Why Do Bicyclists Dice With Death?
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On a winding drive along MacArthur Boulevard toward Glen Echo each morning, I inevitably face the same questions:
Should I patiently drive 15 mph behind the cyclist in front of me? Should I risk lives and swerve around him? Or should I carefully pull alongside and remind him that there is a bike path in clear view, less than 15 yards to his left?
The other morning, I did just that and was not-so-kindly reminded of several four-letter words and a middle finger by the cyclist.
What had I done wrong? It seems an innocent and logical question. The county coughed up money to put a nice bike path along this stretch of MacArthur, and yet cyclists insist on using the road.
I am not a member of this elite bunch of morning athletes, so perhaps I'm missing some secret code that states that cool cyclists prefer roads to bike paths, even when their own safety is at risk, not to mention the safety of us drivers.
This particular stretch of road has several dangerous, blind curves. On many occasions, I've witnessed cars attempt to swerve around cyclists and encounter oncoming traffic, narrowly averting tragedy. And in every case the incident could have been prevented by the cyclist's simply deciding to use the bike path designed for him.
Will someone who knows the secret code please enlighten me?
TOM ARUNDEL
Washington
