A Note to the guys who got me killed

This is an open letter to those who caused, or will cause, my demise. If I haven't already, it's entirely possible that I'm going to get run over by some careless, impatient, inattentive, or mean spirited driver at some point in the future. And, I want to make sure that I put a good portion of the blame for that "accident" firmly in the hands of all those who are responsible.

The obvious blame falls on the driver. And, I may address that again in some future blog entry. But, today, I am focusing my attention on making the guilty parties feel guilty. And, who is that? It's you...guy on the bike!

That's right...I'm blaming "one of my own". Though, I don't really claim him as being in my crowd. Why? Because all the cyclists I know care whether they get hit by a car. But, this guy...we'll call him Biker Bill...doesn't seem to care at all.

Biker Bill is that guy I see while I am on my way to work in the morning. I'm pedaling along with myself and my bike light up like a Christmas tree. I've a got a blinky under my saddle, a blinky on the back of my helmet, a white blinky on the handlebars facing forward, my headlight on my helmet, the reflective piping on my pannier, the reflective markers on my gloves, pants, and shoe boots. I'm more likely to be mistaken for a landing UFO than to go unseen by passing motorists. Why? Because I care whether I get hit by a car.

Meanwhile, Biker Bill rides by in the other direction. He is riding his mountain bike (winter, summer, road, or trail...the bike is always the same) which is generally black, grey, or dark blue. He is wearing jeans. He is wearing a black witner jacket. He is wearing a black stocking cap, and black boots. He has no reflectors on his bike or on his person. He is, for all practical purposes, invisible. Sadly, he is not on the sidewalk. And, often he is not traveling with the flow of traffic. Instead...he is in the road making every possible effort to get hit by a car. And, each time a motorist passes him they swerve to miss him...and, in their car, they both frightened and angry. Frightened because they nearly killed someone they couldn't see. And, angry because they nearly killed someone they couldn't see. How much respect from drivers do you think that exchange earned for cyclists with drivers?

Biker Bill is that guy I pass on my way home from work in the afternoon. Its daylight and, theoretically, visibility isn't an issue. This time Biker Bill has chosen to ride his bike on the sidewalk. He's casually running over dogs and dog walker alike. Ocassionally he whacks some poor elementary school kid walking home from school. And, most unfortunate for me, he seems to make random and sudden decisions to ride on the sidewalk on the other side of the road. Since Biker Bill doesn't consider himself to be a part of traffic...he doesn't follow any traffic laws. Instead he just pulls out in to traffic and rides straight across the street. Cars must slow down, speed, up change lanes, or even screech to a hault in order to avoid Biker Bill. Yet again, Biker Bill has helped earn some respect for cyclists the world over.

Sometimes I see Biker Bill out with his friend Cycling Chris. Cycling Chris takes his riding a bit more seriously. He has a helmet on, wears his chamois, and rides a bike with drop bars. And, he knows that he has the right to be on the road is considered a part of traffic. So, Cycling Chris takes full advantage of that privilege by riding right in the middle of the lane/road. He slow, doesn't hold a straight line, and is careful to make sure that he upsets every driver behind him by the maximum amount. Why? Because he's got the right to, damnit! However, Cycling Chris' knowledge of his rights on the road does not seem to translate to a knowledge of his obligations on the road. He fails to signal turns or lane changes, coasts through stop signs, rides through red lights when the traffic is clear (and sometimes even when it isn't), passes cars on the right at traffic lights and intersections, and can be found dodging between cars when traffic is slow. In short, Biker Bill and Cyclist Chris have virtually insured that every motorist around them now hates everyone on a bike.

Finally, Biker Bill makes his last living act an effort to ruin cycling for everyone. How? By getting killed on his bike. Since he's not wearing a helmet, nor observing any rules of etiquette, nor following the rules of the road, nor taking his own safety in to consideration...eventually, in spite of the efforts of the good drivers on the road, Biker Bill is tragically hit by a car. His unprotected melon hits the pavement and he dies in a horrific and unsightly manner. The local newspaper/tv station will cover the story of his tragic death...and, not surprisingly, everyone who sees the news makes the assumption that all cyclists are just asking to die.

So, someday, when I get run over by someone...I'm making sure to blame Biker Bill. Maybe if drivers didn't encounter Biker Bill so often, they wouldn't treat the rest of us cyclists with such hostility. Certainly they'd be a bit more willing to share the road with us.