hey ma! I caught another one!

[topaz]

This morning at about 10:25am, eastbound on Mass. Ave. in Cambridge approaching Porter Square.  Guy behind me honks and yells, then roars past me on the left, waving and screaming at me to get out of the road.  Of course, we're approaching a red light, so he swerves in front of me and comes to a stop anyway, but he's still yelling out his window at me.  The conversation went something like this, though I regret that I can't recall his exact words due to his near-total incoherency:

Him: "Are you crazy?  What the hell are you doing riding in the road?"
Me: "Sir, cyclists are permitted to use the roads."
Him: "What are you talking about?  Everyone knows bikes don't belong in the road!"
Me: "I'm sorry, sir, but the law disagrees with you."
Him: "Bikes don't belong in the middle of the road!  Whaddya think, you can go faster than me?"
Me: "Look, man---"
Him: "Oh, no, I'm not your man, okay?  I'm not your buddy, get it?"
Me: "Okay, sir.  I apologize for upsetting you.  But Massachusetts state law does permit me to take the travel lane."
Him: "Massachusetts state law?!?  What are you talking about?  Everybody knows you shouldn't ride in the street!"
Me: "I am sorry, sir, but if it upsets you then you should take it up with your congressman."

He could not seem to figure out a response to this.  As the light turned green I called at him that I hoped he had a more pleasant day.  About a block further on he pulled into a parking space, and yelled as I passed, "Someone's gonna hit you!"

Oh well.  It's been a while since I've been to the RMV, I guess it was about time.

Comments

[innerdoggie.livejournal.com]

It seems like there's a whole butt load of ignorance about the rules of the road out there. Why, I couldn't tell you.

Chicago is trying bicycle ambassadors (http://www.bicyclingambassadors.org/) to educate bike riders. They sound very polite, like handing out free headlamps to the blankety-blanks who ride without them instead of giving them a lecture like I'd like to do.

There should probably be something like this for the car drivers as well.

[harimad.livejournal.com]

How do you hand out a clue?

I regularly drive what is, in effect, an in-city highway. Right next to it is a pedestrian/non-motorized-wheeled path. Both road and path are quite popular. I understand the fast, serious bikers choosing to take the road[1]. I don't understand why so many podunk slow bikers take it as well. That road is *dangerous*, man. I also don't understand why so many of the serious bikers don't have bells or lights, as required by law.

(As a runner on this path, the lack of bell is a problem for me. I've taken to moving to the middle of the path if I discern a biker behind me who hasn't announced his presence. I'm this close to carrying my law enforcement credentials with me as well, to back me up in the usual post-encounter argument about using a bell. I'm almost as close to carrying a stick that I "just happen" to poke sideways when an unannounced biker passes me. It's not that hard to yell or ring a bell, people. Don't work so hard to justify the negative opinion of bikers that so many folk have.)


[1] In my jurisdiction bikers can legally take either the sidewalk or the road.