In Celebration of “Bike To Work” Week
By Karen - Monday May 12th 2008 |
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May 12-16 is Bike to Work Week, and it looks like the weather here will be accommodating as usual. So take this opportunity to leave behind L.A.’s bumper-to-bumper traffic and get on the side of the greasy, dirty road — permanently if possible. It’s easier than you might think.
Every week for me is bike-to-work week, because I have done the unthinkable and decided to live without a car in Los Angeles. I’ve biked sporadically for a few years, but since my Honda went to compact heaven in January, I’ve adjusted to a new reality: riding to work every day whether I feel like it or not, biking to grab dinner when I’m so hungry I can’t see straight, and tempting fate on the way home from bars/parties. The past few months have been eye-opening, and the biggest lesson I’ve learned is that only about 2% of drivers know what to do when they encounter a bike. I have been car-doored, honked at, sneered at. One morning I almost wiped out a squirrel, which really entertained a woman driving in the opposite direction. I’ve been mentally filing away run-ins with idiotic drivers and other dangers, and I’ll be checking in here with some tales as well as detailing the latest reasons for swearing at motorists.
Getting around L.A. could be a lot less of a hassle for bikers, and the key is to get more of us out there. So stop making excuses and hop on the bike, maybe use the next five days as an experiment. Los Angeles County seems to want to boil this week down to one official day (May 15, when proof of cycling means riding transit for free); here’s a form you can fill out to pledge to ride on Thursday, and you could win some stuff.
It would be great for the carless to be able to get around this city more efficiently. Widespread bike lanes somewhere besides the westside would be a start. As for making L.A.’s many freeways bikable, that would be fantastic, but I’m not holding my breath. I was, however, holding my breath during this video:
h/t metblogs
» Bike to Work Week worldwide events
» California Bike Commute Week info
first off, let me say that i fully support more biking lanes and more use of bikes in the city.
that being said, perhaps this video is evidence of why so many people dislike bikers – they can’t just ride their bikes; they have to be assholes about it. it seems that swerving in and out of highway traffic isn’t the best way to show that there needs to be more biking lanes.
it’s like that prick that refuses to ride his bike on the side of the road, but instead insists that he need a full lane to ride his ten speed in. meanwhile, two lanes of traffic are merging into one behind him so that they can pass him.
there are plenty of times where bikers deserve more respect, and the city should clearly take strides to ensure that biking becomes a more common mode of transportations.
if the motto is “share the road,” bikers still need to show respect to the cars they share it with.
We don’t all ride around like we’re immortal. Oh, and Weather.com has made a liar out of me.
FWIW, It’s illegal to ride a bicycle on any road marked as an Interstate. Most of the freeways that are signed as California state highways allow bicycles, but you’d have to be a complete goddamn idiot to ride on them.
Patrick, I would encourage you to discontinue making sweeping generalizations about cyclists. While I am sure this makes it very easy for you to maintain an “us vs. them” mentality about it, the truth is that just as I cannot put all drivers in the same basket based on the actions of a few inconsiderate (or even malevolent) jerks, neither should you.
and how many times did i talk out loud in public saying Mr Greg Curno Canadien Artists Representative, was not accidently run over by a car but that it was on purpose because he was an outspoken member of the canadien and christien inner monky public and member of dreamers anonymous who dared to say that thye uni9ted states as a government who kilols people outside its own country who are against government (madepaintings that criticized war).
I USED TO bike to work every day. I was run off the road by motorist who ran a stop sign. It appeared to be a mother and her grade school aged daughter. After hitting the sidewalk very hard, I saw the childs look of horror as her mother sped off… two witnesses to the accident were walking on the sidewalk, and they turned around and walked briskly in the opposite direction. I can only assume they didn’t want the hassle of being a witness. I broke my elbow, but at least I am alive to drive to work.
Hi. Please join the Bicycle to Work! LinkedIn networking group. Members pledge that they will try to ride their bicycle to work or on an errand at least once a week. Although the benefits should be obvious, let me outline them here.
Right now people in the industrialized world are facing two very grave problems: obesity and a growing scarcity of oil. Compounding this problem is the new food shortage brought about, in part, by the conversion of food cropland to bio-fuel crop production. Most people feel powerless to help, but there is one thing that we can do. Ride our bicycles to work.
If everyone would agree to ride their bikes to work one day per week we could cut oil consumption by as much as 10-15%. No one would argue that riding a bike burns more calories than driving the car. Although popular politically right now, most bio-fuels consume more energy than they produce. We would be much better to eat those bio-crops then use our own energy to transport us around.
So spread the word. Make it a movement! Bicycle to work one day a week and do your part to cut back obesity and the overuse of oil and precious cropland.
Just go to my profile at http://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreylstevenson and you can click on the group to be included. While you are there, don’t forget to ask to link to my network of more than 9,000,000 like-minded professionals. I accept all invitations and look forward to meeting you.
Jeff
Ben,
I am responding very late to this, so perhaps you will be notified of followup comments.
I may have been making generalizations, but I was doing it to make a point. A point which you didn’t refute. I’m sure anyone with a functioning brain (sorry for this generalization) realizes that there are exceptions to what I was talking about.
from what I was watching this idiot got what he deserved. Most bikers I’ve seen obey the general laws of the road. Thats fine. I respect them like I would another vehicle, however when I see a biker acting like just because they’re on a bike they get some kind of special road privilege card, it means that I’m going to ignore their rights to the road. The traffic laws are for people in traffic, does not specify cars only. I’m not going to lie Ive doored several bikers. However they were doing the thing that bothers me most. Traffic jam, and they ride right between the two lanes of cars. I do the same things to jerk drivers. Asshole takes three parking spaces for his truck, he’s getting some keys. Someone high beams me, hit em back. Jerks only respond to jerk treatment, kindness only incites them to do worse.