home from work. "You have a stop sign," I reminded him, as he rode in front of me after I had stopped, looked, and entered the intersection. "Uhhhh, right," he replied. As in, "I'm way too cool for stop signs, and my time is more important than yours."
If any of you out there still think like him, be warned. Eventually, I won't be able to stop for you in time, and when a crash results, you'll be liable. And you'll be paying my insurance bills, plus a little bit on top for my pain and suffering. So either start saving your money, get some bike insurance, or STOP BREAKING THE LAW.
Realities of bike traffic: The bike-on-bike collision
So I shared my thoughts with the rest of the BikePortland readership:
I'm more vocal than most at reminding road users of their rights and responsibilities. This varies from reprimanding drivers that run stop signs to telling pedestrians that yes, it is okay to use that crosswalk in front of me, and in fact that's why I stopped. I try to smile and give the "thanks" wave when people do the right thing.
But I have had zero success when talking to bicyclists. Even though I stopped the practice of running 4-way stops a long time ago, I can remember the holier-than-thou rationale that we cyclists sometimes use to justify taking the right-of-way from cars when we don't legally have it. But in recent years, in the spring when bicyclists double like bunnies over the previous year, making an illegal move can snub another cyclist as easily as it can a car. It's rude regardless of who the victim is, but with a cyclist they can look you in the eye as you wrong them, and then there's no justifying or denying your guilt.
At least, it feels that way to me. But the other cyclists I've been cut off seem to have hearts of coal, or are too embarrassed to say they’re sorry! Even equipped with a front strobe and a bell on an otherwise dark and silent night, I was cut off by a biker at the 4-way stop at 34th and Lincoln a few days ago while riding my girlfriend home from work. "You have a stop sign," I reminded him, as he rode in front of me after I had stopped, looked, and entered the intersection. "Uhhhh, right," he replied. As in, "I'm way too cool for stop signs, and my time is more important than yours."
If any of you out there still think like him, be warned. Eventually, I won't be able to stop for you in time, and when a crash results, you'll be liable. And you'll be paying my insurance bills, plus a little bit on top for my pain and suffering. So either start saving your money, get some bike insurance, or STOP BREAKING THE LAW.