Cyclists vs. cars: what if the problem is us?

The coexistence between cyclists and motorists sometimes resembles a poorly arranged shared accommodation Everyone has their habits, their certainties, their quirks, and above all… Each one is convinced that they are the most reasonable inhabitant from the apartment. As is often the case, we like to remind people what motorists do wrong and, let's be honest, they often do it very wrong.

But one question deserves to be asked calmly, without tension, almost tenderly: What if we, cyclists, are not the patron saints of soft mobility that we sometimes like to imagine?

By Jeff Tatard – Photo: @jefftatard

The door that opens: national trauma… but what about our zigzags?

Let's start with the classic of classics : the door that opens without warningYes, it's dangerous, yes, it's unacceptable. There's no debate about that.

But it is also necessary reconit would become clear that, if we were to replay our daily commutes with an onboard camera, even with Oakley Meta screwed onto their noses, some would look more like a casting call for Ninja Warrior than a demonstration of smooth driving.

Who hasn't ever attempted that little feline sprint to sneak through? between two stationary cars, with the same poise as if the bicycle were 12 centimeters wide?

Who hasn't ever turned a line of vehicles into a giant slalom course because "It's a wide pass" whereas, honestly, it only seemed to fit perfectly in our enthusiastic minds?

Not to mention the classic: stare at the driver's rearview mirror, trying to guess their next maneuver from their expression.…while simultaneously veering exactly half a meter to the left. The famous security check that produces the opposite effect of the intended effect.

In short, when the car surprises us, it's a scandalWhen we surprise the car, it's...agilityThe bias is clearly visible.

The red light: an authoritarian symbol or simply a light signal?

We tend to say that the city should be in our favor, that traffic lights are sometimes absurd, poorly timed, too long, useless.

The problem is that Often, we consider them as… suggestionsNot all of us, not all the time, but enough that drivers sometimes look at us like... a parent facing a child who denies having finished the jar of jam even though he still has some on his cheeks.

The light turns red. We glance furtively. Nothing happens. We move forward.

With that quick little pedal stroke from the cyclist, pretending it wasn't really a fire, but rather a color indication of negotiable type.

Then, a minute later, we are outraged that a motorist is not respecting the rule.

It's difficult to moralize with fingers still covered in jam… and that little guilty look we all know.

Riding two abreast: a noble practice, but not always a diplomatic one.

Riding side by side is pleasantIt allows for discussion, bytagTo breathe. And in many cases, it's legal.

But on a narrow street, behind a car that has been following us for 800 meters without daring to overtake, this noble practice quickly turns into irritating professional.

Especially since, when there are two of you running side-by-side, there's always one whose legs aren't quite as strong and who says: "No, but go ahead, I'm fine here, I swear." while clearly not feeling well at all, but not ready to give up the conversation about the club's next outing.

One might say to oneself: "Yes, but we have the right." It is true. But having the right does not always mean making the right choice. CohabitationThis is not case law: it is common sense.

Earphone in ear, phone clipped to handlebars… modern life

We rightly complain about motorists distracted by their smartphones.

But who hasn't ever encountered a cyclist (or been that cyclist) with:

• an earphone screwed into one ear,
• the phone also mounted on a handlebar mount displaying Google Maps,
• the Garmin on the side,
• the podcast of Guillaume Pley, Sandbox ou Bistrot Vélo in the background,
• and a micro-hesitation at each intersection worthy of a modern choreography?

Meanwhile, behind them, a car is wondering: "Did he hear me? Did he see me? Will he make a poetic but unpredictable left turn?"

Let's be honest: if we never saw cyclists doing that… we would ask fewer questions.

Cycle paths: protected terrain… or a space of total freedom?

We demand, and rightly so, that bike lanes be respected. We yell when someone blocks them. We grumble when a driver puts two wheels on them “just for a minute.” We don't even silently greet the scooters that cut in. But at the same time…

We sometimes transform these tracks into multi-purpose spaces :

• reckless overtaking
• impromptu U-turn,
• abrupt stop to disable GPS power saving mode,
• or that famous moment when you change direction just to avoid a puddle as if it were acid.

To conclude: We want impeccable tracks, but We are not always impeccable. above.

What if cohabitation required us to accept looking at ourselves in the rearview mirror?

Of course, there are irresponsible, reckless, aggressive, dangerous drivers. Of course, the city still remains largely thinking of them. Naturally, Some infrastructures force us to take risks which we would prefer to avoid.

But if we want to be credible, heard, and respected, Perhaps we need to accept that cohabitation is a fragile balance… in which we participate as much as they do.

What if we stopped seeing ourselves as the misunderstood heroes of urban mobility? reconIs it possible that, sometimes, we can be a bit annoying too?

Conclusion: What if we really moved forward together?

The question is not who is right or wrongThe question is whether how to make the route calmer, more readable, more pleasant for everyone.

If we want motorists to respect us, firsttage, perhaps we should start with reconto be born that We are not always blameless.Not to flagellate ourselves. Not to "balance the blame." But to recall a simple truth: Cohabitation isn't a game. It's an effort bytaged.

And if we could inject a little humor, a little restraint, a little lucidity… then perhaps the route would be less of a battlefield, and beforetage a space where you can breathe better.

After all, we're all cycling through the same landscape.

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