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I agree--there is a wide gulf between "car drivers" and "bike riders".  In Corvallis there was a month-long exchange of letters between drivers and riders in the Gazette-Times, initiated by a bicycle rider who regarded the enforcement attempts of the local police with contempt.  I believe that both sides can be myopic, although, as a long-time bike rider, the myopia on the part of people who use the automobile as their only transportation mode seems more extreme.  It's not about obeying the  "rules" as much as sharing both the gain and pain  in a manner so as to maximize the benefits (and minimize the downsides) of the system we have and which we are creating for the future.  How we get to that point is anyone's guess.  When riding my bicycle, I try to stay out of everyone's way, but also let car drivers know that I am a part of the same system that they are using.  Cooperation is essential, regardless of one's perspective on the "rules of the road".

posted 3 years, 6 months ago
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