I respect people who cycle along city streets. It’s a genuinely difficult activity.
The challenge of city cycling is not primarily a physical challenge. It’s a challenge of character. Cyclists must keep a fine balance between humility and dignity.
On the one hand, a cyclist has to be humble and willing to surrender his right of way should the need arise. It’s nice to be right, but it’s nicer to be alive.
On the other hand, a cyclist cannot surrender his right of way too cheaply. It’s at best gross irresponsibility if he undermines himself and all his fellows by failing to claim that which is his due. Training motorists to disrespect cyclists is a Bad Thing.
Complicating his dilemma are the facts that
- Some motorists are ignorant
- Some motorists don’t care (or can’t care)
- Some motorists are jerks
- It’s nearly impossible to distinguish which motorists are which
The same tension occurs most everywhere in life; it’s a general problem. How hard can you push to keep the jerks at bay while avoiding becoming one? For a cyclist, understanding the value of humility is not so difficult; it’s directly tied to his health. In other areas, the consequences of pushing too hard are not as apparent.
Things you can do; things you have the right to do; things you should do: not always the same.
On the biking front, I tend to cheat somewhat and use the service roads along the side of 142 St.
That being said, I know of a courier who carries a fistful of golf balls to throw at the rear windows of motorists who don’t follow the rules of the road. I’m not saying I approve, but it does have a certain appeal…