I noted Mr. Corotas’ suggestions regarding bicycles were published two places in The Herald. (May 3 Street Smarts column and letter to the editor.)
Here is the other side of the argument. Bicyclists need one set of rules to follow that is clear to everyone else using the road. I have seen cyclists riding the sidewalks, crossing in crosswalks, riding opposite road traffic, with road traffic, obeying traffic signs and stop lights and ignoring them with impunity.
They ride with little regard for any rules. They obstruct cars on roads with little capacity for just the cars. Motorists realize when bicyclists are on the road; their lawlessness makes them unpredictable and at risk of causing fatal accidents. Drivers just want an even chance to avoid harming bicyclists, but bicyclists’ behavior puts motorists and them at risk.
If I drove my car the way they do bicycles, it would be cause for consternation, traffic tickets, arrests, news stories and court appearances. An even playing field for cyclists and motorists would be for both our safety. Licensing bicyclists would ensure we are uniformly on the same page in terms of traffic rules and traffic safety. If cyclists do not want this, they vote in favor of their death and dismemberment through inevitable tangles with large vehicles, arguments they are destined to lose due to the laws of physics.
Motorists want it clear that we are not responsible for such cyclists’ injuries and will not be held liable for them. Sorry, cyclists, but “No rules … just wrong!”
Greg Miller
Everett
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