Biking is fast. I can definitely beat the T to work, and in evening rush hours I can sometimes beat cars along the busiest stretches of road.
I know well that I'm able to do so because I can bend the rules. As it stands now, cyclists only occasionally get pulled over for traffic violations. We can cross intersections on red lights, bike on the sidewalk, bike the wrong way down streets, and most of the time we can get away with it.
And that's just it-- we're getting away with it. Because we can. We know that we're not obeying the traffic laws. And the results are that bikers have a pretty horrible reputation among drivers and pedestrians.
The unfortunate thing is that bikers are a minority on the road. The actions of one bad bicyclist will color the perception of the whole. We've all seen people driving while texting or talking on the phone, but no one would say all drivers are bad (unless you're in Boston, amirite?).
It seems quite unfair doesn't it? Well, it is. So what can we do about it?
Try looking at it from this angle: you are not just one person on a bike. You are a bike ambassador. You have the power to change people's perceptions of bicyclists in your area. By making specific decisions you can salvage bicyclists' reputations and set an example for other bicyclists.
I've recently started obeying the traffic laws and stopping at all red lights. It's quite a discipline, and I don't always succeed-- especially when I've been stuck behind a double-parker in the bicycle lane. But I believe that bicyclists can only demand more legal protection when they follow the laws that they are given.
By choosing to stop at red lights, choosing to not weave between cars when it's dangerous, choosing to not zoom through walk signals, you are making a statement. And that statement is: I choose to stop. I am respecting you.
What statement are you making when you bike?
