I concur with the opinions an personal observations in this thread that some cyclists are jits and need to be severely reprimanded, not just by authorities but by their peers as well.

Been a cyclist all my life, around the farm, tourist, Category 1 USA Cycling road racer of the late 70's & 80's-90's (the explosion years of USA Professional cycling re-birth), tourist again, hopefully one day back to that farm to complete the circle as it should be.

I have witnessed, in the countless thousand miles I, by God's grace, have traveled, some of the idiocy presented here. I have also seen some of the most courteous cycling acts responded to by seemingly medicated vehicle operators that affront those actions in response, or cluelessness.

Simple as that, there are two sides, and the more common middle, to every equation.

What I may suggest to those of you that are annoyed with the actions of the less than courteous, or downright dangerous ones, is to politely point out to them, if possible, the error of their ways and their effect on cyclists everywhere. Goes to medicated vehicle operators as well.

If that don't work, hook them into the weeds like I do!

respectfully submitted
attilaboy
David Koldos
dkoldos@ameritech.net

My wife Claire and I generally support ATA, but we are fed up with comments about bad motorist vs poor bicyclist stories. We are courteous bicyclist ourselves, but too many time we have seen arrogant and inconsiderate bycyclists doing stupid things.

A case in point was today at Clark and Wrightwood Streets. A motorist was at the corner near the curb pointing north signaling to make a right turn into eastbound Wrightwood. A bicyclist from the designated bike lane comes around on the curbside, pulls alongside the motorist shouts something to him with a scowl on her face and then proceeds to cross Wrightwood against the red light. I suppose she was angered that the motorist was so close to the curb to impede her travel and that the motorist shouldn't be in the "bike lane." We couldn't believe the bicyclist's arrogant air of entitlement. Either she was ignorant or didn't care that the bike lane ends at the corner and that she must also observe the traffic light. If she had been in the motorist's blind spot and the motorist had made a right turn, the cyclist could have been clipped. But the motorist was observing the "No Turn On Red" sign. The bicyclist, when running the red light, could have been hit by a car. If the bicyclist had been hurt, your people would probably have been the first to blame the motorist, even though motorists are more burdened with heavier and less maneauverable vehicles.

We have only seen occasional badly behaving motorists, but we have seen many, many badly behaving bicyclists, even against pedestrians and other bicyclsts. When bicyclists start acting courteously and start observing the rules of the road, we'll see fewer accidents and less road rage. It's time to put some of the blame back on the bicyclists.

Great to see Chicago is not alone in this! Oak Park is enforcing as well: http://www.wednesdayjournalonline.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=...