A video I hope will interest my fellow cyclists: a comment on why cyclists take the lane, and why, whoever complains about it, taking the lane does not seriously inconvenience motorists. This video addresses the hazards of passing cyclists and shows, as clearly as I can, why passing a cyclist so rarely accomplishes anything for a motorist.
Comments
simplicius2wheels
Great video and excellent
Thu, 05/24/2012 - 07:19Great video and excellent narrating, Locatus! A lot of work, too. That would be an excellent teaching tool for cyclists to show them typical traffic situations.
But you know, if I show this to drivers - the ones that ought to learn something from your video - I doubt they'll get it. It just does not look scary to them. I think the camera makes it look less threatening as passing distances appear larger than they really are - because the vehicle is close to the camera. If the shot was being taken from a bike behind, or your bike trailer, would that make a difference?
Antony (not verified)
Thanks John. The dialogue is
Thu, 05/31/2012 - 17:50Thanks John. The dialogue is a little dry, but it's a very clear message.
Drivers seem to act on the belief that city traffic is somehow like a racetrack, where going faster always gets you ahead. Hence most ineffective, aggressive driving habits.
The metaphor I've been trying to work on (and I'd appreciate any criticism of) is that driving in city traffic is like waiting in a supermarket checkout line. It doesn't matter how closely you lurk behind the person in front of you, what determines how fast you travel is your place in line.
And the thing is, people on bikes have less than 6 items and aren't even waiting for your cashier. They just need to pass through once in awhile.
I like this metaphor because 1) It more closely matches reality 2) It invites social politeness comparisons that have been suppressed in applying to car driving