Comments on: Why drivers and cyclists don’t get along

By: JustAnotherCyclist

JustAnotherCyclist — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 19:07:00 +0000

This is a very old – and very incorrect – argument. For a number of reasons. Your assumption that cyclists don’t own cars is inaccurate (most do) as well as your assumption about where the money for our roads actually comes from. That tax you pay at the fuel pump? That contributes only a tiny fraction of the US highway budget, and the majority of that is for large interstate maintenance and construction where cyclist aren’t allowed anyhow. You can find more information here: http://grist.org/article/2010-09-27-why-an-additional-road-tax-for-bicyclists-would-be-unfair/

By: Tricia

Tricia — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 18:52:00 +0000

If drivers pay a tax for using a car on the road why don’t cyclists pay tax for using a cycle on the roads which would go towards funding The massive funding proposed for cycle highways

By: delducra

delducra — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 17:32:52 +0000

Interesting comments regarding CM. I’ve actually got three different drafts of opinion pieces on CM. Problem is, all three disagree with each other on some level. In other words, I can’t actually figure out what the hell I think about CM.

You’ve also given me more to think about regarding the stop sign debate. Thanks for the comments.

By: murphstahoe

murphstahoe — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 17:07:20 +0000

After going through this exact manifesto a few times, I’ve change my mind on this topic.

The motorists, in my opinion, are far less concerned about the stop sign running, than the whole “getting stuck behind” a cyclist, or removal of a traffic lane for cyclists. These arguments are more likely to be the actual rationale because people are fundamentally selfish. If the light is red, and a cyclist next to a car runs the stop sign, this hasn’t affected the motorist, but when the light turns green and the motorist now has to wait to pass the cyclist when safe, that HAS affected the motorist.

While more than a few motorists complain about the inconvenience, that complaint does have an inherent selfish component to it. Complaining that cyclists run stopsigns does not – it is an effective way to demonize cyclists for a known transgression, without portraying one’s self as a selfish lout.

Your last paragraph summarizes while I land on the side of “Critical Mass is good”. While it might inconvenience motorists, the motorists that are aggrieved by this inconvenience are already in the selfish camp, and while CM might make them even more angry, the net effect of this added anger is only hot air. However, CM does attract new people into bike riding, and whether they continue with CM or not, they have been assimilated into the world of cycling and their behavior as a motorist will change forever. This also applies to racing cyclists, another group demonized by both motorists and the “Fred Commuter” crowd. Racing cyclists behavior towards other cyclists will always be better than non-cyclists, even if they never use their bikes in a utilitarian manner. And they are far more likely to end up being bike commuters than non-cyclists – as I can personally attest.