In the August 4th edition of USA Today, Sheriff James Alderden of Larimer County, Colorado, is quoted as saying that some bicyclists, “cop an attitude” when it comes to following traffic laws. I think that this is an example of anti-bicyclist discrimination. It’s common for cars to roll through stop signs at 10 mph. Yes, it’s illegal, and sometimes people even get ticketed for it, but nobody ever says that motorists are “copping an attitude” about following traffic laws when they do it. So why is it different when bicyclists do the same thing?
“There are tens of thousands of recreational cyclists in our county, and they all want to use the canyons at the same time, it seems like,” says Boulder County sherriff Joe Pelle. If tens of thousands of people want to use the roads for a legal recreational purpose, why is preference being given to motorists, who are greatly in the minority? Why are the cyclists seen as the problem?
“Occasionally,” says Pelle, “you meet a pack of jerks. They’re just being obstinate or activist about their right to ride in the road. They slow down traffic and then they flip (drivers) off.” In many states, bicyclists are treated legally the same as cars. So let’s flip that statement around: “Occasionally, you meet a pack of jerks. They’re just being obstinate or activist about their right to drive on the road. They whiz past bikes dangerously close and honk and throw things at cyclists.” Why are the cyclists being cast as the problem in this story and not the drivers, if both groups are supposed to have equal access to the road?
