I am all about alternative methods of transportation (especially with gas prices on the way up..and up) and let it be known, before you rush to judge from the photo, I am not coming down on Charleston's skateboarders, but WTF do we have a new law (passed on June 11th) protecting bicyclists: It is now a misdemeanor to harass, yell at, honk at, or throw and object in the direction of a cyclist. Punishable by a $250 fine, or 30 days prison, or both, but not one protecting skateboarders or pedestrians? Drivers (including Charleston CPD black and whites-sorry there Team 4, but you about hit me crossing in front of the Guillard Auditorium the other day) don't obey the pedestrian right-of-way--you should stop if a pedestrian is walking across the street in between the white-barred marking on the streets (see photo), nor do drivers give skateboarders any room to navigate King Street and other connecting streets on the Peninsula. Hence, the increase of "olies" off of the curbs and in front of the SUVs ever so tightly squeezed into the slender spots on King. WTF aren't those with even less "framework" protection covered under this new law?
Why not ride?
There is a reason other than having the thick-blood that has never quite acclimated to the humidity of summers in Charleston (read: I sweat when brushing my teeth, so a trek on a Trek won't be pretty) for not riding a bike to and fro work or for leisure-our roads are "sofa-king" dangerous for cyclists and I just don't have that daredevil streak that I used to. That and there isn't bike lanes on the busiest streets downtown, James Island and West Ashley.
Sure back in the day (read: college) I used to ride over the James Island Connector to get down to the Peninsula, but after realizing 1. that the J.I. Connector is a physically-challenging beast; 2. drivers don't make the crossing over the off-ramps anything close to being easy and 3. Charleston's streets and sanitation department makes no effort to keep the Connector even remotely clean (metal, broken glass, etc. = flat tires on a regular basis). Note: if you want to ride the J.I. Connector wear a backpack with a can of fix-a-flat. And after receiving a traffic ticket for burning through the stop sign down on Hagood Avenue (I had some sweet downhill momentum) on my way to a Citadel Summer-School class, (what? Give me a break, their science and economics classes are easier than those at the College of Charleston) I decided to park the bike and get back to my carbon-footprint.
Note to cyclists and thoughts on honking:
Now I know the new law finally clears up the cluster-fah-q "universal" signals for a turn (now you point left to turn left and point right to turn right), but here's the deal: remember bicyclists you are on a moving vehicle, so please remember the "slower traffic keep right" adage or you will continue to receive honks (especially from yours truly). And as a side note: if you are riding a motorcycle or dirtbike, you can consider yourself a biker. If you ride a bicycle, you're a bicyclists or cyclists, not a biker.
Can I get a beep-beep and then a toot-toot
Now the main WTF? head scratcher is the "no-honking rule" which is something I just can't seem to wrap my arms around. I can understand not throwing things at cyclists, because that is rude. And even though you can honk at other drivers if they don't drive to your subjective expectations of how traffic should flow, you can't honk at the "bi-ped" in front of you if they don't live up to your subjective expectations of how a bicyclists should ride. (Full disclosure: I believe every bicyclists should ride like Lance Armstrong when in traffic). And I hate to say it folks, but I will practice Civil Disobedience (because you should if the law isn't just) and honk (which is a rare-occasion in the first place) if some two-wheeler is not following the same traffic rules that I am or if the Double-Mint twins are in front of me on their tandem bike, I am going to be honking baby!
Posted by The Bushido
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