When we think of road rage, these are the things that come to mind: drivers flipping the bird, blaring horns, or our personal fave, flailing hands in the rear view (the WTF of driver sign language).
If you're a biker in this city, you know road rage goes beyond people who drive cars, and well into bike lanes and beyond. As much as most of my friends adore cycling (well, some of us -- half raves and the other half reels in fear), biking in a city is cause for grey hairs.
Cyclists have road rage against each other (there's nothing more frustrating than biking behind a slow cyclist) and cars (Move. Over. Your car is way too close for comfort). Here are some more thoughts:
Dear pedestrians,
Look for bike traffic when you're stepping out into the street. You wouldn't just run out and hope for the best when a car was coming, would you? Why would you do the same when a cyclist is riding down the street? I've seen some people get seriously slammed by a biker, then yell at the biker for not stopping. Pedestrians hold some of the responsibility, too!
Love, Toronto bikers
Dear (other) cyclists,
Act like cars! You can't have the best of both worlds, following road rules when it's convenient, then following pedestrian rules when that's the better option. Stop jumping up to bike on the sidewalk because traffic is stopped. Stop blowing past cars on the right when they're turning. If you were driving a car you wouldn't do either of those things, so why do them when you're on a bike?
Love,(responsible) Toronto bikers
Dear newbies,
My beef is with other bikers. Wearing your iPod is just ridiculous. Scooting between lanes: also ridiculous. Cyclists have blind spots too. Check them. That's all. This is raising my blood pressure. Wear a helmet. It's the law (well, at least if you're under 18) and it can save your life. Don't get me wrong: there's no better feeling than the sun on your back and the wind on your face when cycling. We have smiles plastered on our faces the entire time, not even minding the occasional bug plastered on our front tooth as a result. We just needed to let off a little pent-up steam.
So, after getting on a bike after almost 17 years recently, the old adage is true -- you never forget how to ride a bike. You just may need a lesson in the rules of the road.
Debra Goldblatt is the founder and President of rock-it promotions, a boutique public relations agency in Toronto, Canada. rock-it promotions creates national campaigns that build recognition and generate positive media coverage for lifestyle, fashion, health, beauty and film clients among many more. A version of this post first appeared on www.onthefourthfloor.com
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Wheels live on the roads, people on the pavements (side-walks). I won't wander onto the road if you don't wander onto the pavement. If you a are a small child cycling alongside a walking grown up, then please stay on the pavement for your safety. If you are old enough to cycle independently please use the roads. I'm a wuss, I'll freely admit it, but it freaks me out when a cyclist comes swooshing past me inches away as I walk along the pavement. I may not have been hit, but I'm still startled.
Lets make a deal, I won't walk in your cycle lanes, if you don't ride on my pavement.
Yours sincerely
a pedestrian
I stop at lights, I only walk when there's a green man. Please do me the courtesy of obeying traffic laws and stopping at red lights. I'm a good pedestrian, the only time I have been run over was by a cyclist who didn't stop at the red light.
Yours sincerely
a pedestrian
Turns out the research is mixed on helments... At least with adult males. Yes, if your head is going to hit something it is better to have a helment on.
However, research in the UK shows that car drivers give much less room to adult males wearing helmets... So, better if you're hit, but more likely to be hit.
They go the wrong way down one-way streets, ride on sidewalks, and--worst--go plowing against red lights through crowded crosswalks, sending pedestrians and their belongings flying. I've watched this for 30 years, and never have I seen a cyclist stopped and ticketed. Not once. Worst are the cyclist-messengers.
This is my main beef with cyclists. So many of them think they have free rein to do whatever they want on the road just because they can. However, the two biggest offenses I see are not mentioned here: running red lights and blowing through stop signs. Those things aren't there for the sake of tying up traffic, they are there for YOUR safety. If you don't want to stop because you don't like all the extra pedaling, then don't ride a bike.
One addition: Toronto cyclists need to beware the streetcar tracks, especially if you're on a road bike. I had an unfortunate tumble on King Street recently :(
Yes! One way to deal with that is to get into a much lower gear so at least your energy has somewhere to go.