I am mostly a rural road cyclist, and I bike focused, so when I see down the road a distance runner, or the can collecting bike guy, or a lady pushing a tram coming at me head-on, I merely move out into the traffic lane a bit more, force whatever vehicles there may be to go around all of us, zip on by and never give it another thought. However, what really annoys me no end because it is a type of cycling that can endanger me, and that is having cyclists in front of me or behind me who are pedaling with one hand and yapping, texting or emailing on their cell phone with their other hand, totally oblivious to vehicles, pedestrians or other cyclists. The people on the other end of the phone are just as guilty, knowing they are texting, chatting, emailing with a guy who is out on his bike.

Texting the cycling buddies is great, particularly when there is a dozen of us out on an event ride, and everyone is riding at a different pace and gotten spread out. We can text each other as to where we are and can regroup or meet up after the ride for a meal, even text about the killer nasty hill. However, when I am on my bike, and my cell phone rings or burps, I don't look at it until I am stopped by the side of the road, and safely out of the way of other cyclists and vehicles. But I see cyclists who are texting while biking, don't even know that I am passing them on the left because all they can focus on is their cell phone - and that is incredibly dangerous.