The law says we must obey traffic laws and along with that is common courtesies like yielding right of way in the appropriate ways to maintain order on the streets. Commonly bikers are criticized for not doing this and create a lot of friction and animosity as a result. Most bikers don't mean to be rude, but as we all know, it can sometimes be safer for everybody if we cut a few corners (and stop signs) just to get our vulnerable butts out of the way.
Cyclists complain that drivers hate us, and all that agile corner cutting is what they hate the most, but doesn't just irritate you when a driver is inordinately nice? I mean the one who gives up their right of way to you when they shouldn't. Don't they understand that treating us as another vehicle brings order to the asphalt universe? I hate hanging out in an intersection to turn left, waiting for the oncoming traffic to clear up and see somebody hold up the line of traffic, wait in the intersection for me to proceed in front of them rather than go on and make everybody predictable. We end up eying each other wondering what the other is doing, I wave them on, they wave me on, they move, I move, we both stop and repeat the scenario like a game of reverse chicken each afraid to proceed now that the order of the universe is disturbed. The light changes, now every lane is tied up while we decide who will be most polite and I hang out in the midst of traffic like a lost soul dangled over the pits of hell in a Jonathan Edwards sermon.
I'd rather they were rude, honked, peeled rubber and went on through, I'm used to that.
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