the etiquette-to-ethics spectrum

[motive-nuance.livejournal.com]

A note to users of the road (esp. the dude in the silver SUV headed past the T stop on College Ave. ca. 10:30 p.m.):

Yelling at cyclists to, "Get off the *** road, ***!": Annoying, but the kind of thing we learn to shrug off.

Mistaking this for a command the cyclist is legitimately obliged to obey: Much less cool.

Correcting said miscreant by assuming the Weberian mantle of authority to threaten the offending party with threats of mortal violence: Totally unacceptable.

(It's like the guy seriously expected me to be like "Oh duh! Bicycles don't belong on the road!", pull over, and walk my bike home on the sidewalk.)

Comments

[divasue.livejournal.com]

Personally, nothing about cyclists irks me more than having them bike on the sidewalk. Um...it's a sideWALK. I see lots of students doing this, but also older and more responsible looking people, and I always want to yell at them. Especially when they come up behind me and bike around me.

[motive-nuance.livejournal.com]

Personally, nothing about drivers (or anyone else, really) irks me more than having them threaten to murder me.

[ocschwar.livejournal.com]

Were you riding into the square or toward the powderhouse, BTW?

[motive-nuance.livejournal.com]

Towards Powder House, why?

[ocschwar.livejournal.com]

Then you both rode over the "sharrow" on College Ave.

I used to get those yells at me on College Ave before the city put the sharrow there. But for most drivers that symbol stands for "the people of this town approve of biking, so shut up." So after it was put there, the yells stopped.

Which means this guy's sociopathy is extra-special.

[divasue.livejournal.com]

Was this a snarky comment aimed at me? Because my comment was in support of how lame that SUV driver was. As in...what, would he rather you biked on the sidewalk?

[motive-nuance.livejournal.com]

The snark was for the driver, but my aim was off — sorry for getting it on you.

[jere7my.livejournal.com]

It's legal to bike at a walking pace on the sidewalk outside business districts. (This mostly means it's illegal in any of the major squares, like Harvard, Davis, Inman, etc.) It's better for everyone if cyclists stay on the street, imho, but they are within their rights to be on the sidewalk in most places.

"(3) bicycles may be ridden on sidewalks outside business districts when necessary in the interest of safety, unless otherwise directed by local ordinance. A person operating a bicycle on the sidewalk shall yield the right of way to pedestrians and give an audible signal before overtaking and passing any pedestrian." http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/85-11b.htm

"Cambridge traffic regulations require that bicyclists on sidewalks travel at a walking speed and yield to pedestrians." http://www.cambridgema.gov/~cdd/et/bike/bike_faq.html#sidewalk

[smammy]

No shit! That's awesome!

[mattdm.livejournal.com]

And nice if you're, say, riding bike along with a 3 year old and a 5 year old.

[emcicle.livejournal.com]

you do know that in many areas (not usually highly trafficked pedestrian areas) bikes are actually allowed on the sidewalk, right? They should be riding slowly and clearly indicate that they are there, but they are allowed to do it.

[divasue.livejournal.com]

Nope, didn't know this. But since I am always walking in business districts (I work downtown, live in Central Square, used to live in Davis Square) I am still in my right to be annoyed by the people biking illegally, no?

[emcicle.livejournal.com]

oh of course, you can be annoyed at anything you want, and especially when they are in violation of the law/rules!