Dear Cycling Community…
Written by Boston Biker on Jul 19
Dear Cycling Community,
Riding your bicycle over into the cross walk to run a red light doesn’t make it less illegal. In fact it puts you in conflict with pedestrians, makes it more likely you will be struck by turning cars, is still illegal, and also takes longer. So long in fact that I often find myself passing you as you try to merge back into traffic after the light has turned green and you are stuck in the cross walk like some kind of confused drunkard.
Please for the love of all things holy, if you simply must run a red light follow these simple tips.
1. Come to a complete stop (If stopping violated your rules of red running at least slow down enough that you can complete step 2)
2. Look both ways
3. Cross quickly IN A STRAIGHT LINE!
If you simply must break the law, because that extra 10 seconds are vital to maintaining your time, or because your 100 year old rust bucket of a bicycle will seize up if you stop grinding, or because you have a power meter, or because you are simply ignorant of the laws of this fine state, then please do us all a favor and do so in a straight line, as safely as you can, and do it as fast as possible.
I am really getting tired of having to ride way out over to one side to allow you to merge back into to traffic, I am sick of watching you almost hit pedestrians, and I can no longer take the shock to my heart as I watch you nearly get plastered by turning cars. If you are pissing me off this badly I can only imagine what the motorists and pedestrians are thinking.
To put it bluntly, if you are going to break the law, do it with some class.
Yours In Cycling
Boston Biker
PS. A much finer solution would be to stop at the red light with me, we could have a chat, it would be fun.
PPS. If you are going to go into the cross walk get off your bike and run across, it might be good practice for Cross season.
PPPS. Running red lights doesn’t make you faster, being faster does.
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