Bikers in Brooklyn

Riding a bicycle in Brooklyn or any of the boroughs can be a challenge. Traffic is crazy, cabs and buses are total hazards and the whole thing feels like a video game, except you only get one life.

Mayor Bloomberg has been a strong bike proponent and bike lanes have sprouted up all over the place. While some have grumbled, I’m definitely a fan.

But bikers overall are the most lawless group from traffic rules perspective. We all do it, roll through the red light when we can, go the wrong way on a one way street to save a few blocks, etc., etc..

While it is a bit challenging for a parent of an 8 year old learning to ride a bike to explain all this (Papi, why didn’t that guy stop at the light? Papi, I thought grown-ups weren’t allowed to ride on the sidewalk…) I totally understand why bikers do this. I do it too.

But bikers in NYC are like the Tea Party. Ideological, militant and if you give them a concession they just ask for more.

The part that drives me crazy is how bikers yell at everyone else if they don’t follow the rules. And I mean literally scream at people. Pot, meet kettle.

Today I think I saw the craziest example.

On my commute to work, I scooter in a bike lane down Jay Street into Dumbo. It’s a popular bike route because it leads to the Manhattan Bridge, which is a good bridge to ride over. On the way you have to cross Tillary. This is a major intersection. Cars are coming one way on Tillary to get to the Brooklyn bridge and going another way to the BQE. Four lanes of traffic each way with a median in the middle.

People who know the traffic pattern (i.e. all of us) know that you can edge halfway across the street safely before the light turns green (due to a left turn arrow). So there’s a few bikers and me crossing half-way on the red light.

There’s a way to try to sneak across the other half just as the main light turns red and before the left turn arrow turns green. Again, for us the light is completely red at this point, we have no business being in the intersection at all. And this move is beyond what I will try, because you are counting on (1) the drivers going straight not pushing to get through before the light turns red and (2) the drivers turning left not jumping the gun on the left turn arrow.

So this morning a guy does it. And sure enough, a car is trying to push it and get through the red light. From the driver’s perspective, you are trying to beat a light to get to the Brooklyn Bridge and a bike comes out of nowhere (let’s recall, we’ve been waiting halfway through the intersection). So the car stops and honks at the bike.

And what does the biker who is in the middle of an intersection, running a red light in a rather dangerous manner do? He screams at the car. He actually stops in the middle of traffic to yell at the guy, while running a red light.

Bikers in NYC, an interesting breed…