Cyclists Versus Drivers

Living in Manitoba, one is especially privy to hearing the numerous arguments that drivers make about cyclists and pedestrians, as well as the ones cyclists make about drivers, and witnessing it all as one drives or cycles down the streets of Winnipeg. Why is that?

It’s an ongoing cycle. Drivers just want to get to where they’re going, and get there fast. They don’t want to drive behind slow cyclists or having to move halfway into another lane to avoid hitting one, just so they can pass them. They also hate treating cyclists like a vehicle when they’re cyclists. Drivers resent cyclists being allowed on the road because they have to be tolerant of them – as we all know you can’t just pretend that a cyclist isn’t there and run them over.

Cyclists in turn don’t like when drivers aren’t considerate of them on the road and try running them down. They also don’t like it when drivers ignore their presence and try driving like they aren’t there, as that usually ends up with someone getting hit. Cyclists are, by law, on the streets instead of the sidewalks. They don’t have much of a choice, and I’m sure don’t like feeling in the way on the road. But no one has a choice and so drivers should at least respect that and give them their space when driving so they don’t feel like their life’s endangered when cycling.

What doesn’t help this is when drivers don’t bother to be considerate of cyclists, and don’t move over or almost kill them by ignoring their presence on the street. It’s also unhelpful is when cyclists ignore all laws of the road by driving through red lights, riding the wrong way on a one-way and dodging around slow-moving vehicles, never mind switching back and forth from the streets to the sidewalks believing they have the right of way at all times and thinking drivers will yield for them when breaking all said laws. They won’t if they can avoid it, even if that’s a near life and death situation for said cyclist.

But when neither party seems willing to be considerate of each other is when we face most of these problems that occur every day. Wouldn’t it just be easier if drivers shared the road instead of trying to run cyclists into the ditch and cyclists did their best to keep up with traffic and abide by the laws? I think so. If they both tried, rather than accusing and fighting as to who has the right to drive where, driving and cycling in Winnipeg might actually be nice, as opposed to stressful and aggravating.

As a driver, I can accept that cyclists have a right to be on the road. What makes it hard is when all of this is going on and no one is willing to give in. Unfortunately, the streets will only be better if everyone cooperates, and at least tries to get along. At least until then, we could all try to pretend and you know, not run over any more cyclists. They aren’t exactly made out of metal…