cycling hazards

[cellio]

Bicyclists oft complain about drivers, and I understand the perspective: if there is an accident involving a car and a bike, you know that the damage will not be distributed evenly. Locally there has been some effort for the last few years to create more bike lanes and educate drivers, and we have a law about passing distance. This makes sense. Bike lanes make things safer for all of us, and some drivers (a minority in my experience) don't understand what to do with bikes on the road.

But. I am finding it very hard to remain sympathetic when the very same people who complain about dangers from cars are themselves dangers to pedestrians. Cyclists, you have to rein in your own -- the blatant disregard for traffic laws is bad enough when you just do it to drivers, but it's inexcusable when you're running down people who have no defense against you.

Friday night while walking home from services I was crossing Forbes at a marked crosswalk. This crosswalk is marked not only with painted lines, and not only with one of those signboards in the middle of the road, but also with flashing yellow lights on either side. It's the most visible crosswalk in the neighborhood. Nonetheless I always stop and look at oncoming drivers to try to confirm that they see me and are slowing down.

Friday night I looked both ways as usual and then started to cross. A bicycle whizzed in front of me at high speed (much faster than the last car to pass), its rider cursing at the "f---ing b----" in his way. I stopped and turned to stare, looking in vain for anything I could use to identify him. That's when two more whizzed by me, also cursing. One of them grazed me (I'm not sure with what, but no blood). All of them continued on, spewing vulgarities.

They had no headlights, by the way, and all were wearing dark clothes. Not that it was, legally, my job to see them -- just self-defense, which I attempted. I, on the other hand, was in a marked crosswalk wearing brightly-colored clothes.

This infuriates me. Not only did they blatantly ignore traffic laws, not only did they nearly mow me down, not only did they not even stop, but they acted like I was the problem. I think drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians all need to learn to share the roads, but some need to learn way more badly than others. These cyclists clearly thought they shouldn't have to care about anybody else.

Just the previous day I'd been nearly run down by two (more-slowly-moving, but still) cyclists on the sidewalk. That happens to me a couple times a month on average, not counting children -- I just mean adult cyclists here. Sidewalks are for pedestrians; we shouldn't have to be constantly on the lookout for speeding traffic hazards of the wheeled variety.

I am going to write a letter to my City Council representative (can't hurt, could possibly help), but I'd like to go beyond complaining. What concrete suggestions can I make, as our city expends effort (and money) altering public roads to work better with cyclists? What has actually worked in other cities to get everybody on board with sharing the road, and what has been done to hold cyclists accountable for following the rules of the road (and sidewalk)?

They are unregistered, so there are no license plates to spot; they are unlicensed, so their privilege to use the roads can't be taken away; they are almost never seen in the act by police officers, because that would require quite a bit of luck; they can easily leave the scene of any problem, so if the police are not already there they will get away with whatever they were doing. Does anybody require licenses or registration? What else can be done?

I'm not trying to persecute cyclists. I recognize that not all cyclists are like those ones on Friday. But I am trying to find a way to get them all to play by the rules -- and maybe even to recognize that when they do to pedestrians what they accuse drivers of doing to them, they do not help their cause.

Any ideas? Short of wearing armor when walking, and maybe carrying a range weapon, I mean? (If only I'd had a paintball gun and good aim... if I could have tagged 'em I could have called the police. But that's just not going to work.)

What concrete suggestions can I take to my local government?

Comments

[loosecanon.livejournal.com]

I am a rider. I use all the safety crap and follow the rules, when they are clear. I have been hit. From that perspective;

Ask for a comprehensive ad campaign hitting bike shops, libraries, pubs, and cafes where riders hang out. Ask for signage in strategic locations reminding urban riders of their responsibilities to the law.

Ask for the prominent bloggers in the area to take up the cause, reminding readers that riders over 5mph do not belong on sidewalks. (in my area, disabled, elderly and child riders are safer on the sidewalks, and are permitted to be there by privilege but not by right)

There is no licensure for cyclists because it would be unenforceable, as almost everyone has a bike. It is seen as a government intrusion; many riders are unable to drive. Some places have tried and failed to institute licencing. Common responses include concerns about unfair taxation and potential police harassment of underprivileged riders. (I have been pulled over and asked for ID when wearing common laborers' clothing, riding a "mountain" bike on a road. It was assumed I was not here legally. Very uncomfortable.)

Portland is the city with the better infrastructure, and even there people who do not ride cause a lot of harm to people who do, out of culture clash frustration.

My personal equipment preference is a helmet law, a blinkie front and taillight law, reflector requirement, and a request for a safety color as part of kit.

