This rant’s for you! Yeah, you know who I’m talking to…
The less responsible bicyclists “ridazzing” through Echo Park and Silver Lake any given weeknight without regard for the traffic around you…
Your after-dark excursions may have you feeling oh so hip, smug and eco-friendly, but you know what would really demonstrate social consciousness?
Some friggin’ lights.
And not those cheap, kiddie-style white LED flashers so many of you think you’re getting by with… No, I’m talking real grown-up HIDs with some serious candlepower.
In fact, why not double up? Invest both in an HID system and a high-throw LED unit — then mount one on your handlebars and the other on your helmet (which, yes, you also should be wearing but aren’t).
Don’t whine to me about the cost, either. With all the money you brag about saving at the pump, you can afford to splurge on the requisite safety items, including a few clip-on hazard blinkers.
And while we’re at it…
Now that the official Ridazz has devolved into a less structured affair, there’s clearly no leadership left to remind you about biking courtesy. So I’ll do it.
Yes, you may be convinced that bike commuting is the counter-cultural wave of the future, but until our Fearless Leader actually forces all our fannies into bike saddles and teensy GM clown cars, the commonsense rules for sharing the road with your less fashionable internal combustion counterparts still apply.
You might want to start by brushing up on riding with the flow of traffic, and even hand signaling before darting headlong into it. Next maybe practice sticking with your group in the bike lanes and intersections. Once you’ve mastered all that, try yielding to pedestrians every now and then. (Yeah, they use the crosswalks too.)
Believe me, we motorists understand that we’re chiefly responsible for keeping your spokes and sprockets out of our front grilles. Still, would it hurt you to help us out a little?
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Lay it down hard, Imlay!
“Way to go, Mike”