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Find vehicles honking at you more than usual? Almost run over a pedestrian recently? As cyclists and pedestrians ourselves, we think maybe it’s time you brushed up on a little bike safety and street etiquette.
Do Not Ride on the Sidewalk
Because bikes are classified as a sort of vehicle, you are legally required to ride your bike in the street in Berkeley. So next time you’re creeping up behind us and we hear the click of your bike chain over our iPod, we will give you a deathstare so juicy it will rust your gears in place. Oh, and no, we won’t move over so that you can pass us.
Do Not Ride Against Traffic
This is a surefire way of getting hit. You have to obey traffic laws, bub, and this ain’t no England. Ride on the right side of the road with the flow of traffic.
Obey All Traffic Signs
This includes that red octagonal sign that spells some foreign word like S-T-O-P. Pedestrians have a right of way, like, all the time, so don’t enter the crosswalk while they’re still in it. Make a full halt, take a breather, adjust your Timbuk2. Same goes for red lights. Did you think you were exempt?
Use Lights and Reflectors at Night
Make sure cars can see you. Wearing lighter colored clothing also helps. The best thing you can do is attach front and back lights so that you make a visible presence on the road. Reflectors are only helpful if a car’s light is shining directly on them.
Carry An Expensive U-Lock
There’s a common saying in Berkeley: “Buy a cheap bike and an expensive lock.” Bike thieves can easily cut through cables and crack combinations. Invest in one of those $50 jobs, and you’ll feel more at ease. We laugh in the face of cables, and no, we won’t pity you when your bike is gone.
Got any other bike safety tips? Leave ‘em in the comments section.
Image Source: BikePortland.org under Creative Commons
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Comments:
Jul 15, 2008 at 3:19 pm
thank you. can we please add ‘wear a helmet’. I see so many idiots running red lights without helmets – it’s mind blowing.