My next thoughts are that cyclists ought to be permitted to roll through red lights (not blast, as they do to avoid getting caught or hit) when there is no traffic. A lot of riders get very frustrated at having to stop all of the time, losing kinetic energy. Stopping and starting are the dangerous times on a bike.
this may help reduce aggression.
Riders must be told of their own responsibility to pedestrians and slower traffic. They need to be taught that they are a moving vehicle (drivers keep telling us we have no right to the road, some losers overcompensate)
They need to be set to trigger red light cameras.
There must be codified penalties, and they should be the same penalties automotive drivers face for the same behaviours.

The problem is not the bicycles here, it is the asses riding them. I hate them too. They make it more likely that a person who has been wronged by them will take it out on me.

We call them "ninjas" among other less savory terms.

I deleted a link to Critical Mass because it indirectly led to a porn site. I think that alone rules them out as being a viable target for legitimate conversation.

Please let me know if I can help in any way. There are many types of people on bikes, as many as there are people who identify as SCAdians. Most are not dangerous, but those who are are terrifying.

[cellio]

Thank you very much for this reply! Lots of helpful advice there, plus a useful perspective. A few comments/questions:

(I have been pulled over and asked for ID when wearing common laborers' clothing, riding a "mountain" bike on a road. It was assumed I was not here legally. Very uncomfortable.)

Ick. That happens to drivers too ("driving while black" etc), though I've no idea in what proportions for drivers and cyclists (and pedestrians). No matter who it is, that's uncomfortable.

My personal equipment preference is a helmet law, a blinkie front and taillight law, reflector requirement, and a request for a safety color as part of kit.

That would all help even the ones who are strictly law-abiding, to say nothing of the others. I understand the desire to not stop at intersections and have no objection if safe. But that probably involves at least slowing down, and it has to involve being prepared to stop if in fact there is somebody in the way.

At the very least, lights and something reflective when out at night so others can see them would make a big difference!

I didn't know that stopping and starting were dangerous times; thank you. I thought it was just about kinetic energy.

They need to be set to trigger red light cameras.

I agree, but how would that work in the absence of license plates? Some anonymous rider triggered the camera -- now what?

The problem is not the bicycles here, it is the asses riding them.

Agreed. I sometimes think about getting a bike, but it's kind of scary. I am sympathetic to the non-asses (who I assume to be the majority, albeit a silent one, same as with drivers).

Critical Mass... ugh. Aren't those the guys who create rolling obstacles to thumb their noses at drivers? That's anti-helpful. A large gang of cyclists, I'm pretty sure them, hit Pittsburgh a couple years ago; they blocked all lanes of an important 35mph road during the morning commute and went 5-10mph. They should have been cited, like demonstrators on foot are if they block streets downtown, but they weren't.

Thanks again for the comments! If you happen to know of good educational materials that are already out there, that would be suitable to try to push via bike shops etc, I'd appreciate pointers to them. (If not don't worry about it; I can use Google too.)

[loosecanon.livejournal.com]

Different towns have different Critical Mass groups. The twitting drivers began when drunks joined the party, skewing the message. It was meant early on to be a demonstration of numbers, a visible reminder that we are a larger group to contend with. It went off the rails in a lot of places. (I don't mind being diverted as a driver, but I prefer people be polite about it)

On traffic lights; I am a prudent rider. I don't want to get hit again. Most people are. You might note the general age of the idiot riders being tied to their personal senses of immortality.

Licence plates wont work. They would be too small to be useful anyhow.
Riders' personal configurations tend to be pretty distinctive, and we tend to have habitual routes. When required, matches could be made. (yellow helmet, pink bike, red backpack, and saddlebags, for instance, and I would not know I had been photographed, so I would not be expecting the cop who pulled me over the next week)

So much of the ass response is triggered by fear. So many of us die just trying to go someplace. Pedestrians (not a large percent, but only pedestrians) tell us to grow up and get off of childrens' toys. Drivers tell us to get off of "their" roads, which most of us pay for too. Riders are scared and adrenaline loaded, and ready to lash out.

I am so sorry that you, or anyone, had to be the target of it.

I don't know of good brochures. Our local cycle commuting authority is run by politicians who do not ride, but find it expedient to promote the idea.

Communication between advocacy groups can feel like preaching and often devolves to shouting, as each group feels marginalised by the others.

I have been pleased with my interactions with http://www.peopleforbikes.org/
They are promoting safe respectful riding, and trying to teach how to share resources that are overused.
Perhaps they, or perhaps the http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/ federal highway safety admin might have thoughts.


Another angle of attack might be to talk to your Rabbi about a missive to other houses of worship about a sermon on sharing the roads and being gentle to those using them differently? Sometimes a message from a respected leader in ones' community has enough weight to shake people out of habits.
If a percent of the people of your city begin to drive more gently, according to the tenets of their respective faiths, perhaps the pressure on other groups will subside and reduce tensions as well.

I want to fix it. I really want to fix it.

I would be happy to continue this conversation if you wish to. It is important to me that you and all people be safe.