Can't We All Just Get Along - By Sarah Sanders

One of the top reasons that people avoid pedaling to work, to school, or to get groceries is because of the two-ton machines swarming our cities – otherwise known as motor vehicles.
After all, learning to ride without training wheels up and down the sidewalk doesn’t really prepare you for riding between cars and avoiding open doors. Nobody thinks to yell at a girl on her tricycle, telling her to learn how to drive. You also don’t really have to worry about other kamikaze cyclists who zoom through intersections.

When I first moved to Philadelphia, I avoided Broad Street altogether. In my occasional commute between my Temple dormitory and center city, I used 13th and 12th Streets to get around, mostly because of that chaos circling city hall. I was still getting used to riding with cars on my 1980’s Schwinn Sprint; and I was hesitant to use hand signals as it involved taking one hand off the handlebars, which seemed like a death wish at the time. So I stuck to the roads that had less cars, and ample shoulders and bike lanes. Needless to say, I didn’t see much of Philadelphia my freshman year.

Then I moved off campus and had to ride every day – and not just to North Philly. Broad Street became the easiest way to get anywhere. South, Chestnut, and Walnut Streets, too. And they were always busy – bumper-to-bumper traffic. I had to deal with not only out-of-towners and moving trucks, but buses and taxis, too.

Gradually, riding in traffic became less of a big deal. Eventually, I didn’t even really pay mind to the cars. Not to say I didn’t know they were there, but they didn’t seem so much like monsters anymore.

In fact, they seemed more like annoying flies, buzzing around me. But you can’t really swat cars and trucks. We tolerate them – mostly because they’re bigger than us, but also because most of us drive regularly. For the most part, there is a silently understood relationship between motorists and cyclists.

Except for the times where we don’t understand each other. So I’d like to offer a list of guidelines for both parties.


For Motorists:

1. Please be patient. After all, you are driving a vehicle that is completely enclosed, separated from the elements, and averaging speeds that bikes can only reach when descending a mountainside. We might be taking up a lane for ourselves – which we can do legally – but we are pedaling as fast as we can. Plus you could take a left whenever you want.

2. Use your side view mirrors more often, even when you’re parked and ready to get out of the car. That way, you’ll see me when I’m riding down Spring Garden Street, in the bike lane no less. You also might notice me the next time you think you always have the right-of-way when taking a right turn.

3. Take responsibility for your actions. If a collision does occur, just stay calm and be as helpful as possible. The consequences of staying and dealing with the incident are not nearly as dire as those for someone who flees.

For Cyclists:

1. Please be patient. While being on a bike does have its advantages, don’t get into the habit of running red lights or squeezing into spots where you can’t fit. Cycling can still be fun and convenient without endangering yourself and others. Also remember that you are now part of the traffic. Cars and buses are not in your way; they’re trying to get somewhere just like you.

2. Use hand signals when you can, especially when making turns or changing lanes. This will help motorists better understand what you plan to do, and they won’t get so bent out of shape when you move into the left lane because they now know you’re making a left turn.

3. Avoid touching, smacking, or spitting on cars. I know that sometimes even I think this behavior is warranted for reckless taxi drivers and obnoxious truckers; but it simply never ends well. Either the driver gets out and comes after you, or nothing happens at all and you don’t feel any better about yourself.


While I can’t imagine peace on the road will be achieved any time soon, at the very least, I hope we can empathize with each other. Motorists will understand that increased cycling is a good thing; and cyclists will realize that drivers are not out to terrorize them.