Originally Posted by
John Forester
In a sense, joejeweler has a valid point. The cyclist who acts as he recommends "doesn't speed like he's on the road, and is fully aware of his/her vunerability at driveways and intersections and yields to pedestrians", provided that "being aware of his vulnerability" requires that the cyclist take the precautions necessary to compensate for his vulnerability. Those precautions basically require cycling at pedestrian speed. Why then take the trouble to be encumbered with a bicycle, when shoes are plentiful and cheap?
Perhaps it depends on the sidewalk? When I am on the sidewalk it is because the street is ugly and the sidewalk goes for long stretches with no driveways or interruptions of any kind. I can maintain an average far better than walking speed on such and safely to boot. Do I need to charge up my Go-Pro and record an example? Heaven forbid, we look at a situations on a rational case-by-case basis instead of making absolute statements.
Don in Austin