Cyclists

by schnee

Cycling around town is awesome. You maintain your health, reduce carbon dependencies and get to mock all people in cars. Win, win, win. Except when you are a loser.

Go ahead and take the right-most lane on the road – in the absence of a bike lane, asserting possession of a car lane is the right call. Sure, you are slower than the traffic, but, assuming two-lanes-in-each-direction, cars can pass on the left when they get a chance. Here’s the thing:

Stay in the lane! When traffic comes to a stop, stay in the lane. Sure, you can fit between the cars and wiggle your way right up to the crosswalk (for example) and wait at the front of the line for the light to change. Yeah, you can do it, but in doing so, you’re likely to leap frog over cars that have passed you on the left, forcing them behind you once again. Causing them to have to pass you all over again and pissing them off.

Traffic laws are on your side, should the now-pissed-off driver decide to cut you off a little too close. That’s scant consolation however when your 200 pounds of flesh-and-titanium connects with 4000 pounds of steel.

I’m looking at you, Mr. Cycle North on the Lamar Bridge at 6pm Guy.