Irresponsible cycling doesn't justify physical violence

Randy Albright might have been out of line by riding outside the bike lane. He was certainly out of line when he blocked the path of a TriMet bus in attempting to engage the driver.

But the subsequent physical attack on him was even more out of line. Committing an act of violence against another person is never, ever justified except in the defense of oneself or others. It is disturbing to observe so many of my fellow citizens celebrating this unidentified assailant. Some have even said Albright should have been murdered for his actions.

It is disturbing, but it is not really surprising. After all, we live in a culture of violence that celebrates gory video games, unprovoked war and "collateral damage."

I do agree with the letter writers who advocate mandatory safety education for cyclists. Given the current atmosphere, though, we need to include self-defense training in the curriculum.

Cyclist conflicts highlight need for better enforcement

Sadly, I'm not surprised by the open hostility between some drivers and cyclists exposed in the Oregonian's recent series. Our streets have become increasingly lawless in recent years as traffic enforcement has evaporated. Twenty years ago I could not have imagined writing this: we need more police enforcing order on the streets.

Many cyclists run red lights with impunity, or ride after dark without lighting. But as a cyclist, I've stopped trying to talk rogue bikers into behaving, having been physically threatened on a number of occasions for doing so. I now limit my efforts to making myself lawful, predictable and visible. Those who pay attention to their surroundings may notice there are more cyclists like myself than they realized.

Many drivers are just as irresponsible as the cyclists they condemn. As a motorist, I've been injured twice in recent years by inattentive drivers. It seems far too many people pay less attention to the road than to their phone conversations, meals, maps, DVDs and navigation systems. Not have we become less attentive, but we're driving faster and more aggressively, with less patience than ever for time-wasting annoyances such as red lights and pedestrians.

So now everyone is mad at everyone else. We could wipe this problem out by recognizing the need for more enforcement, starting with the worst offenders. It won't do much good to carry out "stings" of cyclists who creep through stop signs when no one is around or drivers who go 25 mph in a school zone on a Sunday. But we'd make real progress if we tried to nail drivers and cyclists who run red lights, bikers who don't use lights at night, and road-ragers who tailgate and cut everyone else off.

If we all knew there was a chance of actually getting caught, maybe we'd all behave.