It’s my road too
Posted: May 2nd, 2009 | Author: Karolijn | Filed under: Cycling, London, Why I Hate London | Tags: Cycling, London, Why I Hate London | 13 Comments »I don’t hide the fact that if I was slightly homicidal, biking in London would tip me over the edge.
This will be my second summer and the problems with biking on London’s streets are striking compared to Ottawa, where I regularly commuted by bike. These problems happen everywhere, but in London the frequency is incredible.
- Drivers don’t give cyclists
enoughany room when passing - Drivers don’t respect cyclists’ rights as vehicles on the road
- Drivers often harass cyclists by honking at them or cutting them off
- Cyclists don’t obey the rules of the road when they’re on it
- Cyclists regularly bike on the sidewalk
- Pedestrians walk on designated bike lanes and don’t respond to bike bells
All of these problems are, in my opinion, part of a larger systematic problem.
It’s not just cyclists that have it rough. Greg Fowler is often running up against brick walls when it comes to pedestrian rights. And transit users don’t get it much better.
Rules are poorly enforced. I’ve never seen a cyclist ticketed for biking on the sidewalk in London. Nor have I ever seen a driver even warned for careening blindly across a bike lane or pedestrian crosswalk.
Instinctually, I feel that the best way to fight this problem is to be safely aggressive and to be a presence. By cycling timidly on the sidewalk, cyclists are lying down and taking it.
I’ve argued until blue in the face with some local cyclists who think that it’s safer to bike on the sidewalk or on the separate roadside bike paths (which, in my opinion are the *most* dangerous place to be – but that’s another story).
Today I found some vindication in the Globe and Mail:
…There are still a puzzling number of people who are resistant to cycling on the grounds that it’s dangerous or impractical. In fact, though, London [England] statistics show that the number of biking accidents actually goes down as the number of cyclists goes up.
In Germany, where bike riding is part of the normal culture, people are 10 times more likely to ride a bike than Americans and three times less likely to get hurt while doing so.
The problem with cycling in North America and Britain (as opposed to, say, the Netherlands or Japan) is that it’s treated like a recreational sport rather than a normal way of getting around. Instead of increasing bike lanes, North American governments prefer to pass mandatory helmet laws. The irony is, of course, that cycling accident rates in continental Europe, where helmets are almost unheard of, are generally much lower.
The lesson here is simple: The more stylish cycling becomes, the safer and more practical it will be. (emphasis mine)
Cyclists that don’t bike on the roads as the vehicles they are make the roads more dangerous for everyone.
It says “I’m not really a vehicle, and you don’t need to respect me”.
It says “I’m not going to follow the rules of the road so you can’t trust me or predict what I’m going to do”
I know the roads are dangerous and that London driver’s licences may be the result of a Kellogg’s promotion gone wrong, but things won’t change unless we make them change.
As a cyclist, you’ll see me on the road, taking my lane, signalling and using four way stops correctly. The more people join in, the safer it will be for everyone. And that’s critical, because in London, we’ve got a LONG way to go.
Im off in a minute to ride only on the streets today. I wonder if I will get almost hit while Im out there
I’d put money on it. Goodluck!
I have a distant cousin who was a bike courier in Berlin. I guess they’re pretty crazy. Maybe we need a bunch of daredevil bikers breaking traffic laws so when drivers see law-abiding cyclists on the street they’ll be appreciative.
Haha we already have that! It’s not helping.
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Amen to that. On my way home from donating blood yesterday, I was riding nicely in the right-hand lane on Wonderland northbound when the ever-so-helpful driver of a black Dodge Avenger took time out of his day to concretely inform me that I was transgressing on his God-given right to use the entire road.
He made sure to pass me with mere inches to spare, and honked his horn just as he reached me. He topped it all off with a one-finger salute.
I’m on my bike virtually every day, and something like this happens almost every time I’m out. It amazes me how much power people think they have when they’re surrounded by 3,500 pounds of steel and glass.
A loop video recorder on the handlebars would be a good accessory
Great post and a great point! As someone who has been a transit user, pedestrian, bike rider and now a driver I can bring the perspective of all different types.
It’s really horrendous how many people don’t realize that bikes are SUPPOSED TO BE ON THE ROAD, not on the sidewalk. “Safer” or not, that’s where it’s supposed to be.
Since we’re supposed to be known as the Forest City, and all of the related connotations that brings with it, maybe the city of London should embark on a short but thorough campaign to promote bike riding a bit more? And use some of the infrastructure money we’re getting to put in even more bike paths, especially on main roads.
Really, all of this boils down to sheer ignorance. I actually doubt many of the bikers know it is against the law to ride on the sidewalk. This is very likely because police in London are awful at, well, policing.
If anyone ever came to close to me, I would remember their license plate, bike as hard as I can to catch them at the next red light, and kick their headlight out. I’ve always wanted to do that. haha
[...] It was great to see informed and balanced discussion in London’s blogosphere last week, even (or especially) as London seems to have a proudly xenophobic ”me drive car, you get out of way” culture that begrudges people on bikes and makes life miserable for them. [...]
You are right of course, and it would be really nice if all drivers respected bikers and all bikers stayed off the sidewalk. But the fact is that, currently, in London Ontario, there are roads where it is not safe to bike. Maybe this is selfish, but I’m not willing to sacrifice my life to contribute to a vague idea of future cycling stylishness. The immediate benefit (not dying) and lack of harm (being careful that pedestrians don’t even know I’m there) are most important at the current time, and there are more effective ways of bringing about a large societal change. I do everything I can to avoid major roads and engaging in this minor moral transgression, but I don’t think it’s as horrible as some other driver/biker/pedestrian behaviour that goes on.
It’s interesting that you mention that. I was just doing a bit of research for another post recently and found some studies on the frequency of accidents involving cyclists. On a per-km basis, you are SIGNIFICANTLY more likely to be involved in an accident riding on the sidewalk than anywhere else.
Bike lanes on the road come in as the most safe.
When you’re on the sidealk, cars don’t see you. And if you’re on minor side-streets, they’re probably not even looking for you.
It might feel a bit safer but I honestly believe it’s a false – and dangerous sense of security that needs to be heavily discouraged.
Interesting. I’d find that argument much more convincing than the one about style and cultural change.
Did it take accident seriousness into account though?
And of course correlation isn’t causation. It may be that the safest bikers are the ones who tend to ride on the road.
Still, good stuff.