Sharing the roadways with cyclists is an ongoing battle. Admittedly, there have been times when, frustrated, I have thought that cyclists should be on the sidewalk instead of in the middle of traffic, slowing things down. However, whatever the case may be, cyclists are required by law to ride in the roadways with the flow of traffic (not against it). Despite the fact that most cyclists cannot pedal as fast as cars can drive, it is still the responsibility of both the driver and the cyclist to learn how to share the roadways together.
Being a cyclist isn t always the greatest thing in the world. While it is an awesome sport, it is also incredibly dangerous. As one of my friends (who is a cyclist) informed me: “There was one time when I was out riding and these people in a car pulled up along side of me and kept taunting me. I ignored them and kept riding, and that s when they started throwing bottles at me...bottles! I tried to speed up to get away, and then they actually ran me off the road. I fell off my bike and had to call my boyfriend to come pick me up because my bike was damaged and I was hurt.”
The story that my friend told me is still vivid in her mind though it happened years ago. I often think about her when I am driving on the roadways and see cyclists riding alongside of me. While I may get frustrated from time to time, there is no reason why anyone should want to harm someone else simply because they feel like it or because they are upset. If anything, if you find yourself becoming frustrated while driving, safely pull off the road or pull off to the side of the road. Take a couple of deep breaths, get out of the car and walk around for a little bit and then get back in and continue driving. Remember that a frustrated driver is often a distracted driver, which is a dangerous thing to be on the roads. Not only are you putting your life in jeopardy, but you are also putting other people s lives at risk as well.
If you really want to know what it s like to be a cyclist, get on your bike and start pedaling in the roadways. When you really break things down, is there really any need to be cruel to others for no apparent reason other than the fact that they are not going fast enough for you? Where are you really in a rush to go? It s better to arrive somewhere late and save someone s life versus rush and run the risk of taking someone s life. When you run a cyclist off the road and kill him or her, will it really suffice to say then that you are sorry?
When you are driving and there is a cyclist up ahead in the same lane as you, make sure that you first slow down. Check to make sure that the other lane next to you is clear, and then move into that lane in order to go around the cyclist. If you are on a two lane road, make sure that there is no traffic coming in the other direction, and then safely accelerate in the opposite lane to go around the cyclist. You never want to speed next to a cyclist because it is very easy for cyclists to lose their balance for whatever reason and fall into the roadway.
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