I'm a regular commuter through Cambridge, and if there's one thing you can say about the city, it's we like our bikes. Sometimes I cycle the 8.5 miles in from home and sometimes I drive. In essence you can call me both a cyclist and a driver (is that a cyver or a drilist?).
In my travels though, I consistently see an appalling view of other road users to traffic laws. Whether cyclists or drivers they each have their own oddities or interpretations.
Cyclists for example see red lights as a serving suggestion and amble across any junction they choose assuming no cars coming means the law doesn't apply. Then there's pavements (sidewalks) which mix up pedestrians and cyclists in random proportions. The City Council doesn't help, as they chuck inconsistent signs at the problem; some places you can and some you can't cycle.
When you can't, again, you're breaking the law.
The daft thing is that cycling on the pavement isn't the most pleasant experience, particularly when raining. The drainage is poor and you spend your time either skipping puddles or avoiding cars reversing out of drive-ways. The road however is 100% legal to ride, perfectly drained and often a lot faster to ride on.
What about cars? Well, I certainly see creative interpretations of running amber lights, but also U-turns in main roads when the previous junction said no right turn. Cars stopping over keep clear areas so people can't turn out and blinkerism where when someone cuts up a cyclist they then completely ignore you; even if as a cyclist you had right of way. My favourite is being over taken in an urban city road when you're doing the speed limit; I find that insulting given I didn't set the limit I'm obeying.
Incidentally, all these events I've just documented can happen in ONE DAY. I see this consistently and a lot.
My point is that both are as bad as each other. I'm sure I'm not perfect either, but at least I'm aware of these things and try to avoid doing them. I rarely ride a pavement on a bike and stop for every red light (much to the annoyance of other cyclists).
I have an idea. Every time a cyclist sees a car make a traffic violation they should slap the car's roof. Every time a car sees a cyclist do something similar they should sound their horn. Granted, the whole of Cambridge may just echo to the sound of twangs and honks, but if you don't make people aware and there's insufficient policing where do you go?
You could argue that an unpoliced law is therefore dissolving away, or you could argue that the law was placed there for the safety of everyone.
Either way, I want to see more honking and twanging.
:-J
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