It seems even the Henderson Bridge is more crowded these days and this morning was no exception. As I pedaled across the bridge, cars were backed up well onto the bridge. It felt so great to go flying by them all as they sat in traffic waiting their turn.
As I road past the cars, it occurred to me that I apply a very simple rule… I’ll pass a car on the shoulder if I can leave as much empty space as I would like them to leave for me as they pass, about three feet. As I approached Patterson St, where the road narrows, I stopped passing cars and waited my turn to make a quick jog onto Patterson. My thinking here is based on one of my fundamental principles, treat the cars with the same respect that I would like them to have for me. Believe it or not, it’s quite possible to startle a driver by whizzing by them really close, just as cyclists can become startled when cars pass to close. Startling a driver does little to promote bicycle rights, more than likely it just puts a bad taste in another driver’s mouth.
I’m sure there are plenty of alternate opinions about this very topic, feel free to share them, just be nice 😉