07-13-2016, 02:01 PM
(07-13-2016, 12:04 PM)Canard Wrote: I would love to ride on the sidewalk. I'd feel safer. But I can't because it's against the law, so I don't do it. This is why I don't ride Victoria or Weber and will take side roads around them.
I think this comment was pre-empted by clasher’s a bit when he points out that the demographics of many cyclists do not allow them the luxury of opting for less direct but safer or more comfortable routes. For people cycling recreationally, the comfort of a route is the most important factor, and they might not mind going out of their way and taking more time to seek safer alternatives. If someone is biking to his or her job, though, he might need to take the most direct route possible- and, if safe infrastructure is not provided on that route, riding on the sidewalk might be the only practical alternative.
As an aside, I have to say that, when confronted with people biking on the sidewalk, my attitude in the moment is a lot closer to yours. Your comment about Victoria reminded me that, on Saturday, I was at Descendants, and was annoyed to see a few different young male (I say this to illustrate my own prejudice) patrons arrive on bicycle, sure enough biking on the sidewalk. And my thought was that, if they don’t like riding on the sidewalk, they should leave their bikes at home. But that’s not entirely fair, and I don’t know their circumstances. And, when I see someone on a weekday morning biking on Victoria, who’s to say that he or she really can’t spare twenty (as an example) minutes extra to try to take some other route to his job?