I apologize for giving motorists a hard time yesterday. I felt guilty today. Because of that guilt, I spent much of my time while driving (which I did alot of today) analyzing the etiquette of cyclists on the road and thinking about what cyclists can do to try to move the mountain of bad karma they seem to have created.
So....cyclists: this one's for you.
* Do signal more frequently and at the appropriate time. Remember that your signaling is binary: you do it once, and then stop. However, the signal of a car, those other users of the open road, stays on until disengaged by the correction of the wheel after the turn. What does this mean for you? You may think the cars behind you saw your left turn signal when in reality they missed it because they were too far back or you flicked it once and did not do it again. My suggestion: do it once about 100ft before the turn, then do it again right before and/or through the very beginning of the turn. Same approach applies to lane changes.
*Do ride single file, particularly on crowded roads. If you are riding on a completely open road with no other traffic, stay attuned to traffic behind you and adjust your position accordingly.
*Do use the shoulder if it is there and the surface is smooth.
*Don't cycle on the feeder at rush hour (I actually saw a cyclist doing this tonight). Bad idea for both you and the other motorists. Neither one of you wants to get in a collision. But, let's face it, the consequences of such a thing would be much worse on you. Even if you can avoid a collision, why open yourself up to such a risk? Just not worth pushing your "pedestrian" status around in that venue.
*Do wear bright clothing and a properly fitted helmet. Truthfully, most cyclists follow this rule.
*Don't listen to anything else but the sound of the traffic, e.g. music, books on tape, or anything else can play on standard MP3 devices. You need to be aware of what is going on around you, particularly what is coming up behind you.
*Do use a rear-view mirror. You may still have to turn your head right before you turn to get a full view, but at least you will be able to take a peek while keeping your eyes on the road ahead of you.
*Do yield right of way, even at stop signs. You are expected to follow the same rules of the road as motorists. Not doing so confuses traffic, leads to accidents, and just results in pissing everyone off.
As I commented in yesterday's post, the situation between motorists and cyclists is caused by mutually aggressive behavior and insensitive presumptions. With a little accommodation from both parties that state of affairs might be reversed or at least quelled.
Why not try out some of these ideas the next time you are next out cycling on the open road and report back?
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