About Riding Your Bike in Traffic?

I would like to write about a very sensitive (apparently) subject today. I made the decision to write about this subject because, while driving in heavy traffic today, I almost struck a (dumb ass, excuse me) poor bicyclist as he made every attempt, as far as I was able to tell, to get run over.

When I was a kid my parents bought me a bike. One of the first instructions I received, and I might add, an instruction that was repeated often (because I wasn't real good at listening to instructions) was, "Don't ride your bike in traffic!" In fact, this particular rule actually made sense to me, because I was aware that I was a dumb ass kid on a bike, and I was not wearing armor or even a helmet in those days. I'm sure they made helmets, but I was part of the macho generation and we would have rather had our skulls crushed then suffer the shame of being seen wearing a helmet.

Today most cyclists wear helmets when riding. Most of them also wear cute Lycra outfits. I suppose most riders believe that the helmet will protect them, I'm not sure what they believe about the Lycra outfits, although what I've seen so far indicates they are trying
to attract attention and it seems to work, if not in a 'what the hell is that guy thinking' kind if way.

I'm not sure when society decided that riding a bike in/through heavy traffic while ignoring traffic signs and signals, and changing lanes, usually from the far right lane to the far left turn lane, was ok. I'm sure it has something to do with being politically correct and allowing people to get themselves squashed by a bus if they want to.

Political correctness is also responsible for the confusion over some movies today. It is PC now, while watching a zombie or vampire movie, to refer to them not as the undead, but as the living challenged or differently alive. Please! Everyone knows zombies and vampires are the undead, and by the way, have you ever seen a zombie or a vampire riding a bike in heavy traffic? Even they know it's a bad idea! If anything, you may have seen them drive a car? How would you like to be on a bike in traffic with one of those guys driving around? Wait, kind of reminds me of the way my daughter drives.

Anyway, I guess my point is bikes are not Sherman Tanks. If your parents told you, as a kid, not to ride your bike in traffic that instruction actually applies to adulthood as well. It's kind of like when they told you not to jump off the house roof with a cape on, or don't drink the bleach.

If your going to ride your bike in traffic the only thing your helmet will do is contain the mess if you get hit by a car, and the only thing the Lycra outfit does is make people sick! Especially if they are in the car behind you, unless they're a vampire or a zombie.