Bikers vs. Cars

There's an old rivalry in San Francisco between bikers and car drivers, and every once in a while someone dies.  Everyone in SF is either a biker or a driver, and so everyone has already taken sides.  Here's my position:

You're both wrong.

I've been a biker here, and it's hard.  The drivers are rude as hell, constantly running stop signs and red lights.  Even when there are designated bike lanes and giant neon yellow signs saying "share the road," drivers are still aggressive.  It's one thing to be aggressive when it's a one ton vehicle against another one ton vehicle (although still rude and dangerous), but it's an entirely other thing when you're doing it to a biker.  I want to be able to ride my bike without fearing for my life, and in a First World country that ought to be possible.

On the other hand, bikers are jerks too.  All of them.  I can't remember the last time I saw a biker actually stop at a stop sign.  In fact, that's why one is on trial now; he ran a stop sign and killed a pedestrian.  Honestly I wish he'd hit a car instead.  Bikers ride on sidewalks, bikers ride against traffic, and then criticize drivers for not obeying traffic laws.  Bikers, the rules don't stop applying to you just because you think you have a smaller carbon footprint.

There's been a development: the family of the slain pedestrian doesn't want the biker to go to jail.  He has promised to dedicate his life to bike safety if the judge lets him go free.  Well, it's a start.  I hope not every biker has to kill or get killed before they start riding safely.

Meanwhile, what about the cars?  I honestly don't know.  That's why I take the bus every day.  But bad drivers can no longer be an excuse for bikers; being a bigger asshole isn't the answer.

J<

(Critical Mass is a term you use for nuclear weapons.)