Dear Editor:
I drive a seven-seat SUV. I also ride a 20-pound bicycle. Here are two perspectives from two very different vehicles on the road.
When I am driving, cyclists are often a hazard. They block traffic, they often don't obey street signs and they typically act as though the rules of the road don't apply to them. Worst of all they have an entitled attitudebecause they are the ones saving the planet. The other day I was approaching a four-way stop and a cyclist approached and sailed right through as though the stop sign didn't apply to him.
When I drove up and confronted him about this I got self-righteous babble in return. So to all of you cyclists, I will have more tolerance for you when you exercise some cautionand offer courtesy to other vehicles on the road.
As a cyclist, when I am on the road I am aware that I am on 20 lbs. of carbon fibre and that I am vulnerable; I will never win against a car and if I get into an accident in traffic it will be serious (if not fatal).
At intersections I move to the front in order to be seen and so I don't get caught in among cars as they startto accelerate. My brakes are not nearly as precise as they are in my truck and if I apply them too hard and I lock a wheel I will either lose control or go over my handlebars. So if I go through an intersection at the bottom of a steep hill where there is a four-way stop, I am doing it because it is safer than having to come to a full stop quickly.
Please, motorists. While I am a vehicle on the road, I am not the same as you so give me space and latitude to stay safe.And if you want to discuss rules of the road, don't do it through your window while you are driving. Getting borne down on by a vehicle while being on a bike feels like getting picked on by a bully.
Stephen Smith
North Vancouver
