Who's the nuisance here?

Every motorist has an opinion about cyclists. Most of what I hear is that they are a nuisance on the road. I am not sure whether most cyclists view themselves this way from the motorist point of view. I am a cyclist and I think cyclists can be a nuisance when they are not following the standard rules of the road or when they are hogging the space up (e.g. riding abreast instead of in line).

However, as long as these two issues are taken into consideration, cyclists shouldn't be treated differently just because they are cyclists. In fact, they are considered pedestrians by law and should be treated with a bit more deference. Whether or not you as the motorist likes it, you will be 100% at fault if you hit a cyclist just as you would if you hit a pedestrian.

I admit, there are rude cyclists out there. They don't signal effectively when turning, they assume right of way just because they know they are are in the "pedestrian" category, they ride two and sometimes three abreast on the road just so they can converse with their partners, or they ride in large groups on narrow roads. This is not unlike behavior exhibited by motorists in much bigger and faster vehicles (except for the driving abreast to converse with each other :O )

What's the difference? We are neither protected by alot of steel nor are we endowed with the speed it takes to escape a potentially dangerous situation caused by another motorist who may have woken up on the wrong side of the bed.

Maybe motorists could look at us cyclists in a new light.

*Don't stereotype us. Just because we are on a bicycle we are one of those selfish ones who doesn't follow the general rules of the road. There are inconsiderate cyclists just like there are inconsiderate drivers. We ARE all people. If we are signalling properly and trying to stay in the shoulder or close to it, give us a break and some space.

*Don't try to cut us off or speed past us to make a point. Would you do this to a pedestrian if one was walking in the shoulder or on the side of the road? Hopefully not. Not only are you playing with fire around a pedestrian with no steel encasing, but you are also making a fool of yourself. Plus, we really don't care and just flip you off behind your bumper anyhow.

*Do try to understand that we don't like being on the road with you any more than you like being on the road with us. But we all have to share. Fortunately for you, you have the advantage of greater physical protection from the effects of road rage; fortunately for us WE do always have right of way.

*Do try to put yourself in our shoes some time. It will open your eyes, maybe even your heart.

*Do understand that the shoulders make lousy bike lanes. Most times they are littered with debris ~ big debris like nuts and bolts and metal and rocks ~ and the surfacing on them is course and irregular. In an ideal world, we should be using them to keep off the open road. In the real world, we have to avoid them more often than not because the debris not only damages our equipment but can also contributes to skids and falls.

If every motorist were to take these suggestions to heart and try one or more of them out on the road, and every cyclist were to signal more effectively and not hog the road if it can be helped, the driving environment would be safer and friendlier for all.