Never underestimate the friendliness of fellow bicyclists — or their propensity to point out everything you’re doing wrong. Last week’s article on my adventures in urban cycling brought dozens of gratifying responses from readers (plus, as expected, a few run-’em-off-the-road cranks). The correspondents shared details of their commuting histories, their routes, their accidents. I was invited to join in on more than one daily commute and told to wave if I saw certain bikers on certain roads.
I was also chided (politely) for points the article didn’t raise, and in almost all cases the readers were right. Because I was writing about commuting during the day, I didn’t mention lights (even so, many riders use their lights during daylight hours as well). Truth: The more you and your bike resemble a blinking Christmas tree, the more easily you’ll be seen and the safer you’ll be.
Comments
As one of the "Cranks" (people not supporting what you said, I suppose), let me stress to you this - I do not want to hit you. Not just because it'll make your mother sad, but because it will, in all likelihood, destroy or seriously impact my life in a negative way to have caused harm to another, even if that other seemed to taunt Darwin with its behavior. Points to consider: We can't see you from the side, especially at night. YOU know you're there, but your life force is not enough, contrary to how it may feel, to let others know you're on the road. Teenagers have this same issue when walking across streets. Bike riders must mature beyond teen safety standards and defiant awareness. Making eye contact isn't the same as trying stare down a car, especially when you're blowing through a light, weaving through traffic, passing suddenly on the left as the line of traffic is making a right-hand turn, or you're darting out (while talking on your cell phone) from between pedestrians who are waiting for a crosswalk light. Stay off the cell phone while you're biking. Seriously? One light on the back of your bike is not enough. One front and back is not enough - especially if you're wearing dark clothing. Last night I *didn't* hit someone wearing no helmet, crossing the street I was turning left onto across Mass Ave, as he blew through a light, not because of his tiny blinking front light, but because he had on a white T-shirt, so I saw him as my turning headlights caught the fabric. Wear reflective gear and a helmet - it is, in fact, YOUR responsibility to stay alive, and you can improve those odds by being visible, and by protecting yourself if you do, horribly, get hit.