Originally Posted by Bah Humbug

Riding next to someone at even 15mph very well might be 1000x less load than sitting next to someone at a bar for the same length of time, yes. Breath droplets are getting constantly yanked back by the wind. I certainly wouldn't blame anyone for being extra cautious, but riding with someone seems much less risky than, say, going to the grocery store. Do you have any indication that riding next to someone with the air getting pushed back at 15mph isn't 1000x less load?