When I ride my bicycle, I ride on the sidewalk for the obvious reason that many drivers don't respect bicyclists (or just don't see bicyclists) and I refuse to be just another statistic of a bicyclist killed by a motor vehicle.
Whether you believe it's right or wrong (or against the law) to ride a bicycle on the sidewalk, my own sense of self-preservation is more important than how others think (and is more important than, yes, the law) about how I (or others) ride bicycles on a sidewalk.
To get back to the first paragraph, a young guy in his twenties (or early thirties) was killed (summer 2008) this way about two blocks away from where I live. The driver said he didn't see the bicyclist—for those who don't believe this type of thing happens.
So, I'm riding my bike on the sidewalk this morning and this older man makes the comment, "Why don't you ride on the street, that's what's it for." I was thinking, here is a guy who will eventually get in his gasoline powered car or truck and pollute the atmosphere with carcinogenic fumes literally endangering my health. Who is he to talk? What a freak.
Why couldn't he say something nice to me? For example, "Happy New Year," "Hello," "Hi, sexy," or the most obvious response, "Thank you for riding a bike and not polluting our atmosphere."
And if you are wondering why I think people in America really don't get it, this is a perfect example.
3 comments:
Mike - The last time I checked, citizens of this state are required to obey laws. What makes you so special to blatantly disregard the law. You sound like someone who doesn't have a car or can not afford to keep one running. What's the truth?
A Reply to Ca Boy:
As long as we're talking about the "truth," what's the truth behind your comment? It sounds as if you have an axe to grind with Mike -- an axe that has nothing to do with California law.
Mike wanting to ride his bike on the sidewalk is a perfectly natural reaction considering how many cyclists die each year. Look up the stats yourself:
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/portal/site/nhtsa/menuitem.810acaee50c651189ca8e410dba046a0/
And considering the times we live in, think about how many more cyclists there are on the road today than in the past. Perhaps the law that Mike so "blatantly" disregards is stupid. I know Mike well enough to know that he believes in safety. He's not hurting anyone by riding on the sidewalks. I guarantee that guys like you and me are hurting more people by driving our cars.
Every city in the nation should start making more bicycle trails to accommodate the higher number of cyclists. It would be smart, good for the environment, encourage a fun and healthy activity, and be much safer for everyone. Believe me, if my city had more bicycle trails, I'd buy a great bike and ride it every day I could.
And I have one final point: How absolutely thoughtless and rude of you to raise the question of whether or not Mike does or does not have a car or whether or not he can afford one. The "truth" is that you're a condescending prick.
Looks like I struck a sore spot with with Follybuster!!! Obviously my point is well taken.
As a fellow cyclist, there would need to be an extremely unusual set of circumstances for me to ride on a sidewalk not designated for bicycles, let alone make it a normal practice. I find it appalling for anyone to openly write that your personal opinions about cycling on sidewalks are 'more important than, yes, the law'. I guess my motorcycle friends who feel similarly about drivers who don't respect motorcyclists should start riding on the sidewalks as well. What an absurd thought in either case.
Historically, laws are enacted due to actions of others. Maybe if cyclists switched to riding on the sidewalks only and caused pedestrian statistics, we can get further unwanted restrictions on cycling. How would that sit with you then?
Maybe I went a little far on the car comments. I apologize for that. I don't even know Mike. I was just reading between the lines of his cycling blogs. Maybe a rush to judgment on my part. I was just surfing blogs that discuss cycling and found it disturbing that someone could could be so openly self righteous about cycling practices.
One last point Follybuster, I assume your city has some bicycle trails based on your comment 'if my city had more bicycle trails' so why don't you get a great bike and ride it? Many bikes today break down easily to fit into a car, suv, etc. Bike racks are a dime a dozen if you don't want to disassemble a bike for transport. Take your bike to one of the existing trails and ride it. Or better yet, do a search for bike trails and begin evaluating the millions of hits you get for bike trail options.
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