Children on Bikes

Last time I said I would do a better job at updating more often. I failed worse than a cyclist on a diet. I apologize; the last couple of months have been crazy for me. Getting cyclists off the streets is very important, but I have had some other things going on, including the birth of my first child. But now that he is here and we are getting settled, I need to do a better job fighting the good fight. Now that I have a son it is more important than ever for me to get our streets safer by removing scumbag cyclists from said streets.

A lot of people have already asked me if I will let my son get a bike one day. To which most are surprised when I say, “Absolutely!” .  Children, unlike cyclists, know where it is safe and prudent to ride their bikes. When I was a boy I loved to ride my bike with my brothers and friends, but I always stuck to low speed, low traffic, local, roads, and made sure to stay clear of any motorized vehicles.  I have no doubt my son will be able to make the same common sense decisions when he rides a bike one day. Even as young and 7 and 8 years old, kids know how to safely ride their bikes, and more importantly, when and where it is safe to ride them.

Let’s compare that to cyclists. Here is a sample of how average children and average cyclists would respond to some questions about riding their bikes:

Question	Average 8 year old.	Average Adult Cyclist
What do you think of bike lanes and trails?	A good place for me to ride my bike while keeping out of the way of cars.	Never use them. Can't slow down traffic in a bike lane.
Why do you ride your bike?	It's good exercise and an easy way to ride to my friend's house who lives not far from here.	The rush of causing traffic to slow to a crawl around me provides me with the necessary ego boost needed to not take a nap in my garage with the car running.
What do you do when on your bike when you see a car?	I pull off to the side of the road and make sure the car safely passes me before continuing.	I slow down and move to the center of the lane, trying my best to prevent the car from getting around me.
Where do you ride?	I ride my bike in my neighborhood and stick to low speed, low traffic roads.	I ride my bike on major highways with multiple lanes and speed limits that are double the top speed of my bike.
When do you ride your bike?	After school is best, the roads are usually pretty clear until 5 or 6.	Since I don't have a job, or a family, I usually ride my bike during rush hour, preventing those with employment from reaching their places of work or homes in a timely manner.

Children are smarter than cyclists; and more considerate of others as well. They understand that riding a bike can be very dangerous and that certain precautions need to be taken to do it safely. So yes, one day I will get my son a bike.

On another note, today is Election Day in a lot of local areas. There aren’t any big federal elections in an odd year, but you can go to the polls and vote for local ordinances and candidates, depending on where you live and who is up for re-election. Make sure you are voting for candidates that want to get cyclists off the streets. Local elections are the front lines for making our streets safer; let your city councilman, mayor, or other local civil servant know that you will not be intimidated by cyclists anymore. If they want your vote, the cyclists have to go.