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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!tektronix!stever
From: stever@tektronix.UUCP (Steve Rogers)
Newsgroups: net.bicycle
Subject: re: bikes and autos
Message-ID: <1485@tektronix.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 23-Oct-83 05:01:13 EDT
Article-I.D.: tektroni.1485
Posted: Sun Oct 23 05:01:13 1983
Date-Received: Tue, 25-Oct-83 00:59:48 EDT
Organization: Tektronix, Beaverton OR
Lines: 34

Having a strong belief in the rightness of riding with traffic, which I
have been doing for over twenty years, I got on my bike after a month's
absence to go down to the local bicycle collective.  On my way there,
I had to cross a bridge that had been narrowed and detoured because of
highway work below.  It was a very narrow lane with a sharp right
turn and partially blind. 
  
I could not believe it, as I was riding in the center of the lane, when
a car attempted to pass me going over a DOUBLE yellow line.  If I had
not immediately yielded (i.e. read stopped against the edge of the bridge),
an oncomming car would have got us both.

I caught up to the driver at the next stop light (they never expect
that!) and told him off.  He finally rolled down his window after I
began chaning his license plate and told me that he did not need to
be told how to drive!  This guy was in a nice shiny new black car
and was wearing coat and tie.  A guy on a motorcycle behind him
told me he would back me up if I wanted to report him. 

But, of course, even with the new bicycle law, the police won't do
anything unless damage has occurred (I would hope they would do
something if they had witnessed it!).  Under the new law, I had
absolute right-of-way.  I still strongly believe in riding with
traffic at all times.  But we need to educate drivers as well as
bicyclists.  
   
Maybe the only way is to keep a local data base on offending drivers
and send them a copy of the auto/bicycle laws after each offense.
Several reports on a driver should convince the police to at least
call on the driver to cut it out!
   
To be fair, we would have to have ready to hand out, bicycle/vehicle
laws for offending bicyclists.