Big Metal Things
You won’t get everyone following the rules. Take a look at drivers. And the “bad name” is more complex than just stopping at a red light- it’s a generalization from a car-centric culture.
Once you’ve biked in a city you quickly realize one rule trumps all road rules: self preservation.
However, people who bike may have varying opinions on how to safely keep away from the big metal things. And it’s chaotic. Why? Because the infrastructure and rules are built around cars, not vulnerable road users.
If you really look at what people are doing (without judgement) you may catch a glimpse of where the real problem lies.
Yes, there will always be those to do what they can get away with. But perhaps some are just doing what they feel they need to get away with to get to work or school or back home safely.
I still take care to follow the road rules, but I’ll also take care of myself if needed.
Rog, a bike mirror makes it easier to see what is behind you. If you are riding in traffic, you can see what’s coming up behind you without turning your head (and your bike). When I ride home, traffic is heavier. I can look behind me, see how long a line of traffic is coming off the last light, and react accordingly.
In reply to Rog’s comment, my helmet mirror enables me to react to vehicles behind, before they hit me!
Bikeyface – Very funny, and really captures well the different comfort levels bikey people have on the road. Self preservation is paramount, or to put it another way, always stay alert and don’t do something stupid when you are on the bike.
This spring, some of my wishes have been answered – big TURNING CARS YIELD TO CROSSWALK/YIELD TO PEDESTRIANS signs at some lights are the best one.
The old argument was, they didn’t need signs because that’s the law everywhere. But clearly, given the number of “killed by turning car when had right of way” deaths we have in Minneapolis, we did need them.
This explains why we all need bicycle infrastructure in a single page.
You’ve been ordained to speak for all of us? I missed that announcement.
Those of us who have learned to ride competently do not need bike ghettos. They are of no benefit to us.
I suggest looking at the Dutch to see what “bicycle infrastructure” really is. Any of what is passed off as “bicycle infrastructure” in North America would land the designers and builders in jail in the Netherlands. And they are continuously improving what they already have to better serve the people on bikes.