Commuter's Corner: Why Do They Love Us?
It’s come time to set the record straight: not all motorists hate cyclists. After more than 30 years of commuter cycling, I’m here to relate that I get more happy waves than horn honks.
But why? I ride slower than motorists want to go, I take the lane when necessary, and I engage in other practices not generally known to win popularity contests. I submit that it depends on how you ride, and by extension how you treat the motorists.
Let me give a salient example from my “short” route to work. I use NW 22nd Street to head toward UF, descending from 16th Avenue toward 8th Avenue. NW 22nd Street crosses Hogtown Creek and thereafter has a hill that climbs steadily upward. For additional context, that is the fifth hill in about two miles on that route, so by hill #5, I ain’t got no 100% fresh legs anymore.
And 22nd Street ain’t got no bike lane. And 22nd Street is a cut-through for traffic also heading toward UF. Perfect conditions for honking motorists! But that ain’t what happens.
One memorable week in particular, I did what I always do: accelerate on the downhill, over the creek, downshift, stand and start climbing. I knew cars were lined up behind me. At the red light following the climb, I was in the turn lane, and the first car pulled up next to me. The driver opened the car door (because, she said, her windows didn’t work). In a thick southern accent, she said, “I got a bike, too! You’re a master at this!”
I was floored. I’d watched my speedometer on the climb, like always. I was going 14 MPH.
Later in the same week, the same thing happened. The first motorist in the line pulled up next to me. This time their car had functioning windows, so the driver lowered theirs and complemented me, because (get this) they thought more people should be riding their bikes like I do.
So, let’s review: it ain’t speed, it ain’t because I got out of everybody’s way, why is everybody being so nice?
It is in plain sight for everybody to see if we only look: best practices in street cycling. There is the obvious stuff. Act like a driver of a vehicle! Obey the law. But then there are the more subtle behaviors. Be predictable. As in, look around to acknowledge other drivers – I have found they really appreciate this. Signal before a turn. Make the move you’ve indicated you’re going to make.
Before I turn off 16th Avenue on to 22nd, I look around for traffic coming up behind, from the left, and from up ahead. I signal for my turn. I make the turn. I ride in the lane, so that if anybody wants to pass, they must go out into the other lane. Otherwise, get in line, we’re climbing the hill together. At the top of the hill, I know I will be turning left on to 8th Avenue. I therefore look for cars coming from behind and then from up ahead. Then I signal for my turn. On 8th, I get a bike lane, so I even signal that I’m headed for the bike lane. Everybody gets it, and we all get where we’re going.
The bottom line: give recognition and thanks to our fellow travelers! And they will return the favor.
It could be that by great good coincidence it is all the nice people in the world who happen to use 22nd Street and I’m just very lucky. On the other hand, I’ve found that the same practices also generally work fine on other streets and intersections.
And where they don’t… that’s a story for another article. For now, I’ll say from long experience that the motorists will fall in line. I’ll be back out there on my bike again tomorrow, next week, and thereafter.