An open letter to motorists who dislike cyclists.

I ride my bike year-round as my main means of transportation. My bike is

a fun toy. I don't aspire to be Lance Armstrong. I'm too poor to afford

a car. I choose a bicycle because its healthier for me, and healthier for

the city I live in. I'm riding in the middle of the lane to not slow you

down or thwart you I just have the right to be there.



I ride in the middle of the lane if the lane is too narrow to share safely.

This is actually a courtesy to you, because you have to guess how

wide your vehicle is versus how much space is available, and decide if you

have to change lanes or not. If the lane next to you is wide open, it

really isn't necessary to blast your horn or yell things out your window.

Maybe you think there's room for me to be riding in the bike lane or the gutter, but I

really have a better view of where I perfer to ride than you do and "I perfer the middle of your lane".

I need to swerve to to test your temper or just to bug you,

I Demand room to maneouver. and I promis I will make your day misrable if you don't

go out of your way to avoid me.

While we are on the subject of yelling , your vehicle

is loud. Unless we are both stopped at a traffic light, it is unlikely I

can make you can hear the names I shout at most of the moterists

. Maybe its better to for your not knowing as I rarly say anything nice

I may try to get your attention by hitting your cay with things when I'm pissed

that's just my way of letting yoiu know "(mumble mumble)...you'll get hit".

I also know where the bike

paths are, I have a map. But i don't care to use the bike path as

I perfer the middle of the new expressways.

Thank you It is nice to know that I can use the road when ever I feel like it.

I ride in a predictable line so, I don't so you will get used to

having bikes take up your road way

. I weave between parked if I startle you when I emerge from behind one. I'm sorry I get over it!

. In an ideal world I would ride far enough away from

your car door that it wouldn't matter if you flung it open when I least

expected it. But the downtown streets are very congested and there's not a

lot of space available. So please look before you open your door as I don't intend to.

Please try to park as close to the curb as you can as your car is in my personal space.

You may think riding a bicycle in a downpour or a snowstorm is crazy. and your right.

But I don't expect you to

"get it". I only expect you to remember that you still owe me respect

and that's what I will demand at all times.



While I may appear to be a very competent cyclist, and you may fancy

yourself a very competent driver, its still a good idea to leave at least 8

feet when passing me. While you may not actually brush me when you pass too

close, it is still frightening to have 2000 pounds of steel a few inches

from your shoulder.and I will sue you any chance I can.

Some roads have bicycle lanes painted on them. In reality cyclists

and motorists should be able to share the roadway without special lines.

But after being honked at one too many times for taking a narrow lane, or

buzzed too close by attempting to share one, bike lanes become a place of

refuge. try to have some respect for our using the road lanes as we see fit

by finding a different rout to drive your carar when you see too many bikes on the road, and



I try to make my best guesses what you might do next from your lane

position. You can help take out the guesswork. While it may seem that the

turn signal has gone out of fashion, I really do appreciate when you use it

in advance. This lets me move as best as possible so we don't have any

conflict.

The world will not end if you cannot make a right turn on a red light. If

there was a car in front of you, would you honk because you wanted to make

a right turn? Because I am small enough to move over to let you do so does

not always mean I intend to do so. I will move over and let you go byif I feel like it,

which most of the time I don't.. Repeatedly

leaning on the horn will only get on my nerves.

I can move faster than you think. While you may think a bicycle is too slow

to be practical for transportation -you would be right so if you need to slow down for a few seconds it isn't

the end of the world. Think how much more I would slow you down if I was a

full-width car trying to make a left turn onto a side street in busy

traffic. If you cannot judge how fast I am moving please just keep pace with me I will get where I am going , then you may speed up.

But if in your rearview mirror, you see me waving in the direction

you want to move it means I see you and it is my turn to go.

I appreciate your kind attempts to let me have the right-of-way when it is

mine. Being on a bicycle its hard losing your momentum again and again

at every stop sign. But most of the time its easier if I just go. If you

stop to let me cross mid block the world would be a better place



I break the occasional traffic law, which were designed with

the dangers inherent in the automobile in mind. I may slow down in

the intersection rather than come to a complete stop at a four-way stop,

because its really hard on me to constantly lose my momentum. I know this

is not legal, but its quite safe at bicycle speed. Just as its not legal

for you to be going over the speed limit but I doubt you always are obeying

it. Please try not to get angry at me about this when I am disrespecting

your right-of-way at the same timeI realy have the right of way. If you are at the cross

street, I will stop if i feel like it. I thought was a stop sign for both of us. If

we both try to be aware of what each other is doing and compensate for it,

then mistakes on your part do not have to become crashes. Its much

more likely



I am going to say that in conclusion all I really want is for you to treat

me with the respect you owe me . But after

noticing the frequency with which motorists hit each other, I would add an

extra caveat. Please recognize that cyclists are more deserving of the road

. When in doubt as to who should go next, let the bicycle user proceed.

