Car Keys
by R. Craig  

 There are times when a particular subject may come to mind for me to comment on, but some things are better left alone. I try not to talk to anyone about politics or religion because my views are usually not mainstream. Any man  who has ever tried to guess a woman's age or weight and was way off on the wrong side knows exactly what I mean about leaving well enough alone.

 One subject I have to talk about is bicycles on the road. Now before the cyclists get their defense up I want to say that I have no problem with bicycles on the road. I do have a problem with a certain few who ride like they own the road and have no regard for their safety or those of others. Unfortunately they give responsible bike riders a bad name. This holds true for motorcycles too. I love to ride and bikers are good people. There is almost always a bad apple in every barrel so don't judge the majority by the actions of a few. 

 The other day I was driving down the road and out of nowhere came a guy on a bicycle from the right side of an intersection where he had just come through a red light without looking, let alone stopping. He pulls out in front of me and proceeds to pedal down the middle of the driving lane as if I wasn't there. We come up upon a tractor trailer that was turning left and he pulls right up behind it to turn left also. He was totally out of the truck driver's line of vision. I proceeded on and I don't know where he went. 

 I'm sorry folks but that bike rider is a moron! When he pays insurance and pays for registration fees to pedal his sorry butt down the middle of a busy road and puts himself and others at risk, then so be it. In the meantime he should stay on the right side of the white line and obey the traffic laws like responsible riders do. Many times I have been sitting at a red light when out of nowhere, a bicycle comes and runs the light. If a bicycle is on the road in the driving lane because of a lack of a good shoulder, I can understand. I do believe that if a good shoulder on the road is available, it should be used. I try to be ready for the unexpected when I am driving and try to be courteous to others. Some people for whatever reason may not have good reactions so it is important for bikers and drivers alike to respect each other and follow the rules of the road. We all have to share it. Compromising that respect can lead to problems. Safety first!