The Other Side of "Share the Road"

Bikes are fun. Good exercise. Non-polluting transportation. And their riders deserve respect and care by motorists. Sharing the Road isn't a slogan, it's just common courtesy and decency.

But motorists are not the only offenders in this dialog. Every day I am amazed at how consistently bike riders blow through stop signs and stop lights as if graced with Divine Kevlar Bubbles. Do they not appreciate the fundamental physics of bicycle/automobile embraces? I worry every time I get behind the wheel that one of these "immortal" cyclists and I will meet under unfortunate circumstances. And over the years, I find I'm feeling less supportive of cyclists because of it.

Then there is the group blockade phenomenon. I get the social side of riding with friends, but when travelling in packs on busy roads with bike lanes, why are they not travelling IN THE BIKE LANES? How many times have you had to crawl or cross the center line to give berth to four- or five-abreast cyclists? Again, I wonder what they're thinking when they do this... does brightly colored spandex restrict bloodflow to the brain?

I hope they're not thinking "I AM CYCLIST, HEAR ME ROAR, WE OWN THE WHOLE ROAD BECAUSE WE ARE THE VIRTUOUS ONES!" Sharing the road means just that, sharing. And that road has to be a two-way street.