Rules of the Road: A NYC Cyclist Story

From a New Urban Cyclists, the Top 5 Rules of the Road:

1. Taxi drivers and pedestrian’s entering and exiting taxis are the primary enemy.
1. What other object stops randomly, without warning, uses the bike lane as a spot for occasional swerving and takes sharp turns on green lights? Only taxis, that’s who.
2. When cab drivers stop to pick up a fare – you’re in for even more torture.
3. ADVICE: Yell and scream loudly at taxi drivers when necessary.
2. Make eye contact with drivers and other cyclists
1. When given the opportunity, make eye contact with drivers, cyclists and even pedestrians at stoplights or intersections. Once someone sees you and recognizes you’re a human, they are less likely to miss you in their rear view mirror or step out in front of you when a light turns from red to green.
2. ADVICE: Eye contact and a smile go a long way.
3. You are smaller than a bus
1. When forced to use a bus lane, speed through as quickly and safely as possible. Because, a bus horn is almost as scary as a bus.
2. Don’t challenge a bus to a left hand turn, they cut in so far that pedestrians regularly have to take a step back on the sidewalks.
3. ADVICE: Respect the city bus.
4. You’re bigger than and Interceptor
1. Seriously, NYPD, when the Department of Transportation set up bike lanes throughout the city, did you think they were setting them up for traffic cops to use for tagging tires and checking meters? I don’t really care if you don’t have anywhere else to go, it’s a royal pain to get stuck behind you when you could easily pull off to the side and let me by.
2. ADVICE: Yell softly and try to avoid kicking them when you do have to go out into traffic to get around them.
5. Claim your space
1. Now that you understand your stature in this city, be sure to claim your space and puff up as much as necessary to show you deserve a half of a traffic lane or the small piece of bike path you’ve been allowed.
2. ADVICE: This is where smiling doesn’t come in handy. Just look like you know what the hell your doing and act like you’ve done it 100 times before.