You expect the car next to you to follow the same traffic laws that you do. Same probably goes for the truck a few cars back, right?
Now what about the Lance Armstrong-wanna be ferociously peddling about 100 yards in front of you?
Bikers want us to share the road. I'm on board with that; they have as much right to the public street as we do. But (now bikers, pay attention), I have as much right to insist that bikers follow the same traffic laws that I must.
We all dread seeing a bicyclist in front of us, about a block from the intersection that we must turn right at. Since the car is moving faster, we'll arrive at the intersection at the same time, only the cyclist will make no acknowledgment that a bigger means of conveyance is next to them. I don't tango with a truck on I-80 because I know it's much bigger and will hurt me and my precious Mustang. Why then do the cyclists of the world naively think that drivers must stay out of their way?
And why do cyclists get to blow through the red light after stopping? When you break that law, it only means we wind up together again at the second intersection, heightening your chances of getting hurt, and my chances of getting more frustrated.
Now comes one of the *best* ideas ever. A Dutch cycling group wants automakers there to install exterior airbags on cars so cyclists won't be hurt in the event of a collision.
Awesome idea. While we're at it, let's install airbags on the outside of that large 18 wheeler so if I get a little too batty on the interstate, me and my sports car will be protected. And let's put giant airbags on the front of trains, too. That way, I can gamble with the gates, and when I ultimately lose, I'll get only a small boo-boo.
I also want my exterior airbag on my driver's side to be remotely detonated. Imagine the scene when the dude on the motorcycle thinks he can avoid the traffic jam on I-80 by riding past all the stopped cars on the shoulder only to come wheel-to-bag with the explosive pillow on the side of my car. Ingenious.
Patrick Ferrell, is a staff reporter for The Herald News in Joliet. and the Sun Times News Group. Patrick covers education and politics. When he’s not ranting about something, Patrick can usually be found watching a race or careening down a ski slope. He resides in Will County with his wife, Laura, and the couple’s Portuguese water dog, Oscar, and bloodhound named Duke.
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