Having completed a whirlwind visit to the finish line of the 108th Paris Roubaix I was confronted by the usual public service e-mails concerning cycling safety and road sharing. As usual the theme was "Lets be careful out there" and, as usual, they missed the point. I spent 3 days puttering around Northern France and Southern Belgium on roads littered with bicycles and bicyclists in all imaginable shapes and sizes and not once did I see any sign of any failure on the part of either cyclists or motorists to safely share the roads. When we advise each other to cower amidst glass and roadkill lest we be crushed by an angry or in-attentive motorist we are neglecting the other half of the conversation.
The carnage is all in one direction. It is motorists who's behavior must change. The worst that can be said of us is that we are annoying and sometimes fail to obey stop signs. Motorists are maiming and killing us and the argument that we somehow have it coming, basically, because we are in the way is absurd.
When a motorist buzzes you, threatens you, or strikes you they are in violation of the law and you need to not only report them but you need to insist on filing a complaint or accident report. If there are witnesses you must insist that they testify. Don't call the motorist names. Don't gesture. Don't give up. Take the time, file a report and insist in court that we be given the same level of respect for our rights and our vulnerability that is shown throughout Europe.
Nothing new. Be safe, but also be patient and take the time and demand change and create change. -Gordon Haber
Spot on, Gordo. I recall a 3 week bike trip in Provence in 2004. Specifically, a long climb we did on a narrow road that went through dark tunnel. We were single file, but there still wasn't enough room for cars to get by. So they lined up behind us, as it turned out 8 of them. None of the crowded us, none tailgated us, none honked, no drivers cursed at us or made obscene gestures. They just sat on until, after maybe 7 or 8 minutes, the road widened enough for them to pass. At which point they did, every one of them swinging out as far as possible, three of them giving us a "toot-toot" with the horn accompanied by a friendly wave. You can only imagine the results had this scene played out in, say, Estacada.
ReplyDeleteWe had a similar experience riding up hill through a tunnel-- except the car stayed behind us and turned up his lights and lit the way for us until we came out into daylight. It would never happen in Clackastan...
ReplyDeleteWell said my friend. Q is great but not so great I've stopped missing Lakeside!
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