Handsup

Ask a city driver to describe the average urban cyclist and they’ll probably describe a tattooed messenger/clueless college kid hybrid. And to the cyclist, cars are unpredictable, door flinging Godzillas hell bent on destruction. There’s plenty of mistrust to go around, but cyclists can seize the opportunity to change the way drivers perceive us and lower the heat on city streets:

  • Ride up, Ride Out Ride in an open way, be assertive rather than aggressive. You have a right to the road, so make your intentions clear, move out of the door zone and into traffic if you have to, remembering that there is a human being behind the wheel of that car, and so:
  • Make Eye Contact If we want to make cycling safer we have to stop looking at drivers as the enemy. This means making eye contact and letting them know that you’re about to turn, stop or cut in behind them. Use gestures, engage them, demystify yourself. At times none of that works so make it your policy to:
  • Let it Slide The world isn’t perfect and cycling on city streets reflects that. You’re going to get cut off, forced out of your lane and cursed at. Resist the urge to settle a score and opt instead for a One Love Marleylike vibe, smile, and keep riding.

Riding with our heads up, making human connections and shrugging off the occasional outrage changes city riding from a series of skirmishes to a guerrilla action of positive engagement; it starts the process of making cyclists and drivers co-owners of our city streets.