viaCycle
The Freedom of Choice
P.J. O’Rourke recently wrote an article featured in the New York Times titled “Dear Urban Cyclists: Go Play in Traffic”. In the article O’Rourke takes an aggressive stance against sharing the road with bicyclists, going as far as to claim that “bike lanes violate a fundamental principle of democracy.”
That’s obviously a bit of a stretch, but O’Rourke is a satirist, so his complaints should be taken with a grain of salt. Many other blog posts have taken the time to point out the error of O’Rourke’s comments, so I won’t bother repeating what’s already been said. This is more a reminder to play nice to everyone. O’Rourke’s skewed view-point, although an exaggeration, is undoubtedly shared by many check-my-blind-spot-be-damned drivers, which should be a concern to bicyclists everywhere.
As bicycling becomes more and more part of the daily commuting landscape, the clash between vehicle and bicycle is likely to become more apparent. Drivers seemingly have a hard enough time paying attention to each other, let alone a bicyclists pulling up alongside their right tail-light.
The road, however, is meant to be shared. In fact, it has always been shared. What was once shared by roman solider and chariot evolved into Model-T and horse-drawn cart, then on to the vehicles and bicyclists of today. It’s not a new concept, but our expectations seem to have changed, or replaced by a sense of entitlement. As people continue to move into cities and population densities increase, we will have to learn to live together more so than ever.
Such togetherness includes bicyclists – we’ve all seen the holier-than-thou cyclists weave mindlessly among the lane or cruising through a four-way intersection without even bothering to slow down. These riders are a danger to themselves and those around them; and it’s frustrating for everyone. They also give people like O’Rourke reason to take up a cause against bicycles; a cause that could potentially be heard by politicians who have spent many years fighting for funding to put in bike lanes. The road-rage junkies are always looking for a scape-goat for their traffic woes, and bicycles are primed to be the next target. Why give them another reason?
Bicyclists expect motorists to follow the rules or the road, and in fact, the rules of the road dictate that bicycles are legally obligated to be in the road; not on the sidewalks (despite many motorists claiming otherwise). But in exchange for such equal rights, bikers should observe the same obedience to the rules as they expect from their four-wheeled counterparts. While on the road, bicyclists must operate their bike as if it were a vehicle. That includes coming to complete stops at stop signs (although that has enough material for a completely separate debate), and properly using hand signals when changing lanes. Doing so will make the roads safer for everyone, and give less ammunition to those opposed.
The truth is that most people are just trying to find a cleaner, healthier, cheaper way to get through their daily routine. It’s their choice to pursue things that could lead to a better quality of life, and not have their safety threatened by others. Oh, and Mr. O’Rourke: last time I checked, such freedom of choice was one of the fundamental beliefs of democracy.