I’ve done my share of bike-commuting, and YEAH, IT’S FU$#%# SCARY. OK, got that off my chest.
I don’t think it’s so much a matter of riding “whereever, whenever” as just about all roads are legal to bicycle on. The ones that aren’t usually have large signs stating this. But, there are rude ways to ride and considerate ways to ride. I’m of the opinion that the rude ways to ride usually get you killed. It doesn’t matter if I’m right or wrong, when your car hits my bike I’m gonna be hurt.
Eden, if you find yourself braking fast to avoid a bicyclist, is it that you’re not seeing them in enough time to brake slowly? If this is the case, you can usually train yourself to see cyclist a little better - it’s just a matter of remembering to look farther ahead, and to see bikes like you see cars. Of course, I know a lot of bicyclist can be hard to see at night (they should be wearing reflective clothing and lights) and some bicyclists don’t follow the rules of the road.
If there are more than one cyclists riding together, they should be riding single file. If you’re having to brake to avoid a pack that’s riding in parallel, then you have the right to be mad!
Most cities do outlaw riding on the sidewalks, so that’s not really an option.
DW3 said:
Bicyclists do not register their bikes and pay exhorbatent(sp?) taxes for road maintenance. (Although AK is far less the CA) They are not motor vehicles. More and more highways are forbidding pedistrian traffic with bicycles on the list. So bicycles are not vehicles!
VERY few bicyclist have a bike as their only vehicle. We register our cars and pay the same taxes you do. So if you’re going to complain about bicyclists on the road, get a better argument.
Bicycles aren’t vehicles since we can’t be on a highway. Bicycles aren’t pedestrians, since we can’t be on the sidewalk. Where CAN we be?!?