I have been commuting for the past few days and the general driving populace seems to be adjusting to my presence on the road pretty well. By this I mean that apart from the occasional Zombie driver (who refuses to look before turning), I have not been subject to any form of road rage. Now, that is surprising given that the infrastructure in this country is generally not tolerant of cyclists and everyone wants to reach their destinations a few seconds earlier if possible.

I might not fully comprehend the reasons but here is an attempt to decode the social behavior.

1. Assumption: Motorists are not out to kill cyclists / pedestrians.
2. Assumption: A wave and a smile is an acceptable gesture for thank you / sorry.
3. I understand that heavy traffic is frustrating to all and empathize with their situation.
   • People who ride cars (and are paying dues and burning fuel) do so to get to some place fast. Traffic makes them feel like idiots.
   • Cabbies are probably rushing to pick up passengers and increase their income a bit. Peak hrs are probably when they can earn most and traffic at this time keeps them near their wits end.
   • Bus drivers are probably sick of inching between traffic lights and bus stops and missing their schedules due to traffic does not help them relax either.
4. As a consequence, If someone is held up behind me, I give them a friendly wave.
5. I do not to break traffic rules:
   • I stop at red lights.
   • I do not ride on pavements.
   • I do not make illegal turns.
   • I wait behind traffic (unless there is enough space to safely sneak forward)
   • I do not ride on the wrong side of the road.
   • I wave in advance if I need to turn.
6. Following traffic rules makes the people feel comfortable with you on the road. They know you are not going to do anything stupid (like make sudden turns or stops or jump pavement etc…). They respect you enough to wait behind you and provide enough room while passing.
7. I ride defensively:
   • The unwritten rule of the road is that the bigger your vehicle, the more right you have on the road.
   • Cycles are the smallest of vehicles, so try not to fight for road space with a container truck.
   • If I think some feller behind me seems to be in a hurry, I’d rather give them space than teach a lesson on the road. I do not oblige always but will be cautious especially at intersections and corners.
8. I cannot make an arse-hole a better human
   • I understand that if an idiot behaves rash, It is not up to me to teach him/her good manners.
   • Etiquette is a personality trait – not teachable in a few minutes.
   • If the person drove really like a maniac, I gesture to them in their rearview mirror (very likely the person is not looking anywhere). I do it anyway to calm my nerves.
   • Else, I take a deep breath and continue riding – may be thinking about why, oh why such Idiots get their licenses.

Long story short, behave like a road user, be defensive, be alert and smile more. That should keep you as a cyclist, safe.

Related posts:

1. Riding in traffic
2. Riding in Rain
3. Inherent slowness of platforms
4. riding in tropics
5. Cycle lanes in Beijing

This entry was posted on Monday, June 11th, 2007 at 8:32 am and is filed under bicycle commuting in singapore, bike, musings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.