[Re: BIKE: Cycle commuting race]

[Lane S. Wimberley]

Patrick Goetz writes:
> Not when there's a bike lane.  Even when not, the rules here are
> questionable, at least in Texas, since bicyclists are required to stay on
> the right hand side of the lane to allow cars to pass.  If cars can pass
> in the lane, then certainly bicyclists should be allowed to return the
> favor, don't you think?

Sure, but I don't see it as a fairness issue; I see it as a safety
issue.  I had way too many right-hook close calls back when I used to
pass on the right at intersections (rather than queueing up).  Since I
now queue up, I never have such close calls.  Sure, I feel kinda
stupid on those occassions where I've been sitting there behind a big
line of cars as the light cycles completely through green and back to
red (not often, but it has happened) when I could have just zipped
around them and grabbed the green, but I'm willing to put up with this
mild inconvenience (and the ridicule of fellow cyclists ;-) to achieve
some safety.

I imagine I might not fair that well in a commuter race, though, eh?
Damn.

-Lane

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