Ga. 400 Hospitality Hwy Bike Ride

Well, the annual, "Let me ride all over the highway and if I get hit, blame it on car drivers" bike ride and turkey shoot is over. I hope everyone came though safely, but frankly, if they did it was due to pure dumb luck rather than any sort of common sense.

Yesterday, well after the official bike ride was over, cyclists continued to ride up Old Alabama. But any idea that they should ride single file, in bike lanes or even pay attention to what they were doing had long since been disregarded. In many cases it wasn't enough that one entire lane was occupied by multiple bikes, but cars were actually forced into the oncoming lanes to pass cyclists who decided that if one bike lane and one car lane wasn't good enough, two were better. And then, when you got to the light at Old Alabama and Riverside, cyclists must've been having terrible times with directions, because they thought nothing of crossing between moving cars in order to go two lanes over down the street they wanted to go. Of course, should any of these riders be struck by a car....regardless of whatever insane move they were making, it was the fault of the driver of the car.

Like everyone else, I’ve heard dozens of times, “a few ruin it for everyone”.  Please let me address that statement; yesterday EVERYONE ruined it for the FEW who were obeying the laws.

I think everyone has heard MORE than enough times, that automobile drivers need to be more careful regarding people on bicycles. But it is well past time that bicyclists clean up their own house.  If you want respect on the road, then it’s time for you to respect others.