And your comments to your self.

Thanks. And thank you to the motorists that already get it. Thank you for

waiting before opening your door. Thank you for leaving a safe amount of

space when passing. Thank you for waiting patiently behind when it was not

safe to pass. Thank you for signalling. Thank you for respecting my speed

limit which makes the roads just a little bit saner to be travelling on.

Thank you for noticing when I made a mistake and avoiding a collision.

Thank you for slowing to let me in when I stuck out my arm because I wanted

to move into the left turn lane. Thank you for not using your horn when it

was not necessary.

Thank you for all the little ways that you cooperate.

#posted by Tanya

Most drivers don't have a problem with people on bikes. We DO have a problem with those that feel free to ignore the traffic laws everyone else obeys. We DO have a problem with bikes weaving in and out of traffic, riding on sidewalk, and then into the street.

You have a right to use the road, but on the same terms as everyone else.

This means that to ride your bike on those roads you should be required to have:

a. a driver's license, just like motorcyclists do.

b. A license plate, so we can ID you if you cause an accident

C. Insurance to cover your liability for your actions while on the bike.

Being on a bike does not absolve you of responsibility for your actions while riding. Bicyclists cause accidents just like cars do, and people need to be financially responsible for their actions.

Other than that, welcome to the road.

> I perfer the middle of your lane".

> I need to swerve to to test your temper or just to bug you,

> I Demand room to maneouver. and I promis I will make your day misrable if you don't

go out of your way to avoid me.



> the names I shout at most of the moterists

> Maybe its better to for your not knowing as I rarly say anything nice

> I may try to get your attention by hitting your cay with things when I'm pissed

> I perfer the middle of the new expressways.

> I weave between parked if I startle you when I emerge from behind one. I'm sorry I get over it!

> I will demand (respect) at all times

> So please look before you open your door as *I don't intend to*

> Because I am small enough to move over to let you do so does not always mean I intend to do so. I will move over and let you go by if I feel like it, which most of the time I don't..

Repeatedly leaning on the horn will only get on my nerves.

> I know this is not legal, but its quite safe at bicycle speed.



As a life-long cyclist I take issue with all of these things

You have no protection, while the automobile driver is surrounded by thousands of pounds of metal. While encouraging road rage and accidents by the above behaviors may work out most of the time I strongly recommend you do none of these things

You should avoid vehicles at all times and in all ways - you should always yield to them, always stay out of their paths and never make them swerve to avoid you

always ride as if no one can see you at all, never depend on any driver at any time seeing you to avoid an accident, never yell throw or gesture in any hostile manner to any driver



> Please try not to get angry at me about this when I am disrespecting your right-of-way at the same time I realy have the right of way.

there's a very wise saying -

in an accident no one has the right-of-way



> Being on a bicycle its hard losing your momentum again and again at every stop sign.

that goes along with cycling - perhaps public transportation would be better in this case





> blast your horn or yell things out your window

I do all the things I recommended and still get people doing things like throwing icewater on me, yelling, screaming, shot with BB's, have rocks thrown at me, get forced off the road into the ditch and other unpleasant things including stalking me, stopping ahead of me and getting out to obstruct me or worse..

the horn and screaming happens all the time..

I always look behind me when a car approaches, always get as far over to the curb as possible or even onto the sidewalk if I don't like the look of the approaching vehicle, avoid roads with narrow curbs or debris, always look and give wide berth to possible car doors opening, and if another car is approaching I slow down speed up or change to the sidewalk to avoid going past a car door I can't give wide berth to as another car is passing..

never NEVER ride in the middle of the road unless there's no traffic at all, excepting making left-hand turns which I plan ahead for well in advance to avoid all vehicles including on-coming. I will resort to dismounting and walking across as a pedestrian if need be to ensure no vehicle would ever hit me, assuming every single driver is completely blind and never see's me at all

Failure to behave in these ways means sooner or later a vehicle is bound to hit you - it's only a matter of time



Considering the weight and hardness of a vehicle compared to the human body this is an event you do NOT want to happen - ever.

