stever@tektronix.UUCP (Steve Rogers) (09/30/83)
The only way for bicyclists to get the respect of drivers is to obey ALL the rules of the road, and for bicyclists to police other bicyclists when they are doing something stupid (e.g. riding the wrong way in a lane). Bicyclists should also treat pedestrians the way they claim they want to be treated by drivers. When we ride on a sidewalk, we become the dangerous object to walkers (I can remember walking on the grass at UC Davis because of all the bicycles whizzing around me!). I don't mind being honked at if it is in the "toot", "toot" mode, but when the horn blares behind me, the reaction is a combination of fear and powerful anger. I consider it to be an agressive act and usually react in kind (I don't enjoy doing so). But except for the angry and impatient people in the world, who focus their anger and impatience on randomly available targets, there is no reason why drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians cannot work together to share the streets, walks, and paths. We need to have a common set of rules for behavior, and at least for the bicyclists and the driver, the vehicle code does provide most of them in the states I have lived in. In my experience as a driver, bicyclists, runner, and walker, I have seen some pretty stupid things done by drivers, bicyclists, runners, and walkers, including myself. We should help one another to be better drivers, bicyclists, runners, and walkers in our multi-modal world! P.S. As a bicyclist I have felt intimitated by groups of runners barrelling down on me on a narrow path. We must all try to put ourselves in other peoples places in order that we can interact better on our side.