Maybe Shawn Streiff is at fault. Maybe the truck that crashed into him tried everything possible to avoid him. Maybe the driver didn’t see him at all. Maybe Streiff was cycling recklessly and is responsible for the accident.
I don’t know, and at this point, it doesn’t really matter. What matters is that Streiff regains his health and life back after sustaining a horrific accident that has him presently in the ICU in immense pain.
I learned of this tragedy through The Eagle’s Twitter feed. Streiff, an alumnus of AU, was hit on 11th Street and U Street NW last Tuesday.
Coincidentally, I had just returned from a 30-mile training ride for triathlon when I read the news. While riding, I was thrice honked at by motorists. Thankfully, they passed without further escalation, but a few miles down the road a tow-truck flirted with my handlebars, forcing me off the road. A couple inches closer and my name could be linked directly with Shawn’s.
Cycling is dangerous. No matter where I ride, when bikes share traffic lanes with cars, the cyclists are always vulnerable. Yet, somehow that aura of vulnerability sometimes gets lost in transit-lation as some motorists find it permissible to harass, intentionally danger or ignore the pedaling traveler.
While most motorists are considerate and patient, there remains a fuming sect who cares for bikers about as much as they care for pink slips. And the results are often disastrous.
While this is not an anti-motorist diatribe (I drive much more than I ride), it is deeply concerning that some folks have such disdain for cyclists. There’s evidence in the accidents, in the close calls and in online forums.
Thus far, the princeofpetworth.com story on Shawn’s accident generated 150 comments. It reminds me of another local blogger who wrote a thread denouncing cyclists in Ballston that also spawned 150 comments.
Why the rift? Why such animosity for the momentary delays bikes cause motorists? It’s not like cyclists sport Mitt Romney bumper stickers (much worse in my opinion).
Maybe it’s because a few thoughtless cyclists endanger the bunch by flying through stop signs and stoplights or refusing to yield while blocking traffic. I understand the ensuing frustration. Many cyclists are motorists too and, trust me, it aggravates us the most because we know that it only enhances the divide, ultimately putting us at greater risk.
What I think about sometimes while a car leans on the horn behind me is, why the hostility? There’s a reason Mike Tyson won’t fight Justin Bieber. Even the most ridiculously inconsiderate cyclists who weave in and out of cars would immediately be rendered paralyzed or dead if a car thought it was prudent to teach a lesson by swerving into her.
And what would that accomplish? I don’t know a single person who wants the inconvenience of being in an accident (even if they’re not at fault) or, moreover, wants the burden of a slain or injured cyclist on their conscience. It’s just not worth it.
There will always be stupid cyclists, just like there will always be stupid drivers. But the discrepancy between the two should yield a smidgeon more concern and deference to the rider. While I’ve never met a motorist who claimed to want to hurt cyclists, I’ve also never heard of the reverse.
If you’re driving and notice a bicyclist, please be careful and patient. Cyclists may be erratic at times. We notice road hazards more clearly than vehicles and adjust accordingly. We also don’t have the luxury of plowing over large potholes or other hazards.
There’s plenty of blame to be shared in accidents like Streiff’s, but also much to learn. Here’s wishing Streiff a full and speedy recovery.
Conor Shapiro is a graduate student in the School of International Service.
edpage@theeagleonline.com
