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We've all encountered our share of people with poor attitudes out on the roads. They are the arrogant, aggressive, impatient people who think the road belongs to them. Everyone, cyclists, motorists, and pedestrians had better get out of their way because if we don't...

Then there are the clueless. They glue cell phones to their ears, fool with things on the car seat or just don't pay attention. Drivers don't have a monopoly either. Some cyclists, you've seen them, ride with their heads in the clouds. They ride against traffic on the wrong side of the road, plug their mp3 players or cell phones in their ears and pedal along oblivious to the flow of traffic around them.

Selfish, uncaring, careless attitudes put all who share the roads in danger and give the rest of us, the good drivers and cyclists, a bad name. Most people on the road are "normal" people going about their business. The average driver is simply not used to sharing the road with cyclists. It's new to them and they don't always know how to react to a new thing.

The bicycle is the most efficient means of transportation ever invented. With energy costs rising, people who haven't ridden a bicycle since they were kids are buying bikes and taking to the streets. As more and more cyclists hit the roads, the unfamiliar will become commonplace. Drivers will realize that cyclists are drivers too, subject to the same rules and responsibilities (and privileges) of the road as the people driving cars and trucks.

Courtesy and respect go a long way, though such things may be lost on some, drivers and cyclists alike are learning to live with each other and share the road. All we need is an attitude of mutual respect and co-operation,

Help other drivers see you by wearing bright colored clothing. A cyclist is a lot harder to see than another car or truck. Let drivers know when we're turning or stopping by signaling ahead of time. People who flick a lever on the steering column to signal a turn aren't used to people using hand signals but they're learning. Be obvious. Make eye contact with each other.

We've all had those impatient people stopped behind us at a light who blow their horns at us because "we're in their way." I've thought to myself, what if I was a police cruiser sitting in front of you? Would you blow your horn at me then? No? I didn't think so.

Fortunately these (can I say morons?) are in the minority. Have you ever come to a four way stop sign, made eye contact with a driver and been waved on with a smile? It happens more often than you might think. Courtesy works both ways too. I was sitting at a light waiting for the green, when I noticed a guy in a truck out of the corner of my right eye. He was sitting patiently waiting to make a right turn. I realized he'd have the room he needed if I moved over just a little so I did. He pulled up next to me, rolled down his window, smiled and thanked me before he made his turn.

Cyclists and drivers aren't in an us vs. them situation, not unless we want it that way. We're all people, and when we treat each other with respect and understanding, we'll get along just fine. Aggressive and inattentive drivers are just as much a menace to the driving public as they are to us cyclists and they pay the price when they're caught. Be alert, avoid them if possible and ignore them when you can. Help the "normal" drivers and cyclists understand. When most of us have the attitude of good neighbors, the roads will be a safer place for all.

Learn more about this author, John McDevitt.
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