"’Let me save you from drowning’ said the monkey to the fish as he pulled him from the water." ~zen koan

On the way to school Tuesday morning, the kids and I had a little incident that really got me thinking. It was a case of a driver trying to be helpful, while actually putting us, themselves, and others in danger.

We were southbound on West Blvd approaching Maupin where would make a left turn. Cars were approaching from the south, so we scanned behind to make sure it was safe to move, signaled our intent, and moved to the left side of the lane. This allowed us to keep traveling toward our destination, while letting the southbound cars pass us on the right, as we prepared for the left turn.

When we were about 100 feet from our turn, an SUV stopped on West Blvd at Maupin. The driver was waiting for us to make the turn, even though we were about 20 seconds from approaching the turn. There were four cars behind this driver; all of these cars had to stop behind the SUV to wait for us.

If the SUV had just kept going without stopping or slowing to try to accommodate us, all five of those cars would have been well past the turn by the time we got there. Allowing us to make the turn safely without impeding the flow of traffic.

The stopped SUV really confused my kids and really frustrated me. They both hesitated asking why the SUV was doing that. I told them to just make the turn quickly. We turned on Maupin and went on our way.

After turning on to Maupin, I explained to Max and Annarose that the driver was trying to be nice by letting us turn in front of them. Then I explained why it is so dangerous to the driver and to us as cyclists.

It is dangerous for a driver to stop in a road where there is no stop sign or signal, because the driver could get rear-ended.

It is dangerous for cyclists, because the drivers of the cars behind may decide to pass suddenly, not understanding the reason for the stop, and hit us. The driver of the SUV may decide they are tired of waiting, start driving again, and hit us. It is also dangerous, because it sends an untrue message that cyclists impede the flow of traffic and need to be accommodated by drivers. This type of perception increases animosity of drivers toward cyclists, which is dangerous for everyone on the road.

Traffic laws and facilities are designed to ensure vehicles move smoothly, so people can get where they want to go safely and quickly. According to the law in all 50 states, bicycles are vehicles (see MOBIKEFED.ORG/STATUTES.HTML for complete laws regarding cycling in Missouri). Bicycles are small, human-powered, slower moving vehicles and should be treated as such.

When you see a cyclist, treat them the way you would a small slow car. Give them a little space when you are passing (3-4 feet per the law), yield to them as you would a car, but don’t make special exceptions to try to "be nice". If it is your turn to go at a stop sign, go. If it is your turn to make a turn or keep going straight, do it. Don’t stop and impede the flow of traffic in the interest of being nice to the cyclist.

Very good point. Unfortunately, many cyclists don’t know what the hell they are doing. They ride the sidewalk, blast through stop signs, ride the wrong way, cut out into the street unexpectedly.

True. What to do about them? Well, I can’t educate everyone, but I am trying. I work part time teaching cycling classes to children and adults. I talk to anyone who will listen about cycling safety and how to be a safe cyclist. I really try to encourage people to ride safely, visibly, predictably, and assertively. I am doing what I can to make Columbia a better place for cyclists and drivers. There are several of us who are teaching classes and encouraging people to ride more safely. Hopefully, things are getting better.



Many cyclists are unpredictable, which is dangerous. When you are approaching a cyclist, you may want to slow a bit and observe them for a few seconds. Watch them. Are they riding in a straight line? Are they wearing a helmet? Are they looking around watching traffic conditions? Do they signal their moves? Are they riding in the right third of the travel lane? If the answers to these questions are "yes", you are probably dealing with a safe cyclist and can pass them safely without incident. If they are riding unpredictably, pass with caution as you would a car operating in an unpredictable fashion.