For anyone who has read my blog, you already know about my pet peeve. Namely, when I am at a stop sign on my bicycle, I hate when cars stop, when they don't have a stop sign, and try to wave me across. I always point to my stop sign and say "You have the right away."
Usually, I will smile and wave them on. I get it. They are trying to be nice and most don't know the law that says bicycles are vehicles too, when it comes to right-of-way laws. It's frustratingly comical as I wave on that first stopped driver and then the one behind him now breaks for me, and on and on. Or the old "I have a break in traffic soon as this car passes. Oh, he's slowing down. He's stopping. F@$k, there goes my break." For some reason bikes really confuse people. But, there's a new approach. This idea was Sarah's. And it simplifies everything while upping the ante.
Next time, when traffic keeps stopping, wanting you to ride across on your bike, there is a way to make their actions legal. Namely get off your bicycle. Doff your helmet. Now you are a pedestrian. Carefully walk across the street. Don your helmet. Climb aboard your metallurgic steed and become a bicyclist again! If there is a crosswalk nearby, do the same thing after carefully walking to the crosswalk. Very satisfying, very legal, very educational. Bicycles are vehicles. If they have a stop sign and you don't, you don't stop. Pedestrians are not vehicles. Every street corner is a de facto crosswalk. You must stop for pedestrians. Which is funny because when I am not on my bicycle and am a pedestrian, cars rarely stop. This is what makes this new approach so great.
