Bud Kennedy’s article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (see my post on August 3rd) seems to have raised the attention of how Texas roads are not biker friendly. Today Dale Robertson in the Houston Chronicle Cycling Notebook devoted two-thirds of the column to bikers fighting for our road rights. There have been numerous bloggers take up the cause as well.

I am not sure we bikers know the law any better than some law enforcement officers. I once was instructed by a deputy sheriff to ride on the left side of the road into the oncoming traffic. After he drove away I quickly moved back to the right side of the road. It is not rare to see bicyclists riding on the wrong side of the road or running stop signs. (I am guilty of running some stop signs.)

Some drivers seem to enjoy scaring bikers as we ride the road. More than once I had a car drive close and the passenger scream at the tops of their lungs or beat on the side of the car trying to scare or something. I have wondered what they would do if I fell over or rode into the ditch.

Why do drivers have a problem with bicyclists? There are probably too many to list but I think the major problem is impatience. They are in a hurry and bicyclists slow them down. You can see this when drivers run red lights so they don’t have to wait for the next green.