Not a Sideshow
I’ve been taking the lane more and more. In the beginning I was timid and concerned with being polite. However there are drivers who think- no matter what- bikes should be as far to the right as possible. No matter the door zone, pothole, debris, or gutter situation. They’re always eager to push bikes further off to the margins of the road. There have been many moments like this:
Which frequently resulted in large vehicles squeezing by me with mere inches to spare. But enough was enough- I got tired of being a sideshow act on the road. I take the full lane and stay safe. Of course that doesn’t stop the honking.
These past two weeks, I’ve been riding on a busy road that I normally don’t ride due to the heavy thick traffic and narrow roads. But the traffic has been much lighter, so it’s a LITTLE more do-able. I take the lanes when I can go about the speed of cars (downhill), but when it’s uphill, I get on the sidewalk, since I’m going slower and I would just irritate the drivers going that slow. I certainly don’t want to either be clipped while riding or hit from behind, as people get impatient.
My buddies and I have begun working on Bay State Badass Zine #2 and one of my first ideas for a second issue was to include dudes by interviewing two sweet and enlightened bike boys on the homophobic harassment to which they are subject. Which I think is worth exploring because 1. what does a dude riding a bike have to do with him favoring cock? 2. most of the boys who’ve reported such harassment to me are rather straight.
One says that when male motorists drive aggro and/or call him faggot/queer/homo when he’s taking the lane, he blows them kisses 😀
I very rarely take the lane, only in situations where I really feel it to be necessary and not put me at greater risk. On my commute there is a section where a two-lane road widens to three lanes and cars are speeding up to get on the highway ahead. There, I take the lane because it is relatively easy for cars to go around me, and if I do not take it there’s a temptation for cars to squeeze by me at fairly high speeds.
I also feel comfortable taking the lane in heavy traffic situations, like that depicted in your drawing. It seems somewhat safer than riding at the side of the lane and creating a temptation for drivers to squeeze by so they can get closer to the stoplight.
All of which is obviously unfair, but my primary concern is to keep from getting hurt or killed — and lane-taking has a certain amount of risk associated with it. I don’t think it should be done lightly, and certainly not routinely.
What would be nice, BTW, is the passage of a three-foot passing rule.
Are you saying it’s unfair for you to take the lane for your own safety? I very much disagree. All impeding is not illegal and unfair. Motorists impede other motorists all the time, such waiting behind a left turner on a two-lane road who is stopped waiting for oncoming traffic to clear, or stopped for a stopped school bus ahead. Red lights impede motorist more than anything else. Is any of this unfair? No, it’s just part of driving in traffic. So is dealing with a bicyclist in the lane, especially when there is no other safe place for the bicyclist to be.
I think the safety “problem” of controlling the lane is overstated. Motorists are more likely to get annoyed at you than hit you, and even the ones who get so annoyed as to express it to you are in the minority. But many cyclists are uncomfortable controlling the lane, and justifying not doing it because it’s dangerous is an easy and understandable rationalization for not doing it. It’s definitely the sort of thing most people won’t believe until they try it.
I’m not adverse to taking the lane, especially when I’m narrow downtown streets. We’ll just have to share the road because I’m not going to be squeezed against a parked car. Most of the time, I find downtown motorists very cooperative and patient; afterall, one doesn’t drive downtown and reasonably expect to be able to speed down streets lined with parked vehicles and pedestrians. On the wider roads, I’m willing to accomodate cars a bit more but expect some give and take on their part as well. The bottom line for me is that I make my biking decision based on the quality of the road and the quality of the drivers around me since I can only control my choices.