Jaybikers
The other day I was waiting at a red light while a flood cyclists passed by me in every direction. It was a particularly long red, and car traffic was lower than normal. And I’m glad there has been such and increase in biking. However I witnessed several close calls because no one was operating by the same set of rules:
It seemed their main concern was to get from A to B in the shortest, quickest way possible. But it got me thinking about the mindset. There is vehicular cycling, and then there is a more pedestrian approach…
However if you’re just out to get places as fast as possible and not willing to rest on a red, you may just be on a collision course. Stop at a red light sometime and watch what almost happens.
I saw a cyclist run a light this week across Mass Ave, and watched as he expressed his shock and indignation that he was almost hit by a mini-van, who had the green light. /facepalm
I guess it’s fortunate that cycling is a very safe activity (with a lifetime risk of death that’s nearly half that of driving), so that the vast majority of us can get away with a lifetime (actually many lifetimes) of doing stupid things on a bike. But sometimes I wish wish that the world would give a slap on the wrist, a little scare or an ‘almost hit’ to folks who do stupid things that could get them killed. But 99.99% of the time, it doesn’t, so they never learn to ride safely.
I have to keep reminding myself that the fundamental safety of cycling is probably a good thing, despite the fact that when I see people riding foolishly and giving cyclists a bad name, my heart skips a beat and my blood pressure rises.
Likewise, I saw my first bike-on-bike crash on Mass Ave near MIT a couple weeks ago. I was stopped at a red light where there’s a huge crosswalk, and another cyclist rode past me and plowed right into someone crossing in the crosswalk with a bike. (I didn’t see if he was riding in the crosswalk or walking his bike across.) Neither of them appeared to be injured, but it looked rough and I think bent the front wheel of the bike that was crashed into.
All those are true. Myself I do plenty of jay-biking, jay-walking and jay-driving I suppose ;-)… BUT that said, there are places in my daily ride I’d NEVER break a traffic law since I’d probably be dead by now if I did it on a regular basis through some of the intersections where I pass… When I go somewhere new it is a rare event that I don’t comply with the traffic laws… Sadly the Commonwealth and most local governments haven’t addressed the educational aspect of riding and it is lonnnnnnnnnngggg overdue. Thanks bikeyface for showing us all what we look like when we just go for it. When you think about it it’s amazing more folks aren’t killed on the streets when they’re riding like that. You’re the best!
Some of those types really irk me…like the one riding against the grain on the wrong side of the road…Spiderbiker (riding up the wall) IS cool though,LOL! Crap,now I have that song stuck in my head…”Spiderbiker,Spiderbiker,does whatever a Spiderbiker does….Can he swing,from a web? No he can’t,he’s just a biker…Look out! Here comes the Spiderbiker!” 😛
the DC
I follow one simple rule when jaywalking/biking, which happens to be the same rule I’ve been following since I learned how to walk:
“Stop and look both ways before crossing”
Especially in town, I feel like if I act like a car and obey all the car rules, then the car tribe will look upon me with approval since I’m doing what they do. Maybe, just maybe, it’ll make them a little more smiley and trusting of the bikeyface tribe.