Why Bicyclists Won’t Stop For Red Lights—Or Anything Else

Typical Scofflaw (Image via Wikipedia)

“Death to Bicyclists,” shouted the headline of a recent post on T/S by Ryan Sager anent the two-wheel menace to America’s cities. The headline didn’t offend me even though I’m an occasional biker. I’m also a pedestrian—who isn’t?—so I’ve had the same lethal urge myself, such as when frozen fast to the pavement, heart all kerflop, as a whizzing blur materializes out of nowhere and misses me by a whisker.

 Ryan was correct in pointing out the regrettable tendency of many bicyclists to pay no attention whatever to traffic lights, stop signs, one-way streets, the U.S. Constitution or the Geneva Conventions.

But his explanation for the phenomenon was wrong:

 From hundreds of Internet comments threads, it seems clear that bicyclists really believe they’re morally superior to people who can’t or don’t want to commute by bike…This moral superiority convinces them that they can behave like jackasses on the road.

It’s not about feeling morally superior (though in point of fact I am morally superior to most of you, but not because I ride a bike).

It’s, well, it’s hard to explain. Try, Lew, try. OK.

Bicycle riding is a different experience than walking or driving a car. It’s fun. Sheer physical pleasure. Perhaps the best thing I can compare it to is when you’re a kid and all your parts are working and nothing hurts and you’re running down a hill, laughing. Wheee!

On a bike, you’re working, yes, you‘re pumping your legs but somehow, the brilliant arrangement of gears and wheels magnifies your power so that you zoom. You fly.

It can be a little dangerous, too (actually, in the city, a lot dangerous) which only adds to the exhilaration.

You’re faster than the pedestrians, those stodgy lumps. In city traffic, you’re often faster than the bumper-to-bumper cars, trucks and buses. They’re all stuck and you’re riding circles and around them. Wheee!

Stopping is a downer. A defeat. An abrupt, unfair cutting off of the joy. An outrage for which I will not stand!

Is this attitude irrational? Yes. Childish? Yes. Dangerous? Yes. Reprehensible? Yes.

Human? Sigh.