Bike Lane Magic

[Zen]

Oh dear.
I only hope her business logic is better than her real-world logic.

[Geonz]

Seriously! I wouldn't want to trust her thinking.

[Crankin]

Are you talking about Concord, MA? We have had a real problem with SOME groups of riders who are riding 2-3 across Lowell Rd. and Monument St. This is a very popular area for club rides and for people from Boston who think they are having a day "out in the country." Now, I do not agree with your friend who should be smart enough to see that there are no bike lanes on narrow country roads! But, the law says that riders should be riding single file. Whe I lead rides, I insist upon it. You don't need to be squished up against the side of the road, but if you are riding single file, it is easier to move over and let the cars pass. Police are ticketing riders for this in several surrounding towns.
Even if you are talking about a different Concord, riders should not be two abreast.

[spokewench]

It is legal to ride two abreast here in Arizona - as long as it is practicable. Just as you are supposed to ride to the farthest right side as long as it is practicable (Practicable means basically safe for you on your bike)

Anyway, you need to use your common sense - If it is too narrow to ride two abreast, don't. If it is too narrow to ride one abreast - do it anyway! Hopefully, they will build you a bike lane it the next millenium!

[kfergos]

Are you talking about Concord, MA?

Yep! And I agree, the bicyclists wrong if they weren't single file. But I got the impression that even single-file bicycling wouldn't have pleased her, honestly. Bikes on the road sounded like a personal affront to her, regardless of how politely they were riding.

[Running Mommy]

My neighbor who actually is a really good friend tells me all the time that she hates bicyclists. It dumbfounds me as well- since we are friends and *I* happen to be such an avid cyclists. She uses the typical "You know the jerk cyclists that don't follow the rules of the road and ride in big groups blocking the roads". To which I have to explain that just like idiot CAR drivers, there are idiot BIKE riders as well- but that she shouldn't lump us all in one category.
She went as far as to say that she used to tell her kids as they passed a cyclist "quick open the car door"..
Boy did I give her the what for over THAT one! I chastised her for not only modeling bad behavior, but teaching her kids to have ill will towards other cyclists/human beings...
Did she get the hint?? Probably not.... sigh.... And this is a lady who is the mother of a severely handicapped little girl. If anyone should have compassion you would think it would be her? Go figure?!

[Eden]

She went as far as to say that she used to tell her kids as they passed a cyclist "quick open the car door"..
Boy did I give her the what for over THAT one! I chastised her for not only modeling bad behavior, but teaching her kids to have ill will towards other cyclists/human beings...
Did she get the hint?? Probably not.... sigh.... And this is a lady who is the mother of a severely handicapped little girl. If anyone should have compassion you would think it would be her? Go figure?!

Does she understand (perhaps now that you've given her a dressing down) that she could cause her child to KILL someone!!!! That is so irresponsible, not only could it take a life, it could mentally scar the child, who would have been innocently doing what mommy told them to, for his/her entire life.

A few years ago some ding-a-ling kids around here thought they'd have a little fun with cyclists - they were holding something out of a car window, I think it may have been a jacket? and they hit a cyclist (who also happend to be a priest or pastor I believe) with it. Well he crashed and died, so those kids have to live with that for the rest of their lives now. I really think that a lot of people don't understand how fragile human beings can be and that a fall from a bike (especially when hit with an object held, thrown etc. from a speeding vehicle) isn't just a funny thing that the person will always stand up and walk away fine from.

[RoadRaven]

Eden, excellent tack to take.

Thats how I always try and advise my students when they come to me with a "work issue" which is almost always about relationships.

I try and help them see it from the other person's perspective and how it affects the other person so the antagonist "buys in" to the proposed solution.

Def talk to her about how messages, when reinforced like this in children, can become a reality. Sure, she can grump to them about cyclists (and car-drivers) who break road rules and are discourteous, and explain how she hopes her children will be better road users, and explain exactly what was not ok about the road-use behaviour.

But openly supporting aggressive, dangerous thinking or behaviour is not ok. She has a responsibility as a parent to help her children into successful lives, and her current "parenting" does not fit this category!

That, coupled with Eden's suggestion of the potential trauma and legal issues her kids could face because of aggressive behaviour as adults... and by turn her as she supports them through grief, guilt and/or courts... well, that might just make her stop and think.

Does she realise these people are someone's parents, children, lovers, best friends? Does she not realise that their taxes fund roads too?

*Raven tsk-tsks and shakes her head in disbelief...*