I’d like to begin this post by stating that I am a cyclist by nature and by nurture. My father raced bicycles in his twenties and I spent a lot of my childhood on the back of a tandem. In fact, I was probably riding bikes before I could really walk. The happiest moments of my life have been while riding my bike through the mountains of Colorado and the hills of Pennsylvania. I’m a cyclist to my bones.
I consider myself a supporter of bicycle road rights and before I got my drivers license I just couldn’t understand why some people don’t like bicyclists on the road. Now, I realize that just because my father raised me with an understanding of the rules involved with riding a bike in traffic, not everyone else was raised with those same guidelines. It’s the people who don’t follow the rules that make it hard for the entire bicycling community.
I was driving up a curved hill the other day, luckily the speed limit wasn’t very high, because when I came around a blind corner, there was a bicyclist riding down the center of the lane, straight towards me. It was clear that he was crossing from one side of the street to the other, but when he saw me, he didn’t speed up or swerve out of the way, but stayed in the middle of the road, assuming that I wouldn’t hit him.
Luckily for him, I wasn’t going that fast and my car has good brakes and I didn’t hit him, but it struck me fast and hard that this is why lots of people don’t like cyclists on the road. It’s not because of those of us who obey traffic laws and ride smart, it’s because of the stupid people who assume that because they’re on a bicycle, suddenly, the rules of the road don’t apply to them.
Well, the rules apply. By Maine state law, bicycles are considered moving vehicles and are held to most of the same laws as cars. Bicyclists must obey speed limits, (usually not too hard a feat), observe stop signs, obey traffic signals, ride on the right side of the road, signal intent, etc.
Yes, Maine also has laws protecting cyclists – give cyclists at least three feet of room when passing and don’t honk your horn unnecessarily at cyclists, to name two- but that doesn’t give us leave to do whatever the hell we want.
I know this post is a little bit of a rant, but I’ve got cyclists’ best interests in heart – and I’m counting myself in that number. Just please, remember, the next time you’re out on your bike, be smart and follow the rules. Don’t give anyone a reason not to want to share the road.
Thank you for reading.
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