When Two Wheels Meet Four

Regarding Tom Arundel's Aug. 15 letter about sharing MacArthur Boulevard with bicyclists:

Surely there must be another road Mr. Arundel can take to his destination, one that isn't frequented by bicyclists. I'm not going to try to explain to someone why a bicyclist would prefer the road to the "bike" path (which isn't just for bikes -- it's for pedestrians, inline skaters and a whole host of people using other non-motorized means of transportation).

What I'd like him to explain is why he and other drivers use roads widely known to be popular bicycling routes and then complain about having to share the road with bicyclists. If he and other drivers are swerving dangerously to avoid cyclists, that's not the cyclists' fault. That's just poor driving. I strongly suggest that Mr. Arundel take a refresher course in defensive driving skills -- or better yet, get out of his car and become a bicycle commuter.

KANDE HOOTEN

Washington

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Tom Arundel's belief that MacArthur Boulevard should be exempt from rules requiring drivers and bicyclists to share the road raises an important issue. Taken at his word, Mr. Arundel at least deserves credit for not aggressively honking, screaming or driving right at the bicyclists, as drivers often do.

However, MacArthur Boulevard and other area roads, unless noted otherwise (such as main highways) are all to be shared by drivers and bicyclists.