You’ve seen it. You’re on your way to work, stuck in traffic (bumper to bumper, always), probably going to be late. So late you’ve got your coffee with you, and a breakfast sandwich, and you’re generally crawling your way to the office and checking in on Twitter, Snapchat, whatever. It’s taking forever. It’s the worst.
Then out of the corner of your eye is this dickhead. He’s on his bike, flying the wrong way through traffic. He’s got coffee in one hand and his phone in the other (Tindr, probably), and he’s gripping an Egg McMuffin between his teeth. He’s wearing headphones and dressed all in black and you’re lucky you even saw him at all.
What a jerk. You’d better not hit him.
Because when we climb into our cars in the morning we assume a position of power on the roadways; whether we think about it or not, by choosing* a car to get from Point A to Point B we assert control over the lives of others. A fatal collision between a motorist and a cyclist is always the fault of the motorist because they assume the responsibility of the vehicle when they get behind the wheel.
A drunk driver is responsible for their actions in spite of impaired decision making and reaction time because they made the decision to begin drinking and then drove. In the same way, a sober driver is morally culpable for harm they cause (even when the events that lead to that harm are beyond their control), by virtue of having left the house in a 6,000lb weapon in the first place.
We as Americans have a nasty habit of justifying the moral failings of those with power by pointing to the moral failings of those without. We do this when point to “riots” after unarmed black men are murdered by police, and again when those police are acquitted or never charged. We do this when we excuse the human rights violations by our allies in Gaza with valid criticism of Hamas policy, politics, and attacks. And we do this when we clamber to place blame on cyclists killed by the fashion accessories of the wealthy.
When we are presented with a choice (and if you are reading this driving is a choice) and elect a position of physical power we are responsible for the ramifications of wielding that power. When we reach for the keys, we should understand that if we are sitting still at a red light and are struck by a texting cyclist, we created the conditions of their injury by selecting a weapon for transportation. It’s on us.
Placing blame on the powerless to excuse our own laziness or vanity may be an American tradition, but it’s a bad look. Think about it before you leave the house.
*Philosophy students may raise an eyebrow at the use of the word “choice” here, which opens its own whole bag of worms. I’m comfortable with it here, but fire away, please!
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Finding Balance
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Ben, your views on cyclists vs. motorists are pretty much in-line with mine. Here in Missoula, MT there are several roads that have little to no shoulder, and “taking the lane” is the only safe option. I have no qualms about doing so, but I do worry that drivers of 6,000 pound death traps will view me as a self-righteous, egotistical jerk that is barely worthy of steering around. I especially feel this way in winter while on my fat bike. The roads here are not cleared of snow very often (the neighborhood roads really not at all) and the only place to ride is in the tire tracks of the death traps. This is generally the most icy and slick portions of the roads but also the most efficient for forward momentum. Plowing through snow is a lot of work and dangerous because it’s squirly and tough to keep a straight line. I have been thinking quite a lot about this considering the hot days we are currently experiencing at the July terminus. I actually just ordered new studdable fat bike tires complete with studs and a tool to install said studs. Three Hundred and Fifty Bucks is the total. I ordered them now because last year when I needed them everyone was sold out and I couldn’t buy them. I will have to log over 3,000 miles this winter on those tires to cover the gas I would be buying for my car if I chose to drive. I am questioning my reasoning and sensibility. I will be choosing to pedal in the snow and ice, elbowing my way into the lane of those monster killing machines so that I can save a gallon of gas a day and feel good about doing my part. If Eco Warrior Snobbery and Pedal Powered Elitism were the only reasons to subject myself to Montana winters and sliding out of control cars while pedaling a bicycle, well then I say I probably deserve all the hatred flying out the windows and tail pipes as they pass. But those are certainly not the only reasons I choose to ride my bike in winter, and I am sure those are not the only reasons you choose to ride either. We ride because we love it. It makes us tolerable husbands and fathers, patient, healthy, thoughtful, and riding infuses us with a zest for life that nothing else can give us. If I knew how to calm tensions between cyclists and motorists I would already be doing it. If I could bundle up on my studded fat bike and pedal down the road without causing attention to myself and not get killed, and not be viewed as a pedal pushing shit that looks down his nose at the mere mortal motorist who burns finite natural resources without a second thought, I would already be doing it. For a long time now, I have seen the irony in the fact that cycling answers so many of our congestion and consumption problems, yet it is wrathfully despised by those who are required to share the road with us. Why is that? Where did the hatred come from? Maybe you can help me figure it out. In the mean time, I am going to make an effort to be kinder than necessary, and try my best to be a positive representative for the sport we love.
Keep blogging. I enjoy it, and I am sure others do as well.