Dumb comment for 6/25

There's an article on the Statesman website today (HERE), "Mind the rules or get a ticket."

According to the article, the police are going to step up enforcement of bike-related traffic violations. (A long-standing personal peeve is the stated policy of the BPD: "Bike violations aren't a priority for the Department." No wonder so many cyclists ignore the laws, and irritate motorists!)

Hopefull the police will also pay more attention to inattentive or illegal driving, that puts cyclists at risk of injury or death.

The police say they will enforce the "against-traffic" rule more aggressively. HALLELUJAH!

Commenter "just a thought" responds:

"I'm not a big cyclist but I would not let my kids ride with the flow of traffic. Considering all the accidents, I want to know who's not paying attention... before they hit me or my kids! Ridiculous!"

THAT, my friends, illustrates how sorely lacking we are in bike education! It's "just a thought," and his kids, and others who are comparatively ignorant, who are putting themselves - and me! - in danger, every time they take to the roadways! It's them who are riding toward me - a law-abiding trying-to-be-safe cyclist - on a potentially deadly "chicken" collision course!

I hope "just a thought" gets the first ticket, and a good talkin' to!

Here's some reality for him (or her). A brief description of the three fatal accidents.

#1 - A cyclist is riding in the same direction as traffic, along the edge of a 2-lane road. Without any warning, he's plowed into by a big van, probably going 40mph (probably 20mph faster than the cyclist.) The 20mph difference was enough to kill the cyclist. If the cyclist had been riding directly toward the van, against traffic... would he have had time to react and evade, considering that they're approaching one another at a combined 60mph? (Formula 1 driver Michael Schumacher might be able to do it, but I would't put my money on "just a thought" or his kids.)

#2 - A cyclist is crossing a right-angle intersection. He's hit from the side by an automobile that's also crossing the intersection. It's IMPOSSIBLE that if the cyclist was riding against traffic, he would've had any more advance warning.

#3 - A cyclist is riding in a bike path on a 2-lane road. A motorist coming from the other direction crosses directly into his path. In this case, the cyclist might have seen it coming, a split second before impact. But not enough time to react. If it had been "just a thought" or his kids, riding in the same direction as the errant vehicle, they never would've seen the oncoming vehicle. (This sad example is the best of all, that seeing an approaching hazard doesn't provide much advantage.)

Ian, in a subsequent comment: I am tired of kids riding straight at me in a narrow bike lane, when I am riding lawfully WITH traffic. Right ON!

Stay off the roads, "just a thought"! And keep your kids at home unless you can find someone competent to instruct them. Thanks!