Monday, August 25, 2008
By Ruth Ann Dailey, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

No doubt Pittsburgh, like any city, has its sprinkling of rude, aggressive cyclists who unnerve motorists with their unpredictable moves.

But when the Ravenstahl administration announced the creation and naming of a “bicycle czar” — a visionary move — some motorists’ reactions were a little bizarre, their vehement complaints about cyclists’ behavior far out of proportion to the threat those cyclists pose.

Although thousands of oblivious motorists barrel through our streets every day, I’ve never observed a “clueless” cyclist working his way around town. Occasionally risk-taking? Yes. Clueless? No.

People maneuvering spindly 20-pound bicycles past 2-ton piles of metal, vinyl and glass tend to be hyper-aware of their surroundings. They have to be. It’s a matter of life and death. Read more»