Bike Lane Magic

[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...*

[Crankin]

Well, Kfergos, I understand the issue. Your friend is really wrong, in attitude, etc., but like someone else said, there are as***** cyclists as well as drivers. I hate it when other cyclists do something that makes all of us look bad. This is a major issue around here. A few years ago, my son who was racing at the time was on a training ride in Groton with our exchange student who had recently arrived from Germany. They were stopped by the police and given a stern warning not to ride side by side. They thought it was really mean, but I had to take the policeman's side.
RM, I can't believe your friend would say that to her kids. Is she nuts??? When my husband started riding he regularly had things thrown at him, ususally out of pick up trucks, with people screaming "fag" at him. Cycling is so popular around here now, it never happens anymore.

[Voodoo Sally]

Sigh. I've seen this around here, too. I work & ride in Concord, and I see tons of other cyclists around. Most of them are fine. But then I do see the occasional club riders riding up Monument & Lowell 2 or 3 abreast, knowing that you're right behind them (in your car), waiting to pass, and it really pisses me off. It's rude and dangerous. My non-cycling friend up on Westford Rd. regularly gripes to me about the "d*** cyclists" around here, and I have to agree the the 2-abreast ones are jerks, but I must point out that the problem ones are the minority, and not to hate us all. I hope my words (and the fact that I'm her friend) can ameliorate her general feeling about cyclists. One bad cyclist can paint us all in a bad light. I don't permit people I'm riding with to ride 2-abreast.

[Eden]

Just remember if you go out of your area that in many places 2 abreast is totally legal, so before you condemn cyclists know the local laws. Out here in Seattle our laws read no more than two abreast when riding in areas not specifically set aside for cyclists.
Though some may find it annoying to see two cyclists abreast, around here where few roads have a wide shoulder, if any at all, one cyclist positioned safely in the lane should take up pretty much just as much space as two cyclists riding closely abreast. (occupying about 1/3rd of the lane). As a result, two should not necessarily be harder to pass than one.

[mimitabby]

I just came back from Italy where bikes and cars get along. their streets are about as wide as one of our lanes and still everyone manages.
When things get tight, cars actually STOP or slow down until they can pass the bicyclist safely. Bicyclists on the other hand, go single file when there is traffic.

People in cars smile at bicyclists, and the other people we saw in bikes were of all ages. Imagine a world like that! it exists. Honestly, i was passed by huge trucks. It was scary, because I could have made a mistake and gone too close to the truck drivers, but the truck drivers didn't hate me for being there. That makes all the difference in the world.