BICYCLES

This morning as I ducked out of the way of yet another cyclist cruising down the sidewalk, I couldn’t help but wonder whatever happened to the instructions one used to receive on the proper and safe operation of this vehicle.  And they are vehicles, subject to the same road rules as their motorized cousins, including the rule that vehicles do not belong on the sidewalk.  I do understand that some roads do not have paved shoulders, to say nothing of a bike lane, yet that hardly justifies a cyclist from leaving the road and endangering pedestrians.

I remember learning the rules in elementary school: ride on the right, with traffic; obey traffic signals; signal your turns; etc.  Why, there was even a Disney song to help you remember.  Here’s a link to a little trip down memory lane: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y86r2_svyZE.  The picture quality’s not the best (how good will you look at 60?), but I’ll wager you be humming “I’m no fool, no siree . . .” the rest of the day.  Now if we could just get it on every cyclist’s iPod.