[SDCBC] Good article on bicycle scofflaws

[Trevor Bourget]

At 06:29 PM 1/5/2007, John Forester wrote:
>Attributing these instances to social ignorance, or to the desire 
>that cycling be play, ignores the role of society in creating these attitudes.

Society is not a thing as you have tried to describe it. Saying that 
a group has actions is just shortcut talk for declaring the 
predominant (the "norm") action of particular individuals of the 
group. When I assert that eating while driving is normal, I merely 
mean that it has become common to do so.

>Our society has spent very large efforts for eighty years or more to 
>getting people to understand that motorists should operate as 
>drivers of vehicles.

Yes, when people operate dangerous equipment it is in all of our best 
interests that we be encouraged to use them safely, in order to avoid 
killing each other. It is the proper role of government to protect 
each of our rights by regulating each of us in order to protect the 
others. It is also the proper role of government to regulate 
corporations in order to protect individuals.

>our society has pushed cyclists to the extreme side of the roadway, 
>or even off the roadway, and has since 1975 built bikeways to 
>physically enforce those principles, while all the time saying that 
>these measures are necessary because cyclists are incapable of 
>operating as drivers of vehicles.

I asserted that while some cyclists may be capable of operating as 
drivers of vehicles, the majority of people who may ride a bicycle 
cannot be trusted to ride one according to the laws that govern 
motorists. Ignoring the issue of whether they could be taught the 
skills or the knowledge, I asserted that most individuals who ride 
bicycles do not want to obey any rules when they ride bicycles. They 
want to play. Using the word society as you did, I would say that 
"society thinks bike riding is play".

I suggest that the best way for bicyclists who want to be treated as 
drivers of vehicles to get what they want is to be sure that all 
bicyclists who really do want to play are provided a separate 
playground, so that cyclists who ride in the roadway can be assumed 
to be operating according to vehicular traffic principles. This may 
require that bicyclists who want to ride in the roadway give up 
something, such as their freedom to operate without a proper bicycle 
driving license, perhaps even one that must be affixed visibly to 
their bicycle such as are required for motor vehicles. Other workable 
differentiations may be possible, but I can't think of any at the moment.

I am interested to read what comments John Forester and others have 
to offer in response to these suggestions.

-- Trevor