Unlike my band …I take requests. Here’s a column inspired by a reader. Yes, I was as shocked as anyone to learn that I have readers.

A few weeks ago I wrote a column about the Rules of the Road. Today’s companion piece is about being nice.

There are things that we do in life because the law tells us to, and there are things that we do because they are the right thing to do. Even if we aren’t saints, most of us know that you get more flies with honey (Is getting more flies a good thing? Hmmm…maybe I’m mixing my metaphors here). You don’t have to be altruistic to be nice to others, because when you are nice to others, sometimes it gets paid back.

Public service announcement…Courteous Bicycling 101 (aka Earning Your Bicycling Good Citizen Badge):

1. Sidewalk Riding: Sidewalks belong to pedestrians. Even if you are legally allowed on them (the law varies from community to community, the default position in Wisconsin is that sidewalk riding is illegal, but allowable by local ordinance), you must yield to pedestrians. Slow down. Ride at a pace consistent with how fast people walk. Don’t be a jerk.

2. Bike Path Riding: This is a shared zone for bikes and peds. When in doubt, though, defer to the rights of the pedestrians. Pedestrians are unpredictable, and as a bicyclist, you want to let them know what your plans are when you are passing. A bell can be slightly less upsetting than saying "On your left"...but it doesn't tell them exactly what you plan to do. With a bell (or even with words), there's that moment when the ped may do the "death two-step" while they try to figure out which side you are passing on. Use good sense and try not to scare the ped to death by yelling at them and buzzing by super fast. Pass slowly and speak kindly and clearly. Air horns are out of the question.

3. General Road Riding: On the road, a bicyclist has all the rights and responsibilities of a motorist. And yet, auto drivers are not always happy to share with us. Obey all laws and take up your fair share of the road. But also make it as easy as you possibly can for motorists to pass. Try to set a good example. Each bicyclist on the road is like a billboard teaching the other road users what we’re “really like.” If you do dumb stuff, motorists may think that all bicyclists do dumb stuff, and end up being far less patient than they should.

4. Training Rides: Riding bicycles two-abreast is legal in Wisconsin, but singling up when a vehicle wishes to pass is courteous. Riding more than two-abreast is not legal. Bicyclists are also required to obey all signs and signals on the road. Now, these laws are not going to change the fact that plenty of bicyclists need/want to practice riding in groups and that those groups bunch up and run stop signs. Maybe you bunch up so you can talk to each other, or maybe you are practicing riding in a peloton. You probably run the stop signs because they are a pain, because you perceive no danger, or because you are racing and stopping would interrupt the session. That’s all fine and good and I’m not your mom, so I’m not going to tell you not to do that stuff. But just think a bit about trying to be as sure as possible that, when you do that stuff, no cars are around. When motorists see you doing all that stuff it pisses them off. Maybe it pisses them off because they are impatient (maybe they’d also get really pissed at a farmer on a tractor in the road), or maybe they have some deep psychological distaste for Lycra. Whatever the case may be, the more that you can try to avoid pissing them off EVEN MORE, the better for you and your group, and the better for all the rest of us that have to encounter those jerks on the roads elsewhere. Do what you can to let them pass and don’t flaunt running stop signs.

5. Races and Charity Rides: You would think that a small town would be happy to have 300 tourists descend over a weekend because of the potential positive impact on the local economy, but this isn’t always the case. People don’t like being inconvenienced, and when you shut down their roads for a race, or clog them up with novice bicyclists raising money for the charity-of-the-moment, it can be irritating to them. If you are involved at all with event planning for these things, do a little outreach prior to the event. Try your best to get locals involved. Make it their event too, give them some ownership. Let the girl scouts sell cookies at a rest stop. Maybe give away some grant money to the town from the proceeds of the event. At a minimum, may sure that you’ve found the correct authorities to notify about the event BEFORE it happens. FAR before it happens. As an event participant, be nice to the people that you meet in town. Thank them for sharing their home with you and for their patience. Tell them how beautiful the area is. Buy a candy bar in a local store. Better yet, stop and have lunch. Don’t litter. And please, please, please, PLEASE, please, please…do not, under any circumstance, pee on the town hall.

Disclaimer:
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: it is better to be alive and un-injured than right. Always be prepared for other road users to make errors. Even if you know that you are legally correct and doing your best to play nice, protect yourself. Be a confident road user, but don’t take your life in your hands to prove a point.

Photo by Della Haugen