Comments on: Dear Lexus Driver,

By: Arlyn

Arlyn — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 00:00:44 +0000

Thanks Andy. I like:

And it’s not really a matter of right or wrong, it’s a matter of life or death.

Good luck in making your neighborhood safer!

By: Andrew

Andrew — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 23:41:48 +0000

Glad to hear you’re okay. And I like your approach to getting the word out. I too, find myself yelling out at the momment of the occurance. But in retrospect, I find that I am acting out of fear, and not in anger.
And it’s not really a matter of right or wrong, it’s a matter of life or death. The lawyers will sort out the right from the wrong, but at that point the damage is done. I hope that any accident would never be out of malicious intent.
I know of an area in my neighborhood that has me in the position of writing to the city, the newspaper, Caltrans, all all of the above. Or do nothing. I choose not to do nothing. The area that I am referring to is a brand new interchange that at first blush appears to be a candidate for some award. If your driving a car it’s wonderful, but try riding your bike through there and you’ll be in for a rude awaking, I was. I am both shocked, and amazed that the best minds in the industry did not even see this as a potential for trouble and install signs warning both the motorist and the cyclist. Until everyone rides bicycles, or no one does, we need to stay aware.

By: Arlyn

Arlyn — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 17:38:39 +0000

Thanks Barry, you make some excellent points. I like your assertion that if we want to be safe as cyclists, then we should expect to be part of making cycling safe.

By: Barry

Barry — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 17:14:35 +0000

Sorry to hear about this. I guess this is the inherent risk of mixing cars and bikes on the road. When I was in the army in Anchorage Alaska in the 70’s, I did not have a car. 6 months out of the year I rode my Peugeot 10 speed (it weighed 50 pounds I am sure) everywhere. Someone in Anchorage with amazing foresight designed a system of bike trails that kept cars and bikes separated and allowed me to get almost anywhere and avoid major arterials. I felt safe, even though we did not know what a helmet was back then.

I do not think that you can expect random acts of stupidity to stop. Unfortunately, the onus is on you to pay attention and protect yourself so that you can spend time with your wife, children and friends. One thing you can do to make sure that the roads are safer for future generations, is to actively support the part of cycling community that is trying to ensure that bike lanes and right-of- way are not an afterthought or considered a necessary evil. This not only applies to new construction, but to redevelopment and retrofit as well. I did a report on cycling while I was in college, and was astonished what some cities did to promote cycling in their area. Not just mandating trails as a condition of new construction, but making the tough and expensive decisions to provide safe corridors for cyclists. It will take a lot of perseverance, but I think with the current political shift toward green technology, the awareness of carbon footprint and the benefits of exercise, there is no time like the present to let your voice be heard, or at least support those that have taken on the cause.

By: Arlyn

Arlyn — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 00:21:28 +0000

Thanks Scott. I have to admit that when it happened, I screamed obscenities at the car. Then I followed the driver to their house and very politely introduced myself and said what happened. The driver was very nice about it.

By: Scott

Scott — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 23:47:03 +0000

I’m sorry to hear of your mishap, but glad that you are ok. My friends’ eyes get glossy when I go off on my rants about how motorists too often forget the high stakes of driving large heavy vehicles.

Yours is a good approach, revealing yourself as a human being. I’m better than I used to be about getting angry at motorists and I’m learning that a friendly explanation of who you are and cyclists’ legal rights goes a lot farther than some of the baser reactions, but it’s always a struggle.

Be safe out there.