Is That What You Call Sharing?

I have a bone to pick. I get the whole bicycle commuting thing, and I get how, as a 'motorized vehicle', I'm expected to share the road. No problem! But can we 'motorized vehicles' get the same respect, please??

I love to take bike rides as much as the next guy, so I thoroughly get sharing the road. Granted, I get on the sidewalk whenever possible because I am a leisure bike rider, not a commuter. Or someone who *thinks* they are a commuter... you know the ones... they just about go at a snail's pace but assume since they're commuting, then they are a commuter bicyclist, nevermind the bells and tassels they have on their handle bars. But some of these bikes out there never think to look behind them to see the mile long back-up they're causing. They just ride in the middle of the lane, like it's their road to own.

Um, hello??!! I don't care how fast you're going, you're not going as fast as cars!

And the fun part? You get to a stop light and they ride all the way to the front along side of all the cars that just passed them... forcing them to all pass the bike again.

Hey... if you want to share the road, then have respect for what's bigger than you on the road... cars are expected to respect semis, and the same should apply to bikes! Share the road... move over when you can and let people pass, and wait in line at traffic lights just like the rest of us road-worthy vehicles! It's really just common courtesy!

Then there's the really obnoxious bike riders... the ones who expect cars to share the road with them, but then feel they still have all their pedestrian rights, too, and won't hesitate blowing through an intersection, expecting traffic to stop for them. Wow... aren't you just the man!

I know I might get some argument here - but you can't convince me otherwise. Yes, we are behind with the whole alternative transportation thing here in Indy. And I know not all bicycle commuters are like this. In fact, most probably are not. But it's the handful out there that are that give the whole community a bad name and make people have road rage against bikers.