Monday, January 28, 2013

Just Don't Be Bike Salmon

I think it's the worst, from a safety perspective, for cyclists. I get why people do it. They feel more in control and can avoid oncoming traffic if necessary, instead of worrying about what that car behind them might be doing. But they're traveling where they aren't expected to be. Drivers can't have constant 360 degree awareness. I almost hit one when I was going to make a right turn on a red onto a one way street. I checked for pedestrians, then checked for cars traveling up the road, then as I started to turn a bike zoomed down the street I was turning into. The cyclist had a green (most Philly intersections don't have separate pedestrian crossing lights, there are just traffic lights at the crossings), but he was, you know, going the wrong way.