Dangerous drivers are a threat to bicycle riders

QUntil my recent retirement (yay!), I was a bicycle commuter. I’ve been following the Roadshow conversation about “Idaho stops,” where bicyclists can roll through empty intersections. I always roll through empty intersections. It’s hard to get going again after a full stop, especially uphill.

In my many years of cycling experience, there are two kinds of drivers who put cyclists at risk. One is the driver who is distracted or clueless. Defensive riding usually solves that problem. And other dangerous drivers are the ones who have a sense of entitlement to the road and actually want to scare us (or worse, harm us), so we will leave.

I’ve had drivers yell really bad stuff at me. There was a pickup truck that would accelerate in order to blow thick diesel fumes in my face every time he saw me. Talk about your greenhouse gases.

Maybe it’s time for a major education campaign. Do drivers know what the laws are? Do cyclists and pedestrians? In many cases, the answer is no. Let’s do information and a spirit of acceptance. Whattaya say?

— Susan Morris,

Livermore

A

Go for it, folks. Here’s a tip from Cheryl-theMarin-County-League-ofAmerican-Bicyclists-Certified-Instructor on dangerous right hooks:

“The near misses have more to do with bad positioning on the road than treating stop signs as yield signs. At an intersection where motor vehicles may be turning right, cyclists should position themselves in the main travel lane to be more visible to others and prevent a dreaded right-hook collision. Positioning themselves to the right of a large vehicle at an intersection puts them in a blind spot. There’s much more to bicycling safely than just balancing and braking.”

Q

Because bicycle and auto drivers are supposed to follow the same rules if bicycles don’t have to stop at low-volume intersections, why do cars have to stop? Is this unequal enforcement? What would the judge say? I got a ticket in Berkeley at a T-intersection because my wheel did not come to a complete stop. No conversation. Just handed me the ticket.

— John Pearl, Walnut Creek Stop A means stop. Q I realize bicycle riders are exempt from all common road laws such as stop signs and red lights, but is it too much to ask that they don’t flip you off if I almost hit them while going through a green light?

And did I mention bicycle riders are the rudest people on the road?

Yes, I am a safe bicycle rider.

— Bob Minshew

A

No flipping anyone off.