But yes…side strees are great. They are sometimes a cycle lane all on their own, as they might run parallel to the main road for a long way (especially in cities with approximate grid systems)…and that way you see so much that you don’t see of the city when driving. Makes you appreciate things on the human scale more….

-cvj

That’s interesting about riding on the sidewalk, but it makes sense. It would be useful if more people knew about that rule. I have some friends who bike everywhere, taking their baby along in a little bike trailer. The kid looks so vulnerable to me! They are very, very safety conscious, and they keep to the safest routes possible. Still, I wish there were a better option for them than riding in traffic. Bike lanes help, of course, but they say that quiet side streets are generally safer than major streets with bike lanes.

No, it’s not too late to comment on this matter, Janet, or anyone. I think it is important. And yes, it is awful that several cyclints do have the attitude that you mention. One thing that happens over here in LA is that there are several people who simply cycle on the “sidewalk” as standard, because they (rightly or wrongly) regard the roads as dangerous. I was mortified by this, and could not bring myself to do it, on principle, until I realised that (1) there are times when you have no choice, and (2) actually, it is legal, but the rules say that you must do it only when you are not disruptive to pedestrians, and (3) in some -by no means all- places in the city, there are no people on the sidewalks anyway, so it is a sort of cycle lane by default. So it is ok, but then some people get carried away and do crazy things around pedestrians and help give cyclists the “niusance” reputation that they sometimes have. the main problem there is that people never recall the good encounters, only the bad ones. Most times cyclists pass by and you don’t even know it. There’s just got to be care on both sides, and yes, a bit more care from the person who can do the most injury would be nice.

Wave if you pass me (or my friend) out there on the road!

-cvj

I am essentially on the side of the bicyclists in this matter. I don’t ride (grew up at the top of a steep hill and never learned), but I do a lot of walking, take public transport to work most days, and try to avoid driving as much as I can.

As a driver I figure that it’s my job to look out for bicyclists, because I can do them a lot more damage than they can do me. If they’re not following the rules of the road I grumble, and sometimes I’m tempted to yell out my window “are you trying to force me to kill you?” But that’s rare. However, as a pedestrian, I’ve had a number of unpleasant altercations with bicyclists regarding near-misses, none of which were my fault. I don’t hold this against bicyclists in general, but I have encountered some troubling attitudes, particularly “bicyclists are above the law and above criticism” and “old, slow, disabled, and infirm people should just get out of our way” enough times to think that these must be part of some segments of the bike culture. So I do appreciate that your friend didn’t ride into the pedestrian mall, but it doesn’t surprise me at all that some of his companions did.

-cvj

It is an amazing expression of unfettered freedom seeing hundreds of women, naked except for mind blowing body painting and attached decorations to their bikes and hair, claiming all of the roads of Black Rock City as their own for a couple of hours. While this isn’t LA, nor the Bay Area et al, Black Rock City does have a population of 30+ thousand very intensely motivated hedonists and anarchists who have spend vast fortunes creating the opportunity for themselves to BE in a temporary autonomous zone. Thus the ability of a couple of thousand women to reclaim all of the roads is a powerful statement indeed. I suspect that the same could be said if Clifford’s friend and all of those who participate with “him” were to ride along the Hollywood freeway naked during rush hour on a Friday.

-cvj