I felt like I would add my few thoughts on the subject of drivers vs bicyclists to cyberspace along with everyone else. This is a bit of a personal subject, as I bike year round to work, to get groceries, to go to the record store, to visit my parents, etc. . .I don’t own a vehicle, but I end up renting one almost weekly for work (3/4 tonne) so I feel like I can approach the subject from both sides of the coin. In a nutshell, I think drivers are idiots who are completely mindless - focused on their texts, emails, phone calls, passengers, music, whatever. I think bicyclists are ignorant, big headed, cocky and not aware of their surroundings. (I guess I just don’t like people in general?!) But I do think eventually we can all get along. ..(refer back to the crazy traffic videos blog)

I also think that it’s best not to generalize or stereotype (remember that kindergarten class?). I can’t count the number of times I have cursed that d-bag who passes everyone at a light riding his $300 Canadian Tire bicycle. Where were you in January?!! Or the guy who sits in the middle of the right hand lane at a red light while 10 vehicles wait behind them to make a right hand turn (get out of the way!) When I get angry though, it is 95% of the time directed towards a motorvehicle. Guys who sit behind a cyclist, blarring their horns at them to move out of the way in a residential area are just. . ..rude? What gives a driver the right to 25+sq. feet of space on the road? (vs. the lowely cyclist who takes up less than 5 sq. feet.)

Here is an article from the Province in Vancouver talking about this very issue (drivers vs. bikers) and critical mass

http://www.theprovince.com/Travel/Ferry+Critical+Mass+just+anarchy+wheels/1624972/story.html

This issue has been getting a lot of play recently, especially in Vancouver where a cyclist was recently struck and killed in a bike lane on the way to work. If you are interested in what others have to say on this subject, read the incredibly full comments section.

http://www.theprovince.com/Travel/Female+cyclist+killed+crash+Langley+roadway/1620358/story.html

Along with the follow up article:

http://www.theprovince.com/Travel/Cyclist+dying+heard/1624969
/story.html

Just to show Vancouver is not alone, here is an article from Toronto debating if bike lanes are the way to go.

http://www.torontosun.com/comment/2009/05/25/9557511-sun.html

This entry was posted on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 8:51 pm and is filed under bad drivers, cop, critical mass, cyclist, driving, rants, reckless driving, stupid people, traffic. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.