A little creative tension between cyclists, drivers isn’t all bad

As you may know, I’m not popular with all bicyclists. Not all cyclists are popular with me.

While I think they should be tolerated, I subscribe to the typical motorist’s view that, in the main, cyclists are an annoyance.

However, they do serve some purpose and should do what they do without risk to their personal safety. (The assault this week of a cyclist, together with the theft of his bike, is reprehensible. As I understand it, the incident didn’t involve motorists.)

This is Bike to Work Week, a noble endeavor that encourages people to leave the car at home and use pedal power. I support the sentiment, though I have no intention of riding 35 kilometres to work even once, let alone several times a week.

But back to the war — and, it is, in many respects, a war — between riders and drivers.

A year or so ago I described a cyclist who rode straight at me in my lane because his own lane was bumpy, then gave me the finger when I warned him with my horn of his impending demise.

For my troubles in sharing this, I was assailed with feedback about my own “malicious” ignorance, lack of compassion, and mental deficiencies the likes of which I haven’t otherwise experienced until I recently asked atheists to stop calling people stupid.

I have no knowledge of whether cyclists are mostly atheists or vice versa, but they seem to share the same sensitivities.

If Bike to Work Week accomplishes nothing else, let it establish at least a tenuous peace between cyclists and motorists. It would be asking too much that they like each other, but at least we should get along as best we can.

Whether we motorists like it or not, cyclists have been given a legal right to travel on roads that were built for the automobile. And whether they like it or not, the automobile is here to stay.

I will readily admit drivers are imperfect, but we do have legitimate reservations about people who cycle.

First, there are the outfits. We know you cyclists want to be seen, but all that skin-tight neon spandex is distracting. When you’re driving down the road minding your own business and are suddenly confronted with a peloton of skinny people dressed in costumes that would frighten the most sanguine among us, it’s problematic.

Secondly, nobody likes a fit person. Cyclists always look satisfied with themselves, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Keep in mind, though, that it’s hard to be attractive in one of those outfits; some of you are positively disturbing.

Then there’s the red-light problem. As you know, Kamloops drivers are masters at running red lights, but we are rank amateurs compared to cyclists, who blow through intersections with scarcely a glance right or left, making clever use of crosswalks before dodging back onto the street on the other side. We are, we confess, jealous.

Some cyclists don’t bother with pavement, using sidewalks instead. Motorists might love to try out a good sidewalk, but we aren’t allowed. (I once drove down a sidewalk in China as a passenger in a van piloted by a well-intentioned crazy person, but that’s a story for another day.)

We probably shouldn’t eliminate the tension between cyclist and motorist entirely. If we all got along, City council would have no reason to build bicycle lanes.

Oops, forgot — they aren’t building them anyway.