Antone's Nightclub
Bicycle Riders Should Have Better Manners
RECEIVED Mon., Dec. 3, 2012
Dear Editor,
Saturday morning, driving my family home from breakfast at Guero’s, I turned onto Riverside Drive from South First, heading west. Two guys were on bicycles in front of us, riding side by side, blocking the entire road. Trying to be a nice guy and a considerate driver, I stayed back and didn’t crowd them. I didn’t honk my horn or flash my lights. I didn’t yell out the window or shake my fist, even though the guys were blocking all traffic and not even biking with any real purpose; they were slowly pedaling and having a conversation. We kept our distance, followed them past the dog park, through the roundabout in front of the Events Center, and down the rest of Riverside to Lamar. As the guys moved out of the street to cross over the pedestrian bridge, one of the guys turned to face us … flipped me off … and yelled at us to f*@k off!
Dude, why would you act this way? What on Earth would compel you to be a complete jerk, even though you were absolutely in the wrong? Don’t you realize this is exactly the kind of behavior that infuriates drivers and makes it more dangerous for every bicyclist on the road? It was obvious from your demeanor that you were not biking for fun or fitness; you wer simply using your bike as a vehicle to start fights. Please do everyone a favor: Get down off your 10-speed and go back to picking fights in bars. Bicyclists throughout Austin will be safer for it.
Saturday morning, driving my family home from breakfast at Guero’s, I turned onto Riverside Drive from South First, heading west. Two guys were on bicycles in front of us, riding side by side, blocking the entire road. Trying to be a nice guy and a considerate driver, I stayed back and didn’t crowd them. I didn’t honk my horn or flash my lights. I didn’t yell out the window or shake my fist, even though the guys were blocking all traffic and not even biking with any real purpose; they were slowly pedaling and having a conversation. We kept our distance, followed them past the dog park, through the roundabout in front of the Events Center, and down the rest of Riverside to Lamar. As the guys moved out of the street to cross over the pedestrian bridge, one of the guys turned to face us … flipped me off … and yelled at us to f*@k off!
Dude, why would you act this way? What on Earth would compel you to be a complete jerk, even though you were absolutely in the wrong? Don’t you realize this is exactly the kind of behavior that infuriates drivers and makes it more dangerous for every bicyclist on the road? It was obvious from your demeanor that you were not biking for fun or fitness; you wer simply using your bike as a vehicle to start fights. Please do everyone a favor: Get down off your 10-speed and go back to picking fights in bars. Bicyclists throughout Austin will be safer for it.
George Bronner