Thursday, August 25, 2011

Yer Doin' It Wrong

I'm always seeing cyclists doing something blatantly illegal and unsafe and rather than write about them I've always wanted to capture the moment in a photo. After all a picture is worth a thousand words, right? I haven't had much luck because the moment usually happens so quickly and unexpectedly I don't have time get my camera out and get the shot. (Those of you who have seen me riding may have noticed I almost always have my camera strapped over my back.) I've always thought that if I could capture a few of the bike riders I've seen I could start a "Yer Doing' It Wrong" series of blog
entries.

This morning I was stopped on Lincoln waiting for the light to change so I could cross Boone. A car was in the left hand lane and another car was coming in the right hand lane behind me led by a cyclist. The cyclist pulled up next to me and we exchanged the normal pleasantries: "Howdy". "It's a good morning for a bike ride". While he spoke he looked left and right and then crossed against the red light. What the? I was surprised and then I remembered--Camera! I slung it around front, pulled the lens cap, powered it up, and just kind of aimed it without looking through the viewfinder. Got it!

On the plus side, he was wearing a yellow jersey and a helmet, and he had a blinky red light.

In a related topic, check out Betsy Lawrence's letter to the editor about cyclists in today's paper as well as the multitude of comments it generated. Of course, the inimitable and always entertaining soccermomsusie steps into the fray.

3 comments:

todd said...

right after 5 today i was heading s on division about to cross the river. a guy on what I can only assume was a modified bicycle with what **I think** was a motor on it was keeping up with traffic. but as he approached the light before the river, he merged over to the sidewalk and continued there. so a bike, with a motor going between the street and sidewalk. nice.

Anonymous said...

If there wasn't any cross traffic, I'd give this guy a pass for his "Idaho stop." Bikes have far greater range of vision than cars.

Mind you, I stop for lights. At my age, I even time my pedal strokes so I get the red light. I'm only annoyed when, like today, I'm idled at a red without traffic and the sun is soaking my workshirt with sweat.

I would like to take some pictures of the guys who ride wrong way on one-ways. But even on this issue I'm ambivalent. One-ways are stupid, and unfriendly to bicyclists. We are ordered, by law, to stay right. How can we cross four lanes of traffic to make a left turn? Same rights, same laws? Like shit, man.

I dunno. Tonight a Spokesman Review truck ran through a stop sign right in front of my right-of-way bike. I think he saw me, but didn't give a damn.

Oh well, at least we're required to wear little styrofoam cups on our heads. That's all that's necessary, right?

Not said...

Actually, we (bicyclists) are allowed to keep either left or right on one-way streets. Unfortunately Spokane drivers are easily confused, and this might not make sense to them.
- Ventura