Seems to me that building distinct infrastructure for non-motor vehicles is much better solution than growing out the bureaucratic machinery that would be required to license every damn bicycle, and that any time we get the misplaced urge to self-harm by suggesting that this joy of a transportation mode be made to comply with the same licensing requirements as 2+ ton combustion machine we instead redirect that energy into something positive like infrastructure advocacy.
I mean, it’s not really an either/or thing. Even good bicycle infrastructure requires cyclists to be knowledgeable in how to use it. For example, I’m religious about saying “on your left” when passing other cyclists or pedestrians on our local bicycle path. I probably say it 20-30 times a ride. But in twenty years of regular riding, almost every day, I don’t think I’ve heard it said to me by a passing cyclist even 10 times total - they just never do it. I don’t think it’s because they just want to be dicks, I think they genuinely have no idea they should be doing it, same reason they never use hand signals - because there’s no requirement for them to learn this. Knowing what to do on a public road is even more important.
Actually, it’s not an either/or thing - it’s neither/nor in the United States.
Yeah it’s nice that you’re so considerate and it’s definitely not unappreciated, but you’re certainly in a small minority of cyclists in wanting those behaviors to be the norm. I’m confident that most cyclists consider those to generally be car behaviors and unless you’re in close quarters with another cyclist or around cars, they’re never really required and absolutely not expected. There is no world in which I’m going to want or expect other cyclists to be making hand signals meant to get the attention of drivers every time they need to make a turn, and so long as I’m not in a very tight spot on the path I’d rather that other cyclists pass me without having to make a ritual of it. Yours is definitely not an axe that most of us want to grind. Just so you’re aware.
Seems to me that building distinct infrastructure for non-motor vehicles is much better solution than growing out the bureaucratic machinery that would be required to license every damn bicycle, and that any time we get the misplaced urge to self-harm by suggesting that this joy of a transportation mode be made to comply with the same licensing requirements as 2+ ton combustion machine we instead redirect that energy into something positive like infrastructure advocacy.
I mean, it’s not really an either/or thing. Even good bicycle infrastructure requires cyclists to be knowledgeable in how to use it. For example, I’m religious about saying “on your left” when passing other cyclists or pedestrians on our local bicycle path. I probably say it 20-30 times a ride. But in twenty years of regular riding, almost every day, I don’t think I’ve heard it said to me by a passing cyclist even 10 times total - they just never do it. I don’t think it’s because they just want to be dicks, I think they genuinely have no idea they should be doing it, same reason they never use hand signals - because there’s no requirement for them to learn this. Knowing what to do on a public road is even more important.
Actually, it’s not an either/or thing - it’s neither/nor in the United States.
Yeah it’s nice that you’re so considerate and it’s definitely not unappreciated, but you’re certainly in a small minority of cyclists in wanting those behaviors to be the norm. I’m confident that most cyclists consider those to generally be car behaviors and unless you’re in close quarters with another cyclist or around cars, they’re never really required and absolutely not expected. There is no world in which I’m going to want or expect other cyclists to be making hand signals meant to get the attention of drivers every time they need to make a turn, and so long as I’m not in a very tight spot on the path I’d rather that other cyclists pass me without having to make a ritual of it. Yours is definitely not an axe that most of us want to grind. Just so you’re aware.