The Two-Wheeled War

The relationship between bicyclists and the rest of the world has become increasingly complex in the past several years due to the new trend of biking as a primary form of transportation. Because of this, it seems that bicyclists are under attack from all directions. This post will take a look at a few examples of the so called "war" occurring today, as well as some reasons why bikers, pedestrians, and motor vehicles cannot seem to find a peaceful coexistence.

As discussed by author Janette Sadik-Khan in her book, "Street Fights," New York City is one of the most populated places in the United States, therefore making it greatly impacted by the addition of bicyclists to the streets. Sadik-Khan devotes an entire chapter to determining why everyone loves to hate bicyclists. The conclusion she comes to is that ultimately, everyone in New York is fighting to determine who the streets belong to and what they should be used for. Pedestrians feel a great threat from bikes because being on the lookout for an oncoming bicyclist requires a great deal of observation and awareness. It is much harder to anticipate a bike than a car because bikes are smaller, quieter, and they tend to create their own lanes, making it difficult to know where one might be. As for motor vehicles, the issue of safety is not as pressing, but the matter of convenience and status quo is being threatened by bicyclists. The increasing amount of bike lanes results in smaller lanes for cars to drive in, which leads to more traffic.

Sadik-Khan uses this chapter to introduce her readers to the type of discontent and tension that has arisen since biking has gained popularity. Keeping the information of this chapter in mind, we can now go on to look at specific examples as to how motor vehciles and pedestrians are taking matters into their own hands at the expense of bicyclists.