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All I am saying is that our cause would be helped if we acknowleged the PR problem.

I acknowledge the PR problem. But as you pointed out, the PR problem comes more from the irrational behavior of those who get upset about "bad"* biking while being blind to bad driving, than it does from actual "bad" biking. So the solution is not to focus on reducing bad biking, but to focus on the irrational behavior.

Even if we got every cyclist to follow every law, there would still be people who call cyclists scofflaws because of cyclists without helmets, or riding on sidewalks, or passing on the left, or holding up traffic, or riding in a travel lane when a bike lane is "right there" etc...

Why should cyclists have to be held to a higher standard than drivers?

You know what the most egregious example of scofflaw behavior on the road is? It's those bubble-shaped license plate covers that people put on to thwart photo-enforcement. Nothing says "I have total disdain for your laws" like an open and blatant attempt to undermine the ability to enforce them. But no one gets upset about that. They're illegal in DC and I don't think anyone enforces them - even though it would be easy for parking enforcement to do so.

So I tell you what, you know that thing we did to get drivers to all follow the law? Why don't we just do the same thing, but for cyclists. What was that thing we did again?

*much of what is labelled as "bad" isn't even illegal as I listed above. Or when it is illegal, it's not dangerous or impolite. I would rather focus on the things cyclist do that are actually dangerous - like riding at night without lights, wrong-way cycling or turning from the left side of the road - than on PR BS like stop signs (which drivers routinely ignore as well). I will hug the next scofflaw-cyclist complainer who lists only these three items (or at least starts with them) and say "God Bless you" as I do so.

by David C on Jun 8, 2012 11:12 pm • link • report

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