I was more sitting duck than cyclist, waiting to make a left-hand turn when the driver gunned past on my right.
It would have been irritating, but probably not that dangerous, if I had been snuggled in a 3,000-pound steel shell, cushioned by air bags.
Then again, if I had been in a car, he wouldn’t likely have felt so free to help himself to my lane.
But I was out there in the open air — protected only by the grace of God, the good manners of others and a flashy plastic bike helmet — and his thoughtless maneuver shook me up.
I peacefully co-commuted with dozens of cars when I participated in Bike to Work Week earlier this month. But it’s that one Yahoo I remember.
I’m not alone — a lot of people say they’d ride their bikes more often if they felt safer doing it.
Most drivers are courteous and follow traffic rules — thank you to all of you who do.
But every cyclist has a horror story: car drivers who don’t see them, the ones who shave by, passing close enough to touch and those who honk or swear at bikes. Every year, bicyclists are injured and killed. Many more are shaken by close calls.
Motorists complain about lawbreaking and rude bicyclists, too. They’re right — everyone should know and follow the rules of the road.
But some of the “lawbreaking” behaviors they cite are actually not only legal, they help keep bicyclists safe.
When riding on the road, bicyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as any other slow vehicle. That means riding in the right lane when there is one, obeying traffic signs and signaling when they’re going to turn or stop.
But they also must keep a safe distance from parked cars and roadside debris. It’s usually legal (check your city’s ordinances), and often safer, for cyclists to ride in the lane’s center or to ride two abreast.
Yes, you might sometimes have to wait to safely pass a bike — just as you do, say, for farmers on tractors.
But look at it this way, that bike is also one fewer car to fight with for parking once you get where you’re going.
Just like cars and motorcycles, bicycles must make left turns from the left lane (are you reading this, anonymous driver?).
You can learn more from the state Department of Transportation at www.iowadot.gov/iowabikes/ or the Iowa Bicycle Coalition at www.iowabicyclecoalition.org
Biking is healthy, it’s cheap, it’s good for the environment. It shouldn’t be deadly.
Let’s share the road.
