Zodiac

[prog]

jwz writes a list of advice to the novice city-cyclist (optimized for SF but applicable in any urban setting, I think). Of particular note:

Safety: I follow the Zodiac approach: always assume the cars can see you perfectly, and are trying to kill you. If an intersection seems iffy, use the sidewalk and crosswalks. If big streets like Market and Van Ness freak you out, there are always less traficky ways to go, or just stay on the sidewalks.

Comments

[karlvonl.livejournal.com]

From what I've noticed, it seems that most cyclists ignore traffic lights, i.e. they go right through red lights as though the lights don't apply to them. (Lest you think I'm biased, I even noticed this back when I was a bicycle commuter; I actually felt self-concious stopping at red lights and watching other cyclists go right by me.)

Then there was the guy I saw last year who was riding his bike against traffic, in between two oncoming lanes rather than against the curb, and steering with one hand because he was on his cell phone. Of course he wasn't wearing a helmet or anything.

s/most/some/

[prog.livejournal.com]

I suggest that you're seeing a frequency illusion, but yes, plenty of cyclists do ignore traffic signals, and that's just worse for them since it increases the chances they'll get flattened.

I idly theorize that this is due to the fact that the U.S. doesn't have a bike culture the way it has a car culture, and so road rules for bicyclists aren't as ingrained in everyone from childhood the way they are for motorists. It wouldn't surprise me if a lot of drivers think that bicyclists don't need to obey lights, either!

To tell you the truth, the last time I road my bike frequently (high school) I can't recall whether or not I obeyed traffic signals. But this was also in a relatively sparse area in Florida that wasn't very intersectiony, so maybe it was a moot point. (I do recall that I rocked the turn signals like nobody's business.)

[prog.livejournal.com]

Also I totally saw a bikey guy stopped at a red light and gabbing on his cell the other day, and boy were my feelings mixed.