Originally Posted by
bbbean
As I understand the arguments:
1) The Good Citizen: If we want to be respected as being on a legal par with automobiles, we need to be law abiding riders and set a good example.
2) Tit for Tat: Drivers don't obey the law, so why should we?
3) Entitlement: I only obey the law when it suits me.
4) Apathy: Whatever.
Dd I miss anything?
There's also the sheep effect on others, where people may follow without thinking. An experience I always remember is being a pedestrian in a rush, arriving at a red light, and stepping into the intersection even though a car was coming, because I was preparing to dash across as soon as it went by. A school girl, maybe about 10 years old, was waiting for the light, and when she saw me step from the curb she automatically assumed the light had changed and started to walk into the path of the car. My impatient illegal behaviour almost sucked her into getting killed.