These threads really make me appreciate my little town. The sidewalks are virtually empty, so I ride on them when I want to. Traffic is light and the lanes are wide, so cars usually give me plenty of room. (Though some guy did honk at me this morning, in what I interpreted as a get-out-of-the-road-you-stupid-biker message.)

Asphalt is indeed more forgiving to a runner than concrete. It makes me question the possibility of paving sidewalks in asphalt rather than concrete. City planners would have to accept that, and I see durability being the greatest argument against it. But as running has become more popular, it is a change whose time may have come. Perhaps it could be implemented in a few select areas, where runners are more prevalent. In some areas, it might even make sense to lay down the same material used for a running track. I'm sure it's more expensive, but cost isn't the only criteria to consider.

I remember cycling through Germany over a decade ago, and seeing the bikers actually seek out and target pedestrians who strayed into the bike path. Most streets had street-side parking for cars, then a bike lane, and then a pedestrian lane. Sometimes the parking was absent, but there were always segregated lanes for riding and walking. Sometimes they were marked with painted symbols of a bike or a walker; sometimes they were unmarked and divided simply by a crack in the concrete. But everyone knew which lane was for which. Every rider in Germany has a bell mounted on their handlebars, and the loud ding of that bell could mean any number of things: "Good Morning," "Excuse Me," or even "F-You." And if some little old lady with her arms straining under the weight of her grocery bags dared to stumble into the bike lane for a moment, you would watch in horror as an approaching cyclist leaned out and lowered his shoulder in preparation for a 30-mile-per-hour assault. As late as possible, he would ding that little bell, as if the "rules" required him to give some kind of warning before he bowled over the unsuspecting pedestrian. But as that bell rang forth, you would see all of the pedestrians in earshot straighten up and take note of their position--and then watch that little old lady come to life and dart from the bike path with a speed that belied her age. And this wasn't just the young and obnoxious riders that you would see do this. A fifty-year-old investment banker in a suit was just as likely to take out an errant walker. Those Germans are hardcore, and they seemed to approach punishment for a misdeed with glee--they wanted some idiot in headphones to stumble into their path, so that they could ring that bell and take them to the ground.

It was an amazing thing to watch. Over there, cyclists are at the top of the food chain. Whereas in America, we get the leftovers. We pay lip service to the idea that pedestrians are the primary concern; they ostensibly always have the right of way. But having the right of way won't give you your legs back. So in reality cars rule the roads. Pedestrians come in a distant second. And cyclists are at the bottom of the heap. Maybe those Germans are onto something. Maybe you should get out your old football shoulder pads, add some knee and elbow pads, and power through the bike lanes like gladiators. If some idiot with headphones or a 20' dog leash stumbles within your territory, you can teach him a lesson that he won't soon forget.