Wrong Side! :o

Wonder of all wonders! Those cyclists who ride on the wrong side thinking they are right. Today I just about got hit by a gal who was riding up on the wrong side of a side street and proceeded to turn right in front of me...and she tells ME to watch out! Uh yeah, right. Of course I'm going to avoid you crazy cigarette smoking cyclist lady! I like my skin and my bike too much to donate to your cause!

Which brings me to what I'm thinking about today: Educating the cyclist. There are still so many misconceptions about where you should ride your bike. With traffic, against traffic, stopping, not stopping. If one actually reads Idaho code, it says this:

49-717. POSITION ON HIGHWAY.

1. Any person operating a bicycle upon a roadway at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing shall ride as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway except under any of the following situations:
   (a) When overtaking and passing another bicycle or vehicle proceeding in the same direction.
   (b) When preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.
   (c) When reasonably necessary to avoid conditions including fixed or moving objects, parked or moving vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards or substandard width lanes that make it unsafe to continue along the right-hand curb or edge.
   
2. Any person operating a bicycle upon a one-way roadway with two (2) or more marked traffic lanes may ride as near the left-hand curb or edge of the roadway as practicable.

Ok, so I'm reading this and thinking anyone should know what side to ride on. Well, is it actually clear? Reading number one I see it saying riding on the ride hand curb OR the edge of the roadway...but not right-hand roadway. Do you think it makes a difference? Oh wait...do you think anyone even reads this except a biker with a beef?

Seriously though, all people should have to have training to ride on the road and also training on how to drive around bike riders. My new commuting route from Americana to Canal via Latah, Nez Perce and Shoshone leads me to believe this more than ever before.

I'll be taking part in a bike count for an Ada County study in mid September. I've volunteered for my actual commute as I'm curious to see who's doing that one too. Hopefully more than I think.

Until we ride again, Ciao!