Share the Road, no really, SHARE it.

Share: [shair]

-vb

1. to join with another or others in the use of (something):

2. to divide, apportion, or receive equally.

Yes that's right, equally. If my 3 year old nephews can do it (well most of the time at least) then why do cyclists and motorists have such a hard time sharing the road? Why must it always be bike vs. driver? Supposedly we learned to share so that we could make it through kindergarten, but one look at the roads proves that most are interested in "me, me, me!"

This exhortation doesn't just go out to cars, though, it's for the cyclists reading too. As much fun as it is to ride in a group, it's really not appropriate to take up the road unless it has been marked off for you like in a race.

Bikes belong on the road, not on the sidewalks and often not even on multi use paths. A bike just goes too fast to be safe anywhere but on the road. More specifically on the right side of the road. It's harder where there is not always a nice shoulder, but even then bike laws protect your right to be on the street. I've found that here in the Milwaukee area the roads are in bad shape, and shoulders are rarely larger than 6-12 inches. Drivers for the most part are sensitive to this problem, but it only takes one guy who wants the road for himself to make life tough.

It seems the people least willing to share the road with cyclists are also the least likely to share the road with other motorists too. However, there are the occasional motorists who feel the need to be especially obnoxious towards bikes. I don't know where this enmity originated. Maybe they got caught behind a group of riders one day that made them late for work. Or maybe they associate bikes something dangerous like sabertooth tigers and their caveman instincts are just unrestrainable. (although, I think a sabertooth tiger would likely get more respect).

Horn honking, cat calling and "buzzing" riders on the side of the road does not make you cool. It makes you just as dumb as if you did that to someone in the supermarket while you were shopping for groceries.

Cyclists, this part is for you. Taking up the whole road, running stop signs and weaving through slow or stopped traffic doesn't help. In order to earn your place on the road you have to obey the laws just like being in a car. Unfortunately most people know more drivers than they know cyclists, so when one of us does something dumb everyone assumes that all of us do the same dumb stuff.

Minnesota has a great program called "Share the Road" that raises awareness for cyclists and advocates for bike friendly infrastructures. They also have some great resources about how to be safe and do your part as a cyclist on the road.

Let's all get along, ok? It's a lot more fun to be a rider when you can just concentrate on riding and worry less about dealing with boneheads in loud pick-up trucks (or yuppies on cell phones for that matter). The same is true about being a driver. It's not a battleground, just a way to get from one place to the next. We all need to use it, we may as well share.

Take a lesson from these guys and just get along...

...okay, maybe we can do better than that...