(Photo © J. Maus)
As Portland’s bike-friendly reputation gets dragged through the mud following two high-profile road rage incidents in a week, I would love to get a better sense of what it’s like out on the roads.
I frequently hear about hit-and-runs, near misses, fender-benders, and road rage, and I can’t say that I’ve noticed a big increase lately (although recent headlines would have most people thinking otherwise).
One thing I’ve heard from more experienced riders is that there are a lot of “newbies” out there right now. I’ve also heard that people feel inexperienced riders don’t alway know the proper road etiquette and/or laws.
I would love to know what your experience has been while riding around the city recently.
Have you felt an increase in stress, anger and contention out there (whether coming from someone on a bike or in a car)? Or has it been (sadly enough) business as usual?
Have you noticed an increase in newbies in the bike lane? If so, do you notice that they are any more or less considerate/law-abiding than experienced riders?