Before we get into it, I’d like to state that I’m not pro-murder, nor am I a sadist of any kind. I don’t want anyone to get injured/killed; I just recognize that when a person engages in reckless behaviour, this is a possible consequence.
And what behaviour could be more reckless than cycling on the road? Answer: nothing I can think of. I feel like it should be common sense that if you’re sitting on a pair of glorified pliers right next to all the tin death-mobiles that are moving at high speeds, you’re in danger. Because in a fight, which one’s going to win, a small metal thing with some rubber attached to it? Or a much bigger metal thing with some rubber attached to it? It’s not hard to figure out.
Given this information, it only seems logical that riding a bike on the street isn’t a good idea...yet here we are. Exactly how many pedestrian deaths were there in 2018?  Forty-six, that’s how many. That’s five more than 2017. Why is no one addressing this? Well they are, but I think they’re doing it wrong. The drivers are being blamed but let’s be real; cyclists tend to come out of nowhere. Those sneaky people just fly up beside you and next thing you know, you’re frantically slamming on the breaks as you’re about to turn right because this guy decided going straight through the intersection was a good idea. And somehow, if they get hit, it’s your fault. Those ninja idiots just sneak up behind you and just put themselves in harms way, but you still should have done better. Even though you did everything right, you signaled, you paused for a second, checked your blind spots and then as you’re about to cautiously make a turn, this demon just decides to give you a heart attack. But yeah, it’s your fault I guess.
When a chain smoker gets lung cancer, of course we feel sympathy for them. It’s a really unfortunate thing. But does the person who say, sold them the cigarettes feel personally responsible for that? No. Because they made the choice to smoke themselves and it wasn’t within the vendor's control. But when a cyclists gets injured by a car, the driver could possible face criminal charges. Even though the cyclists should have known the risks involved with biking so close to the cars. Why are cyclists not being held accountable for their behaviour? This is the question.
I’m all for eco-friendliness, that’s great. Buy a Tesla. Take public transit. Walk. Wear a garbage bag or something, I really don’t care. But just don’t ride your bike on the road. It’s not hard. Do literally anything else. Or at least, release the responsible people who chose not to partake in that dangerous behaviour from any guilt associated with the outcomes of said behaviour. That’s all I’m saying. If you’re going to cycle, take some responsibility.
**Disclaimer: I have not hit or killed any cyclists nor do I genuinely believe that cyclists should die and none of this should be used against me in court. Thanks. And, of course, these views are my own and do not represent It's My Blyth.
Written by Abby Jansen