Invariably, every conversation about cycle infrastructure turns into a debate about the lawlessness of individual cyclists, the carelessness of vehicle drivers and the relative worth of the two (plus a dash of “who has paid for the right to the road”). But the thing is, every person is different and that means there is a spectrum of behavior from the people who use every single form of transportation.
In most cases, people are not confined to one form of transportation. Almost everyone is a pedestrian at some point in their daily travels. Many people who use the tube also ride the bus. Many people who take the bus also run. Many people who cycle also take the tube. Many people who use transit are also passengers of taxis or ride sharing. Many drivers are also train riders. And many people take multiple forms of transportation throughout the day depending on their needs.
There are also various reasons for the transportation choices that people make. Many people have limited options. Some people have to drive a van or truck for their work. Some people can’t afford a car or don’t have space for a car, so must take transit. Some people prefer to read while they commute. Some people like their commute to also be exercise. Some people live too far from a train station to walk, so have to drive or cycle to the station. Some people have to make multiple stops throughout the day and transit does not serve their route or timing well. Some people have to bring children, animals or elderly relatives with them. Some people feel unsafe on their commute. Some people have enough money to choose to live near public transit stations. Some people have disabilities that prevent them from using some modes of transportation. We must all remember that few people are defined by their transport choice and that there’s a complex set of reasons for why people choose what mode they take. This is important to understand that we need to enable people to make the best choices.
But, people like to complain. The narrative about transportation has, for better or worse, pitted vehicle drivers against nearly everyone else, but especially against cyclists and public transit. There are many reasons for this, ranging from climate change, air quality, cost of parking, lobbyists, the way roads are subsidized compared to transit, perceptions of class, reliability, ideals of individualism, etc. As a result of this “war on…” narrative, people get defensive and tend to generalize about their perceived foes, forgetting that people are individuals making individual choices. And the thing is, people’s complaints aren’t wrong, they’re just poorly aimed. We all would like to get to where we’re going safely, quickly and cheaply.
In the spirit of validating the frustrations of those who do complain about people using other modes of transportation, but also in an attempt to acknowledge that these actions are not confined to specific modes or to all people using those modes, below I summarize the poor behavior people exhibit that frustrates others around them. Perhaps by allowing space to rant and acknowledgement of our frustrations, we’ll be able to move past them and start talking more productively about solutions.
Motorists (including private vehicle drivers, lorry/truck drivers, taxi/ride share drivers, delivery/van drivers and bus drivers)
- Not stopping at the stop line/stop sign before turning out into a road
- Failing to signal before switching lanes
- Riding too close to the curb/kerb or cycle lane
- Parking or unloading in the cycle lane, bus lane or on footpaths/sidewalks
- Tight turns that result in driving over curbs/kerbs (or worse yet, cyclists or pedestrians)
- Driving while talking on the phone or texting
- Driving while doing anything else (putting on makeup, eating breakfast, watching tv, reading the paper, etc.)
- Stopping in the pedestrian crossing/crosswalk
- Speeding
- Driving slowly in the faster/passing lane
- People who open car doors or come out of vehicles without looking first
- Construction and delivery vehicles blocking roads and footpaths/sidewalks
- Honking at cyclists or pedestrians because they are perceived as barriers to moving more quickly
- Passing too closely to other vehicles, cyclists or pedestrians
- Not stopping at crosswalks or zebra crossings for pedestrians
- Changing lanes or cutting someone else off without looking
Motorcyclists/scooter drivers
- Riding in cycle lanes
- Weaving in and out of traffic, cutting off other cars or cyclists or riding into oncoming traffic
- Not stopping at the stop line (or stop sign) before turning out into a road
- Speeding
- Mixing with cyclists in the cycle stop box
- Revving engines loudly
- Failing to signal before switching lanes
- Stopping in the pedestrian crossing/crosswalk
- Honking at cyclists or pedestrians because they are perceived as barriers to moving more quickly
- Passing too closely to other vehicles, cyclists or pedestrians
- Not stopping at crosswalks or zebra crossings for pedestrians
- Driving while talking on the phone or texting
- Changing lanes or cutting someone else off without looking
Cyclists (including lycra wearers, bike messengers, cycle hire/bike share riders, newbies, tourists and alternative cycle riders)
- Cycling through stop lights or stop signs without stopping, slowing or looking out for others around
- Weaving in and out of traffic and into oncoming lanes
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Not signaling when changing lanes or coming up to a turn, or pointing toward the ground with a hand at hip height and think it’s a visible signal
- Not looking behind when changing lanes, especially when expecting cyclists behind to accommodate.
