I met four cyclists this morning. The first two cyclists were riding on the pedestrian path. The next one was riding right smack in the centre of a two-lane road. The light was red for him. The cyclist rode past all the vehicles stopped at the junction, and at the junction, turned left across the leftmost lane in-front of the cars and proceeded on to the perpendicular road. The rider had completely ignored the red light.
The last one was coming up to a slip road with a pedestrian crossing. I was crossing. He was still coming. I was halfway across, and I realized we were on a collision course, so I stopped. He rode past me, without looking at me, seemingly as if I had not existed at all.
I am not like that certain Minister. This is not something I’ve only just noticed. It’s just something that I’ve observed for a long time.
The first two cyclists, you might want to believe, chose to use the pedestrian path because it was safer. Not so. It was very early in the morning, and traffic was light. Moreover, there was a dedicated cycling path right next to the pedestrian path. If they had just swung their bicycles 1m to the side, they would have been on the cycling path. The dedicated cycling path that cyclists are apparently asking for.
During that period of time this morning when I was walking along the road, I met only four cyclists. All four were flouting the law.
Perhaps cyclists should think about educating themselves first, before they go make a big hoo ha about the plight they are in.
I don’t cycle anymore. I used to. I even rode on Lentor Avenue, one of those roads that came to attention of late because of the danger they posed to cyclists. Of course I don’t quite qualify as a neutral party anymore, but still, believe me, I have some appreciation of the situation that cyclists are in.
However, I’m just totally unsupportive of the approach that cyclists are taking in asking for help. If this had been a debate, and I happened to be on the other team, I will shred their arguments to bits. Completely. But I’m not arguing a debate here.
I have a few things to tell cyclists:
- Realize that there are many other types of transport users.
- Remember that the government’s job is to provide public transportation infrastructure. That is the big picture.
I am, quite honestly, pretty turned off the way that cyclists are fighting for their cause. It’s as if they were fighting for some noble purpose, like world peace. For goodness sake, it’s just so that they can go cycling on the road.
Update (30 Aug 2012): I want to clarify that I am neither for nor against the cyclists’ cause. I’m closing commenting for this post.
Well said. I think some of these cyclists are too self-centered, thinking as if everything revolves around them. Com’on, wake up to reality.
I love canoeing. But it’s so dangerous canoeing out on the seas, what with all the big container vessels and oil tankers overcrowding our sea space. Please, before one of us gets killed, can the government do something to protect us? We’ve heard so many boating accidents. Canoeists are even more at risk because we’re so small and our vessels ae so fragile. Mark out dedicated canoeing lanes. Tell all the ships they must be wary of canoes, and give way when necessary. I demand my right to have safe travel on the seas.
You are missing the point. Take a step back. 1 less accident between a car and a bicycle automatically means 1 less accident for the car. Making the road safer and more accommodating benefits everyone.
Personally, I’m still cycling and I drive. I think everyone has a point but we have to come to a stand somewhere. I am against bike lanes, but I believe that the roads can be made safer for everyone by making a few alterations, both to the road layout, and user behaviour. It’s easy to pick out other’s bad behaviour (like both camps are doing) to gain the moral high ground but I can just easily dig dirt from both camps. If it’s cars against cars, cars against buses, cars against *insert your favourite annoyance except a toddler*, we always have some opinions of the other camp.
It’s just so convenient to generalise to see the other camp as an single entity and ourselves, only as an individual. I’m fairly certain everyone who responded here are fantastic drivers who conduct themselves with utmost respect of others, always give way, signals before filtering, and thank everyone who gave way, and are never involved in any accidents or near accidents that they have any part to play. Even where there are lapses, it is just that once and no one else is affected or would have noticed.
Well they are supposed to be on the road. They are not fighting for world peace, but safety of their lives.
I have my fair share of near misses caused by motorists flouting the law too. You say your stories, I say mine, that doesn’t make either of our opinions more right or wrong. In other words, the stories are not a substantial argument towards the validity of bike paths.
The reality is that, while each of your near misses just pisses you off (or in the case of the cyclist who could have collided with you and end up with bruises or broken bones). Whereas each of my near misses, had they turn into an accident, could have resulted in me being scrapped off the road with a shovel or catapulting over cars. This bring me back to the first point, they are fighting for their lives.
Don’t get too hanged up on the fight for bike paths. This is just one of the many solutions towards creating a multifaceted transport system including bikes. By only implementing one solution is destined for failure. As you said, there are many types of transport users.
I neither drive nor cycle but I feel that cycling on roads should not be an automatic right. Roads are congested enough even with ERP, COE, road tax etc. Cyclists should be limited to parks and biking trails. Even if cyclists are willing to pay taxes for the creation and upkeep of bicycle lanes, these lanes don’t work because they create danger for alighting passengers and pedestrians alike.
I am a cyclist, and I think cyclists are going to hate me for saying this because I feel it’s some of the that are getting too hung up on this. The op has hit the proverb ial nail on the head. Do we honestly feel that a dedicated cycling lane will improve public transportation? Are we asking the government to improve public transportation, or are we asking for our own sake? I would love dedicated cycling lanes too. But I don’t see a clear solution. I don’t believe other road users are opposed to cycling per se. Everyone just to get where they want to go. It is a means to an end.