[SDCBC] put brakes on antisocial cyclists...

[John Forester]

I have written on this list that vehicular cycling was the norm in 
Britain; I deliberately used the past tense, because I have observed 
that the same anti-motoring bikeway rot had set in. After all, Andy 
Clarke, America's leading anti-motoring bikeway advocate, now the 
executive director of LAB, started his career with British Friends of 
the Earth (or some such organization), and I have had discussions, 
both email and in person, with leaders of that organization. The 
article in The Scotsman reflects the ambiguity that has developed. 
Note that the author explicitly says that cyclists must use the 
roadway, with the implication, which he felt not need to explicate, 
that the cyclist will be obeying the rules of the road for drivers of 
vehicles, but he also wishes for bike lanes on all roadways, without, 
apparently, understanding that bike lanes practically require 
deviating from those rules.



At 06:22 PM 1/10/2007, Jim Baross wrote:
>Remember our discussions about non-law abiding bicyclists - 
>scofflaws some call 'em?
>
>It's time to put brakes on antisocial cyclists
>
>Here's a timely article and interesting point of view from a 
>bicyclist advocate in England. For instance -
>"Occasionally cyclists are so stupid and selfish it makes you wonder 
>if the wind has somehow whistled through their ears too quickly and 
>sucked their brains out. Cycling without lights at night is not some 
>environmentally courageous way of showing how you and the owls are 
>as one; it's a way of being on a bicycle that says: "I don't care 
>about anyone else other than myself. If some elderly person or small 
>child crossing the road can't see me - hard cheese on them. I am on 
>a bicycle and don't care."
>
>For the part of the world where this writer lives, pavement = sidewalk.
>
>http://news.scotsman.com/opinion.cfm?id=43862007
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John Forester, MS, PE
Bicycle Transportation Engineer
7585 Church St.
Lemon Grove, CA 91945-2306
619-644-5481 www.johnforester.com
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