PlatKat.com: Share the Road

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

Share the Road

The slogan in this entry title is popular among cyclists, but whenever I have the unfortunate chagrin of getting stuck behind one, I often want to say the same thing to him. Just to be clear, I'm not one of those crazy assholes that tails cyclists, blasting her horn and shouting obscenities just to be a jerk. I love bikes. I think they're a healthy, sometimes easy way to commute, and there's no doubt that Mother Earth smiles upon the good folks who ride them.

But sometimes, cyclists can be just as irascible as the drivers they annoy. I had to deal with it in Austin more than I do here because there are fewer bike lines there. Some places in Austin were truly terrible. Cyclists would consume an entire lane of rush hour traffic, riding at half the pace of the posted speed limit, yet they expected to be treated as if they were in a car. When you're caged in a five-ton hunk of metal that can move faster than me, I'll treat you like you're in a car. Until then, stay the hell out of my way.

Anyway, today, instead of sanctimoniously taking up an entire chunk of space in front of me, a cyclist did something really cool. The cyclist in front of me and I were approaching a red light. We both stop, and he is appropriately situated in the bike lane. I want to turn right, where the bike lane is. He wants to go straight so he was stopped. Seeing that I was behind him, he scooted over to the far edge of his lane so I could pass. I yelled my most chipper "thank you" as I passed (yes, some of us have to make an effort to be chipper) and he replied "you're welcome." Made my fuckin' day.

posted by platkat @ 8:09 PM