Everett, Wash.
Published: Tuesday, July 22, 2008

BICYCLE RIDERS

They don't have any claim to 'rights'

 As a professional transit driver, I am sick and tired of hearing bicycle riders say that car drivers do not respect bicyclists' rights. The answer to that is, why should we? When I was a teenager I was taught that a bicycle rider should respect a car because of the size and the danger that a car can present to a person on a bicycle. Not the other way around.

As a person who drives a car, I have to pay to have that car licensed each and every year. Do bike riders pay each and every year? No! Every six years I have to pay to get relicensed. How about bicycle riders? No they don't! Every time I fill up my car with gasoline I have to pay taxes on every gallon of gas that I buy to help pay for road improvements and repairs. How about bike riders? No! It is required by law that I buy insurance for my car. How about bicycle riders? Once again, no!

As a professional driver I especially have to obey all the traffic laws. Do the bike riders obey the traffic laws? No! They don't even come close to obeying the traffic laws! In fact, I don't even believe they know what traffic laws are about. They don't stop at stop signs, they ride between the cars, they take up the middle of the lane, they ride side by side, they don't know what a red light means, and when they're done playing like a vehicle on the road they go up on the sidewalk to bypass or to ignore even more traffic laws and then pretend they have a right to be a pedestrian and use a crosswalk.

So you tell me, why should I respect the rights of a bicycle rider?

Scott Eiler
Marysville
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