Compared to that any amount of inconvenience is far better...

If you don't want to end up being a statistic I highly recommend you reconsider what you've posted above



"a. a driver's license, just like motorcyclists do.

b. A license plate, so we can ID you if you cause an accident

C. Insurance to cover your liability for your actions while on the bike."

If cyclists follow my recommendations there won't be any accidents - as far as I'm concerned the road's all yours - I only use it to the extent that you do not.

You'll never hit me because I will never allow you to - the consequences are far too grave

Even at night you will see a bright Zenon yellow flasher that goes off the road entirely onto the sidewalk whenever possible as you pass - and if pedestrians happen to be on the sidewalk you'll see me slow down to almost standing still or even dismount and walk to avoid scaring them.

As far as I'm concerned you're blind and can't see me at all - so I act accordingly

However- when I lived in Philly and a bike was my primary means of transportation I learned a bit about wht it's like, so now that I live in L.A. and have had to make my peace with driving...

When I see a cyclist up ahead, I change lanes to the left if at all possible so as to have plenty of room to pass safely. If that's impossible or the cyclist is riding erratically I don't have a problem with putt-putting along at 10 MPH until there's room enough to go past them safely.

I've observed an entire line of cars ahead of me doing the lane change thing like a wave- undulating past a bicyclist. *Compared to Philly*, I've found that drivers in L.A. seem on average to be more respectful of cyclist and pedestrian right-of-way than what I was accustomed to as a biker/walker back East.

There are just two things I ask of cyclists:

First, don't ride stupidly, as the OP seems to glory in doing. Casuing an accident by bad practice is bad to begin with; causing one in which you're certain to be on the losing end is just plain dumb.

Second, please get a decent light set for your bike. When I rode back Easst, my bike was lit up like a UFO coming in to land. Light sets are cheap, it's a positive way to indulge in a little decorative visual excess, and if you're gonna get gished, it shouldn't be because you couldn't be seen easily.

I look behind me as a car approaches and if it does that - starts slowing down - if my presence is causing any interference at all I take action such as going on the sidewalk, waving the driver past (acknowledging them) or if that doesn't work stopping and dismounting

my goal being to never be a reason for slow downs

you're likely to deal with the same drivers again & again, if you establish a habit of frustrating them in any way it's much more likely at some point in the future one of them will do something mean or dangerous

which happens often enough as it is, even when you afford them every courtesy...

the chances increase exponentially (drivers X trips X behavior) that something bad will happen, plus all the new drivers (people who drive past you for the first time) added on top of this - they are the most dangerous..

I note the cars I see and memorize them as much as possible (keeping in mind this isn't a major city - that becomes ineffective in heavy traffic)

although lights don't cost much money, batteries do and many people ride to save money or resources..

so I have a single very bright impossible to ignore light (plus reflectors) and try to always wear a white T-shirt as well at night - if not (like wearing a jacket) then I ride even more defensively to make up for it

I found a 20 dollar generator set at my bike shop and installed that. When the bulb in the taillight burned out and I discovered that it was an oddball Chinese type that I couldn't get an exact replacement for through any of the electrical/electronics suppliers I used, I ripped the socket out and replaced it with a little perfboard containing two rectifier diodes (bike generators put out AC), a couple of current-limiting resistors and four 10 mm 12,000 mcd red LEDs.

That sucker was BRIGHT!

I also had a battery-operated headlight that had a snap-in mounting which allowed me to pop it off the handlebars for use as a flashlight and a battery-operated LED flasher light under the seat. Those two items came from K-mart and were only a few dollars each.

What little I spent on batteries was a *bargain* price for protecting my life and limb.

If you've gotta ride at night, light yourself up SOMEHOW. A little of the money you're saving on gasoline is well-spent for that purpose.

maybe you have a different type but the generators I've used damage the sidewalls or treads of my tires, also to me when the highest danger occurs is when you are stopped or riding very slow at or near intersections

When I take my longer trips (cross-country) I engage the generator as I'm going down hill during the day and have it charge a 12. Volt NiCad pack.

(on local rides I just charge it at home)

This provides the needed safety at other times (and runs my scanner and music player plus a few area bulbs when I set my tent up for the night)

The scanner saved my ass one time - some stalker was harassing me (kept passing me dropping a pair of red ladies underwear with a note attached to it) then turning around and repeating it.. On the third attempt I held my scanner up to my face like I was talking into it as he went by... He left me alone after that :)