Re: Montana: "Let's make stupidity mandatory!"

Roger Merriman wrote:

Frank Krygowski <frkrygow@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

Some Montana legislators are wanting to make wrong-way riding mandatory.

 

Mmm treat bikes as pedestrians yup I’m sure that’s going to work!
>
Roger Merriman

 That's really the issue, where the expectation is that a bicycle is a toy and the rider should be treated as a pedestrian.
 For non-riders (or novice riders), especially if they've been trained to always *walk* facing traffic, there is frequently a fear of the speed of vehicles approaching from the rear (and not visible) even if the speed differential is far less than facing traffic.
 For the purposes of public policy, this is an ongoing tension that probably never be resolved, the difference between the bicycle being regarded as a pedestrian and the bicycle regarded as a vehicle, and for the latter, where despite the speed differential with motor vehicles, the bike should have all the rights and responsibilities as a motorist.
 When I'm a motorist, it really bothers me to see a bicycle riding in a bike lane facing the traffic, because I know that if I wanted to be malicious, I could simply pull into the bike lane. If the road has a curb, then the cyclist is effectively pinned, where there's no ability to escape in either direction, whether inability of jumping the curb, or driving into facing traffic.
 Something that I've noticed more recently is the effect of electric vehicles, both scooters and bikes whose speeds are well in excess of anything typical to a pedestrian on foot, and still going against traffic in a bike lane.  At that speed, far more dangerous than going with the traffic.
 Also, one further issue is approaching from an unexpected direction and speed.  Years ago, I was exiting a parking lot after dark, and looking left for motor traffic, before turning right, and just as I was ready to pull onto the street, and a BMX bike on the sidewalk riding at speed I would call "decent" (although not excessive).  I nearly ran into him, because I wasn't looking for a vehicle coming from that direction or speed, and the fact that it was dark (and he had no lights) made it even harder to see him.  And he was annoyed because I hadn't yielded him the right of way.