Are cyclists out to kill?
Published on linkedin.com on 2015-11-18
In Montreal these days, with later sunrises and early sunsets, many cycling commuters are going to and from work in the dark. I don’t know if this is particular to Montreal, but many of these cyclists have no lights on their bicycles, and additionally wear really dark clothing. Here’s a quote from the book “Bike snob: Systematically & mercilessly realigning the world of cycling” by Bike Snob NYC: “Besides bicycles, the only fast-moving objects that don’t use lights are missiles, bullets, and bombs, all of which are designed to take people by surprise and run into them. Unless that’s your goal on the bike, too, you should probably use a light.” Amen to that!
I purchased a set of very bright lights along with extra mounting hardware, and I switch the lights from our tandem bicycle, to my road bike, or to my comfort bike. Use ’em even in the daylight, as I want to maximize the possibility of being seen by car drivers turning out of driveways, etc. And for additional safety, an air horn. That is always effective, except for one time when we were trying to attract the attention of a cyclist hogging a cycling trail, wearing earphones with his music up so loud he was oblivious to everything else.
So while there may be some cyclists who want to kill, there are probably many more who have a death wish!