Bikes in the city? Yup. Now you might think that most of them are bicycle messengers, but I don't know that I've even seen one of those (granted, I don't spend a ton of time in Manhattan during the day yet). Most of the people I see on bikes are just regular folks like you and I, going to the park or the store or commuting to work. I'd venture to say that 80% of the bicycle riders in NYC are buttholes, by the way, because they have no regard for rules, regulations, or pedestrians walking - even if the pedestrians have a green walk sign.
If you don't know already, jaywalking is the norm in NYC, people walk across the street despite what the signals indicate, as long as there isn't any traffic or it's stopped dead. I've already learned to be wary of those sneaky ninja electric cars like the Prius, which sneak up on you and you have no idea that they are even close to you. Although I don't really see a lot of Priuses (Prii?) here, I have also learned that the other ninjas that attack without a growling engine are those damn cyclists.
Manhattan has a plethora of Citi Bike stations, so you're guaranteed to see a bunch of clunky blue bikes zooming around as you walk the busier areas in the city. Brooklyn has a bunch of Citi Bike stations as well, but you see more standard cycles here. The current mayor of NYC, Mike Bloomberg - a man who is talked about passionately on a regular basis by every single New Yorker, much more so than any LA mayor - has created a much more bike-friendly city. I think it's great, for the environment, for people's health, and for the noise pollution of horns. So props to you, Mr. Bloomberg! How very west coast of you. Ha...
Anyway, the cyclists here are increasing in number, which is great and all, but they need to learn some cycling etiquette and follow the rules, man! On the Citi Bike website, it advises the following:
In NYC, cyclists must:
- Yield to pedestrians
- Stay off the sidewalk
- Obey traffic lights
- Ride with traffic
Hmmmmm, that's funny. On a daily basis I see cyclists breaking ALL of those guidelines. When I cross the street - legally or jaywalking - I have to look carefully in both directions because the sneaky bike ninjas appear out of nowhere without warning and race by me. They sure as hell don't yield to pedestrians! I also see bikes on the sidewalk a lot. In Pasadena I regularly rebuked bike riders and yelled out, "It's a sideWALK, not a sideCYCLE!" I continue this verbal admonishment in NYC, of course. Obey traffic lights? Yeah right! Bicyclists here apparently are severely colorblind, because they pay no attention to traffic lights, or stop signs, or pretty much any rule of the road. Hence my heightened "look both ways" policy when crossing the street. As for the last guideline, ride with traffic, I will say that most bike riders do follow this. However, in the increasingly hipster neighborhood that I live in, I see more folks riding against the grain.
To be fair, some pedestrians walking along the streets or in parks are moronic and present a particularly challenging obstacle course for cyclists. On my walks in Prospect Park, I regularly see walkers in the bicycle lanes (even though the asphalt is helpfully painted in bright white with symbols indicating where you are supposed to walk/bike). There are traffic lights in the park that are supposed to let folks cross the loop with safety, but remember that the cyclists don't obey lights so the signals are pretty much futile. Crossing the bike lane can be a little bit like Frogger, but since 99.99% of the bikes in the park are all going the same way, it's relatively simple. Wait for the bikes to pass and then hustle across to the walk/run path. I once saw two teenager girls playing chicken with the cyclists (and these were the serious guys with the abundance of spandex), and the girls did a little dance back and forth, never fully committing to crossing the cycle path. One cyclist was stopping, trying to yield to the girls, but all of the dancing and waffling didn't help him, and the bike actually clipped one of the girls as he passed by (slowly, he wasn't speeding at this point). The girl was clearly in the wrong in this situation, and the cyclist circled back to make sure she was ok before he continued on. So I'll admit that pedestrians need to pay more attention too.
If and when you ever come to visit us here in NYC, and you haven't been here before or it's been a while - be forewarned. The bikes are vicious ninjas who are full of metal and knobby tires and mean-looking pedals, and they will appear when you least expect them and it could be a nasty crash if you're not paying attention. But if you are paying attention, and some butthole cyclist is coming at you when you have the green walking man signal, feel free to yell at them in your best fake NY accent, "HEY! I'M WALKIN' HERE!!!" Not only is it cathartic, but it might also save your life.
No comments:
Post a Comment