- Cutting in front of other cyclists stopped at a light to get in front
- Cycling with headphones on
- Cycling on the footpath/sidewalk when there’s no reason to do so
- Stopping in the pedestrian crossing/crosswalk
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Speeding in tight cycle lanes
- Cycling slowly in the faster/passing lane
- Groups of cyclists not stopping in a queue at a light and then chaos once the light turns green
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Grunting or ringing bell behind other cyclists when they think they’re going too slowly, even though commuting is not a race
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Wearing certain types of clothing and acting like other people who don’t fit that mold shouldn’t be cycling
- Breaking rules and then getting annoyed when it disrupts others who are not, such as:
- Going the wrong way on a one way without anticipating the fact that pedestrians might not see them when crossing the street
- Speeding through red lights and then getting angry when pedestrians are crossing in front of them with their green light
- Passing too closely to other cyclists or pedestrians
- Not stopping (and/or not being ready to stop) at crosswalks or zebra crossings for pedestrians
Transit riders (including tube/subway, train/rail, light rail/tram/streetcar/trolley and bus)
- Not moving out of the doorway as other passengers get on and off
- Not getting up to give priority seats to those who need it
- Putting feet up on seats
- Not moving further into the car/bus to fit more people on
- Not having tickets ready when boarding
- Eating strong smelling food or spilling food/drink
- Littering
- Vomiting
- Letting bags and backpacks hit others or take up space when it’s crowded
- Playing music loudly
- Not making space for people in wheelchairs
- Not taking bags off seats
- Trying to get on the car/bus before others have been able to get out
- Coughing without covering one’s mouth or coughing into hand and then holding the pole
- Blocking the escalator or the lift
- Doing inappropriate personal grooming activities (e.g. cutting nails, putting on makeup, etc.)
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Able-bodied people who take up disabled seats and spaces
Pedestrians (including commuters, runners, groups of people, tourists and people with children or pets)
- Walking as a group across the whole footpath/sidewalk and blocking others from passing
- Walking (and not paying attention) while looking at a phone
- Stopping suddenly in the middle of the footpath/sidewalk, right at the end of stairs/escalator or right in front of a door
- Not making space for people in wheelchairs or with buggies/strollers to get around
- Darting out into the street between parked cars
- Stepping off the curb/kerb without looking
- Crossing against the light and not taking responsibility for your own safety when doing it
- Running/jogging on crowded footpaths/sidewalks
Maybe the next post will need to be about things others do to make commuting difficult (construction barriers without alternative routes, potholes and broken footpaths/sidewalks not repaired, etc.). But the point is that the anti-cyclist and anti-car rhetoric are two sides of the same coin and neither is very productive. Jerks take every form of transportation, so using that as an argument against a certain type of transportation is just silly.
The difference, though, is that some forms of transportation are more lethal to other people than others are, whether that be through crashes or pollution. A jerk on one form of transportation may have less negative impact on another person’s life than a different form of transportation. So, once we get the ranting about jerks out of our system (which we all like to do and can be very cathartic), let’s then move on to more substantive discussions about the benefits and impacts of various types of transportation.
This post was partially inspired by the spirit of this post by Rachel Cromidas.
Have I missed anything? Let me know in the comments or tweet me @PlanAbby and I’ll update the post!