🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <ku9ajhINN7jm@news.bbn.com> rnewman@bbn.com (Ron Newman) writes:

   One reason that Boston is more enlightened than a lot of
   other places is that the local police totally ignore us bicyclists.
   This often allows us to move faster than automobile traffic,
   since we can proceed (carefully) through red lights, go (cautiously)
   against one-way traffic, ride between lanes of stopped traffic,
   and so forth.

Bicyclists like you give the rest of us a bad name.

Bicyclists must obey all of the traffic laws that motor vehicle
drivers must obey.  That means stopping at red lights, riding in the
correct direction, and staying in your lane.

If you do not do these things, then you are BREAKING THE LAW.  The
fact that you are less likely to be ticketed does not make what you
are doing any less WRONG.  You make the roads less safe for everyone
(for example, for the pedestrians who have to worry about getting run
down {and yes, it DOES happen} by bicyclists even when a sold WALK is
showing), and you cause motor vehicle drivers to become upset with the
bicyclists, so that they will be less respectful of them in the
future.

Now, I'm just as disgusted with some of the laws in this state and
this country as the next guy.  I'm just as uncomfortable about people
using "It's the law!" as a justification for something.  However, in
this case, following the law DOES make sense, and breaking the law
DOES have ill effects.

Fuming about one of my pet peeves,

-- 
Jonathan Kamens						jik@MIT.Edu
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