This is my concern. If we treat cyclists as the sacred cow of the roads, they'll more or less have the root password to my car and be able to dictate where it stops and for how long.
I find cyclists to be much more disingenuous and reckless than any driver, at least here in Chicago where they'll put up next to your car on the right, on the shoulder to make a dangerous and illegal right, and pound on the side of your car with their fists to let you know they're there.
I don't see how empowering that group and its "cars suck, rules don't apply to me" attitudes can help.
Safety goes both ways. If your going to act like an entitled snot who takes chances with your life because you can't be bothered to follow the rules of the road and respect cars, other cyclists, and pedestrians then you kinda deserve what happens to you. Heaven forbid we all play by the rules.
Nope. Even entitled snots don't deserve to be killed when it can be avoided. Not going to debate that point.
Passing on the right by cyclists is legal in Chicago, BTW, when done so with care (the law was clarified last year). It's not clear if that's the behavior you're referring to.
Not killed, but fined. We need to regulate bikes like we do cars and monetize bike violations. Oh I can hear the critical mass whining from here. Pedestrians should also consider bikes on the sidewalk a form of assault and it should be a criminal violation. If I can't drive on the sidewalk then you can't ride on it.
