A Poll in The Post on The Crack Down on Bicycle "misbehavior"The DC Examiner Poll
go there and vote...
then leave a comment to share your perspective
the bicycle is so misunderstood
the "misbehavior" of cyclists is something that I think of quite often
as I breeze through red lights and move between lanes I think about my actions
I think about my actions and how they are misunderstood
I think about the cars behind me and I think about the cars that just passed me
I consider the car that just cut me off to make me brake hard as they could not wait to make that right hand turn that feeds them into bumper to bumper traffic
I reflect on the person who switches lanes nearly flattening me... never looking... never thinking... never considering putting down the phone to check to see if this action is safe
I think about the car that is tailgating me and the car driver who parks their car and does not glance back as they open their car door
I think of all these things
I consider all the variables
in my actions I try to think for me... and I am forced to think for others
always trying to anticipate the next move of those around me
as those around me are not factoring me into the equation
sadly... no one is concerned about the health and well being of the cycles other than the cyclist
the only ones that cares if I live through my commute would be me and the short list of those that love me
the cars around me only care about getting their bumper to the next bumper in front of them
they can not see that not only do I have a right to my space and my safety
but also that my movement on the road does not have any major effect upon their final arrival time
and that their aggressive action is not only inconsiderate and dangerous but also ineffective
yesterday as I did a short urban post work ride I considered different cultures
I thought about other countries that I had visited and made comparisons
the car chaos of our country resembles more the third world than the civilized world
traffic in DC is more similar to Lima, Peru than Halifax Nova Scotia, Canada
yet in Lima things seem to flow a little better
while in Holland they have an infrastructure that enables the bicycle... and the masses take advantage of this opportunity
in Nova Scotia the car to pedestrian behavior amazed me
the pedestrian did not jay walk
the car yielded the right of way to the pedestrian
so civilized... so pleasant... what an unusual exchange
here in the states the car driver accelerates to prevent the pedestrian from crossing
runners and cyclists are raced to the point of intersection
rather than slow and block for the runners and the cyclists where the bike paths cross the roads
the car traffic speeds through forcing the runners and cyclists to have to stall and wait for a gap in between the obnoxiously fast car traffic
in Holland there are not just Bike Lanes... but full roads designated for bicycles
bicycle riders obey the laws
there are lights for cars... and lights for bicycles
the bicyclist is part of the equation
in Lima there is the ignorant selfish chaos of blocking the box
rushing that light only to block the intersection
that same misbehavior that I see each and every day here in Washington DC
grid lock caused by ignorant inefficient actions of the car drivers
the United States could do for an injection of common sense and common courtesy
the actions of our drivers is without thought
these thoughtless actions are devoid of understanding of the impact of their behavior
rushing about getting no where any more quickly
foolishly replacing fast aggressive driving styles for efficient and sensible actions
people get in their cars and revert to an animal of impulse
an aggressive animal with no respect for others
only a blind ambition of reaching their destination... reach that destination at all costs
not realizing that slowing or stopping for pedestrians and cyclist would not alter their final arrival time and also make the start of their day more pleasant
instead of making the start of the pedestrian and cyclist's day less pleasant as well as risky
enough on this
you get the point
control the car chaos
create order on the streets... when there is order with the cars... if the pedestrians and cyclist do not follow suit... then ticket them
until then... the pedestrian and the cyclist are just putting themselves where they are most safe
fighting for their right to space
the pedestrian knowing that they are no more safe crossing mid block than in the cross walk
the cyclist knowing that they are not safe until they get to their destination and dismount from their bike