Civility and Bicycle Culture
Pete van Nuys
I recall the first time I heard Keri Cafree use the word
"civility" in her Cycling Savvy instruction.
It stuck out as a unique term in a discussion of traffic behavior
today.
Public and legal discussion of traffic runs to the Vehicle Code
and traffic control devices;
CVC doesn't even use the word once.
Nor does "Civility" appear in any driver education materials in
any states in the USA.....
but the word and concept of "courtesy" is regularly used as
fundamental to safe driving.
(The last two factoids are per ChatGPT.)
Anyway, civility is a "thing."
It's a real concept.
And it seems basic to courtesy itself in a civil society.
It's ironic that we would have to sell the idea of civility as
basic.
Two chimpanzees might show deference to one another, appear
courteous out of tribal hierarchy.
But we can't say they are acting with civility because by
definition they aren't civilized.
To behave with one another in civil society we are required to be
civil to each other.
That's taught (often not very well) by parents to their kids.
Civility is fundamental to Western culture,
to American culture.
In traffic, civility is fundamental, not just to courtesy, but to
the protection of life.
We have a civil responsibility to not hurt one another.
We are supposedly held accountable, by specific laws, for
violating this cultural value.
All this by way of reminding badvocates that Civility is Real.
It is the reason there is not widespread carnage on the
freeways
every morning and every night.
Yes, a handful of crashes do occur every rush hour,
with their delays and inevitable hand-wringing.
But the literal millions of motorists who drive billions of miles
every week are not beating the odds,
they are guaranteed success because of Civility.
And bicyclists are, too.
Badvocates deny civility exists. They act as if they alone can
protect us.
They bury the idea under discussions of good/bad behavior.
Fear monger with terms like "traffic violence."
Decry a lack of $multi-million infrastructure.
For cyclists this has had bad results:
Manipulation.
Marginalization.
Victimhood.
For society it's destructive.
Increased tribalism.
Political extremism.
The loss of civil dialog.
Reliance on government authority to:
define "right from wrong"
mediate negotiations
quell violence....
Badvocates argue infrastructure will convert drivers to Ebikers
and cyclists.
A dubious claim backed by zero credible studies.
And for a fraction of the $millions they would waste
agencies at all levels could expand the civility
that motorists extend to each other
to include other road users.
Cities could come out, boldly, to promote Civility.
What a risk. What balls at city hall,
to stand up for Civil behavior among the users of its streets.
The streets all residents must pay for and share.
Not a huge ask, really.
Bike Culture. It's been there all along.
We just didn't recognize it.
But Cycling Savvy does.
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John Eldon
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Sand Geo
It's not about "us vs them", rather it should be "us with them".
I have motorists thanking me all the time, as I love to thank them as well.
Working together, what a concept!
Sandrine.
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