Scott Simon vs. The Biking Community: Do Bikes Make Smart People Dumb?

Scott Simon is a well respected writer living in Washington D.C. He made a controversial comment about bikers saying, "Cyclists think they are above the law." In reality, it seems that bikers are always the victims. According to pedestrians, cyclists are "irritating," but on the other hand, cyclists are thoroughly threatened by cars. It is a sad realization that the convenience of pedestrians takes precedence over the safety of bikers. There is a great deal of evidence that proves the irritations people have in response to bikers. In the Washington Post, articles regarding drunk or distracted drivers get no response, but an article regarding bicycles invites a flood of internet commentators. People like Simon come out of the woodwork in order to make comments about how they have personally been victimized by cyclists. For example, another irritated pedestrian commented, “I have NEVER seen a bicycle stop at a red light or obey any traffic law of any kind.” I think that the comments like this one lack any kind of legitimate evidence, and it shows that people have a tendency to forget the cyclists are people who deserve respect and ensured safety while on the road.

As a counter argument, an online article criticizes Simon for making very generalized statements based on a small fraction of a community. It is not fair to criticize all cyclists for the reckless actions of only a few people. While taking a closer look at actual evidence in order to clear the name of the biking community, Citibike has provided records showing that in over 15 million miles biked, there have been zero fatalities and fewer than 30 injuries.

The fact that cars travel much faster than bikes but receive much less hate proves that people have let fear outweigh reason. We have always been exposed to vehicle recklessness, so we are now numb to it. However, we have not had as much exposure to bikes, which allows our fear of the unfamiliar to get the better of us.

The evidence provided in the counter argument is incredibly difficult to dispute. The fact that far more people die from car accidents than bike accidents is reason enough to let the biking community live in peace.