Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10 beta 3/9/83; site hplabsc.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!seismo!hao!hplabsc!paulson
From: paulson@hplabsc.UUCP (Anne Paulson)
Newsgroups: net.bicycle
Subject: bikes and cars
Message-ID: <1375@hplabsc.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 15-Sep-83 18:45:36 EDT
Article-I.D.: hplabsc.1375
Posted: Thu Sep 15 18:45:36 1983
Date-Received: Sun, 18-Sep-83 08:29:14 EDT
Organization: Hewlett Packard Labs, Palo Alto CA
Lines: 73

[This is in net.flame too.  Sorry about multiple separate postings, but
our postnews doesn't seem to want to allow me to post to two groups at once.]

I'm sick of being treated like a second-class citizen just because
I ride a bike instead of driving a two-ton metal monster.  I get rocks thrown
at me.  I get assholes demonstrating their complete imbecility by doing 
something dangerous, then yelling at me as if it were my fault that they
had IQ's lower than a grape's.  I have cars coming up to two inches behind
me, then suddenly honking their horns as loudly as possible.  
I've been passed on blind corners on narrow downhill roads with no shoulder 
so many time I'm beginning to think that's what they teach in Driver Ed.  
What is it that causes people's brains to stop functioning when they get
behind the wheel of a car?


Herewith, a few facts for drivers:

   Cyclists are entitled to ride on almost all roads (at least in California).
Bicycles have all the rights and privileges that other vehicles have.

   At intersections, traffic (that includes bicycle traffic) divides not
by speed, but by intended direction.  That means that if you are turning
right on a road with bike lanes, you merge into the bike lane, YIELDING
RIGHT OF WAY TO ALL BICYCLES IN THE BIKE LANE, before turning.  It also
means that left-turning bicycles must merge into the rightmost left turn
lane, so don't yell at cyclists who are in the middle of a lane 
at intersections.  They belong there.

   Don't honk at bicycles if you want to pass them.  You should only honk your
horn when you want to alert some other driver (or cyclist) of an unusual or
dangerous situation.  I assure you that for a cyclist, being passed by a car
is not an unusual situation.  Besides, bicycles are quiet, cars are loud, 
cyclists are not deaf, and cyclists are not encased in two tons of armor, 
so a cyclist can hear you coming.  He knows you are there. 
Try this experiment- have someone honk your car horn unexpectedly when 
you are standing  a foot in front of your car.  See how loud it is?  
See how you involuntarily jump? If you honk at a cyclist, you are likely 
to make him swerve.  

   Drivers seem to believe that since cars are fast and bicycles are slow,
cars should be able to always pass cyclists immediately.  WRONG!
It may never have occurred to you, but think on this-  sometimes THERE
ISN'T ROOM for a car to pass a cyclist.  Lots of roads have some very narrow
places where there is no shoulder.  Bicycles are entitled to use these roads.
Cycling in the center of the lane is the standard cyclist's technique for 
letting following cars know that the lane is too narrow for a car and a 
bike side by side,  so if you see a cyclist in the center of the lane, 
wait until it's safe to pass, then pass.  This may sound like simple advice,
but around here the majority of the drivers don't do it.  A couple of weeks
ago I was cycling down a twisty windy narrow road in a residential district.
I was doing maybe 25, in the middle of the lane since the road was
narrow and instead of a shoulder there was a cliff, and just as I was 
reaching a sharp curve some halfwitted driver tried to pass me by driving in
the other lane.   Suddenly a car appeared coming around the curve (heading
straight for the moron who was trying to pass me).  There was a great squeal
of brakes and the idiot managed to get behind me again.  Well, the other car
passed us, and then Dumbo went zipping past me, yelling something incoherent
to me about how I didn't deserve to be on the roads...  as if *I* were the
one who'd nearly caused the death of two people.  I regret to say that this
kind of incident is common.  Use your alleged brains, drivers!
(By the way, I know about the law that says if 5 or more cars are behind you
you have to pull over.  Of course, and I do...  but it doesn't say that when
one car is behind you you have to pull over IMMEDIATELY.  You are allowed to
wait until it's safe.  If you're behind me on some very narrow road and you
have to wait 30 seconds before you can pass me, too bad.  I was there first.)

                         Share the road with bikes!

                         Anne Paulson
                         Hewlett-Packard Labs
                         ucbvax!hplabs!paulson