Drive Me Crazy
Non-cyclists are forever saying that bike riders should be held to the same standards as motorists. Agreed, but turnabout is fair play. Motorists should have to abide by the same behavior expected of cyclists. For instance:* When drivers arrive at a stop sign or red light, they must open the door and put one foot on the ground to prove they have made a full stop.
* Cyclists who momentarily leave the bike lane to avoid an obstacle always suffer the wrath of motorists. Similarly, cars should not be permitted to change lanes in order to avoid mattresses, ladders, pedestrians and the like.
* Group rides get hassled. So should large groups of motor vehicles. Find yourself driving in a long line of cars on the highway? You're disrupting traffic for everyone behind. The cops should be able to pull you over and even confiscate your vehicle. (Might be hard to get your car in the back seat of the cruiser, but that's a detail to be worked out later.)
* Who always gets blamed in a car-bike crash? You got it. Similarly, if a larger vehicle like a dump truck collides with a car, it must be the car's fault. Because they're operating a smaller class of vehicle, car drivers de facto don't know what they're doing and must be punished.
* Cyclists are constantly being told they don't belong on the road because they don't "pay taxes" by buying gas, paying tolls, etc., even though many riders also drive -- just not at this moment. Likewise, motorists shouldn't have access to public services like police protection on the road unless they are actually paying their taxes while driving.
Which, unfortunately, many drivers probably do. <a href="http://www.roadbikerider.com/#SPIN">http://www.roadbikerider.com/#SPIN</a>;
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