Pedal vs. Metal

Most cyclists chalk it up to coincidence. But on bike blogs and other web sites, a debate is raging between the two user groups. Drivers charge cyclists with blatant disregard for the law—especially when it comes to stop signs and stop lights. And cyclists (some of whom defend their disdain for such regulations, arguing it's a pain to hop off their bikes at every stop sign) say drivers often act as if they don't exist.

"It's reached a certain level of madness," said resident Jim Blackwood, who kicked off a fiery discussion earlier this month when he blogged about nearly hitting a cyclist who was riding at night without lights or a helmet and had cruised through a red light. Two blocks later, Blackwood saw two more bikes without lights. "Why isn't the bike community insisting everybody have a helmet and lights on the front and back of the bicycles?," he said.

Schmautz, the Portland cop, notes a "militant" attitude among citizens, which may explain why traffic disagreements sometimes boil over into full-blown fights. "We have a protest culture," he said. "We see a certain willingness to speak out in a way that's not completely legal."

Schmautz added that he has noticed an uptick in telephone calls he gets from angry motorists and cyclists. Motorists complain that bike safety improvements come "at their expense," he said. Ninety-nine percent of all traffic citations the cops issue are to cars. The police conducted a two-day sting this week, but it was largely aimed at raising awareness, and officers mostly handed out warnings to cyclists—a powerful political constituency in town, Schmautz said.

Rick Adams, who videotaped the scuffle that involved the cyclist on the hood of the car, says the problem may be cultural. "As a society, you can flip someone off very easily," Adams said. "But we have no hand signal that says 'I'm sorry.' "

© 2008