Originally Posted by
PoorBob
And in that perfect world cyclist would stop at red lights, and stop sings, ride on the correct side of the road, treat pedestrians with respect, etc etc etc.
Very blanket statement, all groups overall are safe and treat people with respect. Bad apples always spoil the bunch. We are all very very very far from perfect..
What is interesting that even when I do ALL the things you mention... I still find that I have to watch out for the other guy. It really isn't enough to just do the right thing... you have to also do what it takes to avoid others doing all the wrong things.
Frankly, I'll insist cyclists stop at red lights and stop signs and ride on the correct side of the road as soon as the majority users of the road drive the speed limit and also stop at all the stop signals. Until then, I'll certainly obey the rules... and watch out for ALL THE OTHER FOLKS THAT DON'T.
That is the cyclists burden... to save our skin, we not only have to do right, but to also compensate for all other wrong do-ers. Motorists have seatbelts, crumple zones and airbags to protect them.