SFPD Bicycle Training Video
From the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition's email newsletter... The SFBC has partnered with the San Francisco Police Department to produce an officer training video which explains bicyclists' rights and the proper procedures for a few situations common in urban cycling (bike-car accident, getting doored, etc.). The results are pretty good...
The SFBC website also has a new outreach flyer, Give & Get Respect, promoting considerate cycling by not stealing the right-of-way from other road users. I heartily applaud this action, however the pamphlet doesn't go far enough in my opinion -- it doesn't even mention using lights at night, nor does it espouse driving your bike to the same high standard of the law that the SFBC expects of auto traffic. The SFBC wants the SFPD to crack down on scofflaw auto drivers who run red lights and drive recklessly on the streets of San Francisco, but they don't really expect cyclists to adhere to the same laws.
Here's a perfect example: On the very same page where they promote the "Give & Get Respect" campaign, they have another link to an article "explaining" why cyclists don't like stop signs. As if this "scientific" rationalization offers proof why -- unlike cars, motorcycles, mopeds, school buses, and cement trucks -- cyclists shouldn't have to stop at stop signs!?! The gist of the article is basically "stopping at stop signs is too hard and might make me sweat". Geez, how namby-pamby can you get?!? It sounds like the authors want to feel all high-n-mighty and self-righteous as bicycle commuters, but they don't want to have to work for it. Sorry, but there's no free lunch! If you're scared of a little effort, then you'd better trade in your bike for a Segway...
And oh, I bike-commuted to work today...so there!
The SFBC website also has a new outreach flyer, Give & Get Respect, promoting considerate cycling by not stealing the right-of-way from other road users. I heartily applaud this action, however the pamphlet doesn't go far enough in my opinion -- it doesn't even mention using lights at night, nor does it espouse driving your bike to the same high standard of the law that the SFBC expects of auto traffic. The SFBC wants the SFPD to crack down on scofflaw auto drivers who run red lights and drive recklessly on the streets of San Francisco, but they don't really expect cyclists to adhere to the same laws.
Here's a perfect example: On the very same page where they promote the "Give & Get Respect" campaign, they have another link to an article "explaining" why cyclists don't like stop signs. As if this "scientific" rationalization offers proof why -- unlike cars, motorcycles, mopeds, school buses, and cement trucks -- cyclists shouldn't have to stop at stop signs!?! The gist of the article is basically "stopping at stop signs is too hard and might make me sweat". Geez, how namby-pamby can you get?!? It sounds like the authors want to feel all high-n-mighty and self-righteous as bicycle commuters, but they don't want to have to work for it. Sorry, but there's no free lunch! If you're scared of a little effort, then you'd better trade in your bike for a Segway...
And oh, I bike-commuted to work today...so there!
posted by jim g at 10:26 AM
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