The February BikeDenver commuter column is being created at the end of a cold, snowy week. During this past week, this columnist has had the rare and unpleasant experience of driving an automobile on the road. These infrequent driving experiences always remind me, admittedly with surprise, that watching out for cyclists isn’t as easy as it seems.

Genevieve Hutchison

As a regular cyclist, pedestrian, and transit user, my perspective is usually that of a defensive traveler. That is to say, I am often looking out for motorists who are not looking out for me. More than once I’ve had to dodge a car parked in the bike lane or assert my presence between the parking lane and the travel lane or dodge litter flying from a car window or endure any number of inconsiderate behaviors. These experiences can lead to an angry, “no one cares about the cyclists” attitude.

As a motorist one frosty night in the past week, I tried to be very cautious of the brave non-motorized travelers. I checked my mirrors diligently for bikes and pedestrians on sidewalks, in bike lanes and on the road in general. Understandably, my walking and cycling brethren were few and far between. In eleven miles of driving I saw three cyclists and several pedestrians. Only one of the cyclists had a light. The other two were lightless and traveling via sidewalk.

After riding in a variety of conditions and with a variety of different riders, I have adopted a short and sweet motto for sharing the road with vehicles that could easily kill me: Be predictable, be seen, use hand signals, and be safe. I have reluctantly accepted that not all vehicles are out to mow me down and I try to make it easier for them to avoid doing that. One doesn’t have to wear bright yellow cycling gear from head to toe either. Simple lights and a reflective band or two go a long way. The same goes for being predictable. A dear cyclist friend of mine enjoys darting through rush-hour traffic—bike courier style—and I cringe at this. It confuses drivers who want to get where they are going without incident and makes them expect me to be just as unreliable. Of course, it would be ideal if all motorists followed the rules of the road, shared it generously, and were conscientious of others’ modes but I can only control my behavior as a cyclist, pedestrian, and motorist.

When I started bicycle commuting in 1999 I was both amazed and appalled. Amazed that there were so many biking options and facilities in and around downtown Denver but appalled at the second-class citizen feeling I had on the road. Hopefully, this feeling will go away as motorists and cyclists respect each other more on the road with an increased bicycle commuting crowd. With that I’ll close by saying—Be safe! Especially during these winter months where there are fewer of us out there and motorists may be less attentive to bikes on the road for that reason. To reiterate what Tracy said at the end of the January column—be friendly to your fellow rider. To quote those penguins from the movie Madagascar, “Smile and wave [cyclists], smile and wave.”

By Genevieve Hutchison, BikeDenver Secretary

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