Bloody cyclists!

How often have you been stuck in a line of slow-moving traffic, and when you got to the front you discovered an artic that cant pass some muppet on his pushbike? Twenty feet off to the left, there's a custom-built expensive 'cycle path' but the lycra clad halfwit decides that he'd much rather travel down the road and hold up half the damn county. Frustrating? You betcha.

How about being sat waiting at a red traffic light and watched a pushbike come flying through flat out, completely oblivious to the lights? Frustrating? You betcha.

Amazingly, though, you dont seem to find other cyclists condemning these actions. The cycle paths are "slower", "less convenient". Waiting at a red light is "dangerous", as the cyclist then has to pull away at the same time as the car alongside him. Somehow, then, cyclists are some evolutionary step above the rest of us, and shouldn't be thought to have to ride with consideration to other traffic, or even obey traffic law! Its small wonder, then, that many car drivers view cyclists as a 'sub class' and dont give them much room.

While writing this blog, I came across the following response to a cyclist who stated that he didn't want preferential treatment, just fair treatment. I've paraphrased it here:

First off, other vehicles that use roads pay for the privilege. They
pay licensing fees, fuel taxes, and in some cases, tolls. You want to
skate away, tax free.

Second off, if it weren't for driver training and licensing, there
would be some good drivers and bad drives just like there are good
pedalers and bad pedalers. But you want to use the roads without any
driver training and licensing.

Thirdly... Where the Amish live, they get signs warning vehicles that there are
slow moving buggies in the area. Where the deer live, there are signs
warning about the places they cross. By schools, there are warnings.
By farms, there are warnings. By truck entrances to roadways, there
are warnings. Near construction sites, there are warnings. If your
vehicle can't keep up to roadway speeds, you need warnings. Any other
vehicle traveling at the speeds that you travel at are required to
have a large, orange triangle on the back of it. If you are a
vehicle, you should have one too, unless you want special rules for
you.

Other vehicles have minimum age requirements to drive on a public
street. Do you want that for bikes or do you want special rules.

Other vehicles are required to have headlights, turn lights, and brake
lights. Do you want them too, or do you want special rules.

Other vehicles are required to have minimum tread depth on tires. I
think it's 3/32nds MINIMUM. Do you want to carry around that much
rubber or do you want special rules.

So yes, you do want/need special rules.

Add in number plates that this person obviously forgot to mention, and I think that about sums it up!