Road rules apply to bikes

From the Washington State Department of Transportation website: “With more people riding bicycles, following the rules of the road is especially important. A bicycle is a legal road vehicle, just like a car. This means that bicycle riders have the same rights and responsibilities as drivers.”

Does this mean that I can jump the curb and cross the street through the pedestrian crosswalk in my Subaru? It seems that bicyclists insist on drivers treating them as equals on the road, but become pedestrians when it’s more convenient.

When I’m driving in my car, I not only have to yield to the bicyclists riding side-by-side in a traffic lane, but I also have to stop for them in a crosswalk? Perhaps one of the reasons for the continued tension between motorists and bicyclists is the latter’s tendency to want it both ways.

Respect is not only earned; it’s mutual.

Joanne Huffstutter

Cheney