On Dec 10, 10:48*pm, Dan O wrote:


That's the thing. *It's a jungle out there. *Some people get off
playing the game and trying to a big shot dictator in the process.
They may feel the need to control and coordinate things for
everybody. *Me, I ride it just like the jungle it is, watching out for
myself and trying not to trespass. *I constantly size up the
circumstances, and make my own way. *When a big truck comes up behind
and can't pass because of continuous traffic in the next lane, given
the option, I am outta there. *I'm not scared, and I'm now cowed - I
just prefer to be free and unencumbered. *I do not feel any need to
stubbornly force the issue just because I think I can. *There are too
damn many of them to be educable as a lot. *I'd rather just Ride Bike
without worrying about them. *Let 'em stew in the bed they've made.
For me it's fun to get really creative. *It's a completely different
approach to the whole business, and puts me into circumstances quite
unlike those of the vehicular cyclist, making completely different
actions appropriate.

One way of expressing our differences, Dan, might be that I'm not as
confident as you. Specifically, I know that there are serious dangers
involved in (say) zooming onto a sidewalk, then zooming back into a
traffic lane. I know that very many car-bike crashes occur because
the cyclist does something different than the normal traffic moves.

So I stay very predictable. I think it's safe to say I never confuse
or startle a motorist. And I don't ride in a way that requires ninja
reflexes or extremely unusual skills. I get to just relax and ride.

And for all the static I'm getting about controlling the lane when
necessary and offending motorists: it just has not been a problem.
It's extremely rare that any motorist takes issue at all. They seem
to understand what's going on. If anything, it probably removes
confusion for the motorists. Rude ones are rare and easily ignored.

Look: When I take a typical bike ride, I'm probably passed by
hundreds of motorists. I know all about that situation. The typical
motorist around here probably doesn't pass even one cyclist per day.
He's not sure what to do.

There's no question I know more than he does. Why should I not be the
one making the decisions?

If any cyclist is NOT confident about their knowledge, fine. They can
let the guy in the car decide when it's safe to pass you, how close to
pass, etc. Those cyclists can think about all the cracks they've made
about dumb drivers - the ones they now trust with their lives.

I trust myself.

- Frank Krygowski