NO. 1: How about we stop at major intersections? Especially wherethere are school crossing guards, or disabled people crossing, or a lotof people during the morning or evening rush. (I have the law with meon this one.) At minor intersections, on far-from-trafficintersections, let’s at least stop and go.
NO. 2: How about weride with traffic as opposed to the wrong way on a one-way street? Iknow the idea of being told which way to go drives many bikers bonkers.That stuff is for cars, they say. I consider one-way streets anathema --they make for faster car traffic and more difficult crossings. Butwhenever I see something bad happen to a biker, it's when the biker isriding the wrong way on a one-way street.
There will becaveats. Perhaps your wife is about to go into labor and you take herto the hospital on your bike; then, yes, sure, go the wrong way in theone-way bike lane. We can handle caveats. We are bikers.
NO. 3:How about we stay off the sidewalks? Why are bikers so incensed whenthe police hand out tickets for this? I'm only guessing, but eachsidewalk biker must believe that he or she, out of all New York bikers,is the exception, the one careful biker, which is a very car way ofthinking.
NO. 4: How about we signal? Again, I hear thelaughter, but the bike gods gave us hands to ring bells and to signalturns. Think of the possible complications: Many of the bikers behindyou are wearing headphones, and the family in the minivan has a DisneyDVD playing so loudly that it’s rattling your 30-pound Kryptonitechain. Let them know what you are thinking so that you can go onbreathing as well as thinking.