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.
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