'You better be pimpin' with that helmet on tight' (Roundup)

I would really hate for anyone to ever think that a PSA this contrived and cheesy would have convinced me to wear a helmet.   Still, it’s not a good enough reason for me not to wear one.

One YouTube commenter wrote, “I’m 99% sure this was made in some community service plea bargain agreement with police.”

More lyrics and literary analysis at BikeRumor.

Commute By Bike

Queen of the RoadQueen of the Road is something of a Miss Manners for motorists. A reader asked for advice on the etiquette of passing a cyclist:

Is it legal to cross a double line on a two-lane street (one lane each direction) to pass a slow-moving bicycle? This situation is often presented at Redwood Road and Pinehurst Road between Oakland and Moraga. It is heavily traveled by cars and bicycles. Generally I pass when it is safe (yes, crossing the double line), as it is the common-sense thing to do, but it would be a hard decision if a police car was behind me.

The Queen replied like a sage (with a lawyer looking over her shoulder):

Terry, your question is especially apropos because you added that great comment, “it would be a hard decision if a police officer was behind me.” This is an awesome test anytime you are in doubt. The maneuver you describe violates California Vehicle Code section 21460, which limits what motorists can do with regard to double yellow lines.

While the debate among cyclists continues about whether and/or when a cyclist should ever break traffic laws, I found it sweet–heartening even–to know that there’s at least one motorist out there fretting about the same thing.

EcoVelo

Was that too much empathy for motorists for you?

Well there’s this:

In an Australian study, involving bike commuters with helmet-mounted cameras, the cyclists tended to travel in a safe and legal manner, and when there was a collision, near-collision or incident, motorists were judged to be at fault 87% of the time.

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