CAR VS BIKE
I can sympathize with car drivers, really.
As a frequent cyclist in Chicago, I think much of the blame for the often adversarial relationship between urban bicyclists and drivers in Chicago lies with a small demographic of cyclists who ride recklessly and with a sense of entitlement - that they are somehow above the rules of the road because they're on two wheels. It's not just bike messengers, it's these tight jeans wearing twentysomething hipsters on speedy road bikes that are obsessed with biking as this cultish subculture. It's been amazing to me since I've been riding to work down Milwaukee everyday how many of them blow through red lights at dangerous intersections and expect cars to stop
for them even though the cars clearly have the right-of-way.
On the other hand, many drivers still don't understand that bicyclists have just as much right to the road as they do. I encountered the worst of this attitude yesterday.
I was biking to work in the morning as usual yesterday when I encountered the type of guy you love to hate. A middle-aged professional white guy, impeccably dressed, driving a midlife crisis induced sports car convertible, probably divorced and dating his 25-year old secretary - the type of guy who puts his Blackberry as close to his skin as possible to feel a small thrill everytime it vibrates because it's a digital reminder of his importance in the world.
Anyway, when I hit a red light at the intersection of Chicago and Milwaukee, the right side of the right lane was filled with other cyclists, so I cut between two lanes of idled cars and moved over so I was just ahead of Mr. Mercedes guy. Perhaps feeling that he had earned the right to fly at 40 MPH immediately when the light turned green because of his high powered professional whiteness, he honked at me. I turned around and half heartedly shrugged and looked at him puzzledly.
He then yelled back at me something about how I had just done something illegally. "I have the right to the road, too!" I argued back. He was continuing to rant back, but the light turned and I started to go on the bike lane down Milwaukee. 10 seconds later, however, something caught my eye. Mercedes Man was driving at my speed and was still yelling at me.
"YOU HAVE TO BE GOING THE SPEED OF TRAFFIC!" while I countered with "It's illegal for me to bike on the sidewalk, where the hell am I supposed to go?" I don't know if he had taken too much Viagra the night before, but his face turned even redder. "I WORK FOR THE STATE'S ATTORNEY'S OFFICE! I COULD HAVE YOU ARRESTED!" I couldn't help but laugh. "Really?! For cutting in front of you on my bike at a red light? That's pretty funny!" He pointed right in my face "I COULD! I COULD DO IT RIGHT NOW, I COULD FUCKING TAKE YOU IN!" Suddenly, the road rage hit me..."Try to do anything to me and I'll rock your ass!" I said.
I wish I had said something way less gay, I know, but this wasn't an action movie, and I didn't have a script. But at any rate, cars behind him were honking, ironically enough, so he sped on and flipped me off. Meanwhile, I started laughing with the other bikers that were around. It just gave them more fuel for their anti-car fires. Maybe we'll need to bring in Jimmy Carter soon to make some sort of peace accord.
