That's terrible, Connie. Bicyclists need to follow the laws of the road and drivers need to be aware of what's going on all around them and aware of bicyclists' right to be on the roads!

My boss is starting a yearly bike trip from northern MD down to the shore this weekend. One of the guys who always road with them was killed a couple of months ago by a woman in a car who got a ticket for reckless driving and that seems to be the only punishment she's getting. She also paralyzed another bicyclist riding with the guy who was killed. It's heartbreaking.

The problem is that in many places it's illegal to ride your bike on the sidewalk, so if there's no bike lane your only choice is to be dangerously close to traffic.

The bicyclist was on the sidewalk, too.

edit: yes, it's illegal, but they do it anyway.

I used to be a hardcore cyclist...who was so cautious and watchful as to be annoying to other riders. But, after a boyfriend was 'doored' and had to have a portion of his shoulder removed and another was killed by a truck illegally driving in a residential area, I retired my bike.

Many of my friends are still great riders but the urban environment just scares me too much. Especially in this day and age. Distracted driving and entitled cyclists? A mix destined for the Darwin awards.

At the moment, I'm appalled by the neighborhood riders who cruise around without helmets. Dude! It's not the distance from your house to the market, it's the distance from your head to the pavement!

Them, along with the cyclist tearing down the sidewalks, even when there is a perfectly good bike lane available...feh.

Them, along with the cyclist tearing down the sidewalks, even when there is a perfectly good bike lane available...feh.

Yeah. I'm so tempted to yell at them when I see cyclists doing that. "There's a perfectly good bike line five feet to your left!"

At least cities like Chicago are adding lots of bike lanes these days....

And the bad thing about cyclists who bike crazy, beside the getting hurt thing, is that some jerk drivers retaliate against other perfectly innocent cyclists. Lord, I've had some nasty close calls.

I've had bicyclists on the sidewalk swear at me for making a right turn when they're in full pedal and apparently have no intention of stopping.

I actually love riding in the city, despite the dangers. I find it exhilarating!

Cyclists riding on sidewalks makes me nuts and cyclists not wearing helmets makes me super nuts. Oh the worst is parents on bikes with kids on the back where the kid is wearing a helmet and the parent is not. What's going to happen if you fall and are knocked unconscious, moron? What's going to happen to your strapped in behelmeted kid then??? Plus it's modeling bad behavior.

so if there's no bike lane your only choice is to be dangerously close to traffic.

Really you need to consider yourself to be part of traffic and take your lane. Unfortunately too many drivers are ignorant of the fact that bicyclists have the right to do this.

At least cities like Chicago are adding lots of bike lanes these days....

Chicago has great bike lines! But many rude bicyclists, in my experience. You need to call out what you're doing, like saying "on your left" when you're passing so that your fellow cyclists know what you're going to do!!

Baltimore is getting more and more bike friendly. It has a looooong way to go but it's definitely headed in the right direction.

I've had bicyclists on the sidewalk swear at me for making a right turn when they're in full pedal and apparently have no intention of stopping.

Oh yes. I cannot tell you the last time I saw a bicyclist obey a stop sign or red light if there was no oncoming traffic. My route to work used to include a right turn with a very short light into a busy crosswalk, often used by bicyclists. The crosswalk direction was at the bottom of a small hill, so bicyclists liked to cruise down the hill and into the intersection. I was making the turn on a green light and a bicyclist who was cruising down the sidewalk about 50 feet back blew an air horn at me. I made the turn, forcing him to stop. When I was at the stoplight he actually had the nerve to come up to my car and start yelling at me. I rolled down my window and said "when you are IN the crosswalk I will yield to you, but I will be damned if I'm going to stop for when you're not even at the curb!"