Pedestrians, tired of dodging the rogue bike riders who enjoy scaring the bejesus out of you? Bike riders, tired of not being given the fear and respect a bicycle deserves from pedestrians?
During the 15 minutes or so between class times when thousands of people pack McKinley Avenue's sidewalks, bikers and walkers share a densely populated space resembling theme park lines. Many walkers are annoyed they have to deal with riders who seemingly enjoy being a public nuisance and garnering disdain from their peers. Riders have to deal with walkers who refuse to acknowledge the danger and potential injury of walking in front of a bike going the speed of car traffic.
You can help each other.
Common sense goes a long way to increase safety. Accidents can happen to anyone and those unaware of their surroundings significantly increase their risk of being hurt or hurting someone else. At the beginning of last year we saw four or five bike accidents on campus. Tuesday evening a student walking her bike was hit by a car.
Marauding full speed with your bike into the Scramble Light when walk signs are lit, and narrowly avoiding a collision with several walkers isn't the smartest thing to do.
Disregarding oncoming bikes before crossing the street isn't a good way to avoid getting a concussion or broken leg. In fact, that's how several bike-on-walker collisions have happened in the past few years.
Expecting walkers to get out of your way when you're on a crowded sidewalk will yield unpleasant results.
Bumbling down the sidewalk unaware that you're zigzagging and forcing a bike rider to change direction at the last second will probably leave you with tire marks on your back.
These are simple etiquette guidelines that could help save you a lot of pain and inconvenience. Be aware. Be respectful. Be safe.
If walkers start respecting bikers and vice versa, the animosity that some in each camp feel toward the other would subside.
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