Coffee Talk Tuesday - We are the 1%

Submitted by Kris Thompson on

Originally I had no plans of a Tuesday Coffee Talk until I read the Letters to the Editor in the Daily Camera about Cyclist's reckless behavior. But it wasn't about the behavior of the cyclists that concerned me, we all know there are bad apples out there, some intentionally stupid and some cluelessly stupid because they never learned how to drive a bike in traffic. No it was this sense of how outsiders or new residents to this area view cyclists, probably outsiders who live in a community where probably the only cyclists ever seen are those forced to ride because of excessive DUI's.

From the Daily Camera
I am new to working in the Boulder area. In my few months that I have commuted in and around the city of Boulder I have experienced a side to bicyclists that I never knew existed. Everything from rude comments to reckless behavior on the roads.

I can handle the rude comments but I find the reckless behavior to be unacceptable. I feel bicyclists need to have identification numbers worn on their bicycles or on their backs so they can clearly be identified.

I feel this would make the bicyclist more responsible for their actions and result in less traffic-related injuries for bicyclists. It's a win-win situation in my opinion.

If bicyclists expect to be treated like vehicles and have the rights of a moving vehicle in traffic, they clearly need to be playing by the same rules as everyone else. How did this culture of the bicyclist come to be?

I'm not sure where this person recently came from, maybe as close as the city of Westminster who just got their first bike lane or maybe from Jacksonville Florida. Either way they are probably in for a shock when they come to our bike-loving community. How did our bike culture come to be you ask, out of dedication, progressive vision and insight that alternatives to the majority is out there and is fun! Personally having lived and biked in places other than the 303 area I know what it is like, these attitudes are the 99% of the country and our area is the 1%. Every time you throw your leg over your bike remember how great we have it here and how unfortunate and ignorant the other 99% of the USA is. We are representatives to the other 99% so please try to use this right consciously but more importantly, keep on using that right and keep riding!

What outsider views have you heard from others when they visit our area, with lots upcoming visitors for the holidays, I'm sure we'll be hearing a lot of opinions from the 99%?

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3 Comments

If you remove bicyclists from the equation

Submitted by Mike (not verified) on

In the last paragraph of the snippet that is posted, if you remove the bicycle form the equation this would seem to apply to all people driving. I wonder what the ratio of vehicle:bike vs vehicle:vehicle vs vehicle:pedestrian accidents is? I suspect that the vehicle:vehicle accident rate is much higher, even if it were to be normalized to the number of bicyclists. Of all accidents it would be interesting to know the number that involve bicyclists verses the number that involves no bicyclists and in all cases who was at fault.

Yes there are bad apples on both fronts, but a vehicle is a deadly weapon and should be treated as one. A bike can also be a deadly weapon but not so much in the case of vehicle vs bike.

There are days I wish I were a traffic cop to ticket all those who speed, cross the solid center line, fail to signal, use the bike lane as a turn lane, cut across corner parking lots to get around an intersection, text, using phone, blow a stop light, blow a stop sign, don't stay in their lane when turning. I could easily write a ticket for each one of those every day!

Driving seems to have become a "right" that even the laziest and most ignorant people have.

BTW I drive a vehicle as well as ride a bike, I did 20,000 miles of driving last year and locally I often use the same roads I ride and others ride, so I see both sides of this. I have my safety violated by other drivers way more than bicyclists!

Good point, the entire opinion could be flipped

Submitted by Kris Thompson on

You could also flip the entire conversation about how car drivers are terrible, bla bla bla. Since 99+% of American's grew up in a car culture then the thought of ignorance to their stupidity is not a valid answer unlike probably 50% of the "reckless cyclists" their actions are probably just lacking the proper bicycle education because no public or private entity ever taught them more than how to ride without training wheels.

But it's not about the "reckless cyclists" its about how the writer should really look at the 303 area and embrace the awesomeness that we have, the fact that due to the cyclists there are fewer cars on the road and at stop lights. People choosing a healthier means to get around and cheaper. The beauty of the return of mindful urbanism help promoted by the bicycle. All they see is the asshat running the stop sign.... but did they see the driver going 44mph in the 35mph zone?