Two points:
First, always take responsibility. if you choose to run a stop sign, own it. If someone yells, though .... disown it.
Which is point two---there will always be people complaining no matter what. Those people are generally idiots---but even if they have a valid point, it is their point. Accept what is true, and discard the emotion. Ride on.
Originally Posted by
nomadmax
Obeying all traffic laws is probably a great way to minimize the risk of injury and driver hostility (it will never eliminate it).
Let it roll off your back and ride your ride. Holding on to anger about things you can't control is like drinking poison hoping someone else will die.
I generally agree. When i choose to break a traffic law, I Know I am doing it, and why. Sometimes i wait at lights just to not soil the reputation of cyclists in general, because the next rider that irate driver meets might get ta bad reaction engendered by my bad action.
Sometimes I don't.
Originally Posted by
woodcraft
I don't actually agree with this. (re: Obeying all traffic laws is probably a great way to minimize the risk of injury and driver hostility (it will never eliminate it).)
The road system is not well designed for cyclists. Some left turn situations, in particular, are deadly.
In California, lane splitting is allowed because bikers get rear-ended in stopped traffic.
Ummm .... so lane-splitting in Cali is ... obeying the traffic laws, right?
I find most traffic laws are actually pretty decent. And most states (I have only investigate the uniform traffic code for about 2/3) have laws allowing bikes to take the lane, and such. I try not to make left turns, but I have been riding in traffic for fifty years and they haven't killed me yet .... so Something works (of course, some folks would say this proves that something is Not working. ....
)