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A Cyclist's Rules of the Road
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For bicyclists at all levels, there are the official “rules of the road,” and then there are the often more important unwritten rules of the road. These are the extra ones you invent to compensate for the motorists and pedestrians oblivious to their two-wheeled road-mates. Chicago writer Kristina Francisco shares some wisdom passed on to her.
Her friend and sage advisor, Jenny Abrahamian, is a bike enthusiast and chemist.
Music Button: Carl Craig, “Brainfreeze”, from the CD Sessions, (K7 records)
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Liz, regular bike rider, pedestrian, transit-taker, and driver, Albany Park, Chicago // Monday, June 09, 2008 @ 12:02 PM
Wow, was I disappointed in this story. I think of Chicago Public Radio and this program in particular as a progressive information source for Chicagoland. So you can imagine my frustration with Ms. Francisco's story. Based on the lead-in, I expected to hear some useful rules for riding acquired from practical experience. In fact, Ms. Francisco is adamant about the fact that she no longer rides because it is "too dangerous" to do so, and spends the majority of her air time reiterating this point. This piece was not informative--it was a rant. I am sorry to hear that Ms. Francisco has had such bad experiences using her bicycle to get around, but the productive response would be to use her air time to emphasize the facts about bicycling, and solutions to the challenges bicyclists face--perhaps educating the motorists and bicyclists listening to the program??--instead of going on and on in dramatic fashion about her personal gripes with this "dangerous" method of transportation.
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Mark, biker, CTA fan, Lincoln Square // Tuesday, June 10, 2008 @ 10:13 AM
I was tempted to start out disparaging the author, but I changed my mind. I haven't owned a car since the end of 1985 and pedal 450 miles a month on Chicago's streets. I could note that airplanes sometimes crash, therefore I'll walk to Seattle to visit a friend, fresh fruits and vegetables sometimes carry parasites so I'll limit myself to Dunkin Donuts, teenagers sometimes get shot in school so I'll tie my two sons to their beds to make sure they never face such a terrible risk. I've clipped car doors three or four times, not quite alert enough to stay to the far side of the bike lane every single day. The most recent wreck was last week. No damage to my bike, a thoughtful and profusely apologetic driver. I cracked a rib I think. Thanked the driver for his kindness, got on my bike, and kept going. Jenny, come on. Chicago is an amazing place to ride a bike. I don't find traffic terrifying--I find it welcoming. Motorists in my experience know we are here and respect us, are even courteous. I rarely get honked or yelled at. Conversely, I obey traffic laws, a problem with the biking community. But mostly I would encourage you to try again. You are really missing out in a great way to get around town.
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