Bicyclists must also heed regulations
By KEN MIDKIFF
Published Friday, July 18, 2008
(http://www.columbiatribune.com/2008/Jul/20080718Comm003.asp)

"Bikes - Slow and sound warning when passing."

This sign appears at several locations on the MKT Trail and, as bicycle enthusiasts know, is just common sense. Organized bicycle groups routinely give a warning when passing a bicyclist or pedestrian, and it is passed along the group when large numbers of riders are participating.

Only those who are amateurs, or who ride only occasionally, fail to give such a warning.

But this past Sunday, on my usual ride down to McBaine and back (yes, on gravel), there must have been a large number of amateurs on the trail, as I was passed numerous times - I hardly ever go faster than 12 mph - by bicyclists who gave no indication they were about to pass. Most went zooming by at high rates of speed - speeds that I calculated made them a threat to themselves and others.

Perhaps, I thought, it is deemed "not macho" to sound a warning. But female bicyclists who also failed to either slow down or sound a warning quickly dispelled this notion. So, apparently, there’s no machismo involved.

But, what? A lack of courtesy? A sense of entitlement? Although it is courteous and safe to let pedestrians and other bicyclists know they are being passed, it is also a matter of law. Are these people scofflaws? If so, then a bit of enforcement is needed.

The signs are clear: Slow and sound warning when passing. This would seem to apply to those riding a bicycle as well as those walking or running. But, maybe, because I was on a bike, those who passed me without a warning sound assumed that the sign applied only to non-bikers.

So, to test this theory, I went walking on the trail. Granted, it wasn’t a weekend, and there were a lot fewer trail users, but six bicycles went whizzing by me, and only two signaled their presence. The other four simply went by without any warning. Three of these startled me - particularly the young woman who was mere inches away as she pedaled by.

It seems most bicyclists only sound a warning when walkers are impeding them. When children or large groups or someone walking their dog is walking down the trail, bicyclists usually sound a warning before passing. The warning is "Get out of my way!"

I am an avid bicyclist - but my bike-riding is mostly done on the MKT and Katy trails, not on city streets. I have noticed that on the Katy Trail - the cross-country trail - bicyclists tend to be more aware of their responsibilities and do sound a warning when passing. Perhaps this is because the Katy Trail attracts bikers who ride frequently and want to make themselves known.

While I’m on the subject of bicycles: There are rules of the road for bikcyclists, and those mostly entail not presenting a traffic hazard. Recently, in this newspaper, an incident was cited wherein a bicyclist was not staying far to the right and was hindering automobile traffic. The writer indicted all bicyclists. This is akin to stating that because there are folks who violate traffic laws, we should blame all motorists for the sins of a few and ban all automobiles from using public streets.

This is, of course, nonsensical. Bicyclists do pay taxes to maintain roads, and the laws regarding bike riding on streets and highways have been long in place. Just because a few flaunt the laws is no reason to punish everyone.

Whether it is observing city laws on the MKT Trail or state laws on Route K, it is all about enforcement.