Posted: Monday, June 22, 2009 12:00 am
On Saturday, June 13, I was blessed with the pleasure of bicycle riders in Lacomb. For those of you who don't know, that is 11 miles east of Lebanon in the country.
A few days before I noticed the city street sweepers were out cleaning our country roads. This never happens unless the bike riders have an event. I was wondering who pays for the street sweepers?
Anyway, on my way to work I rounded a blind curve and encountered these bike riders riding side by side. At first I followed by at 25 in a 40 zone, then I decided at that speed I was going to be late for work. I beeped my horn to let them know I was going to pass, and they spread out farther into my lane. Funny, but when my kids were small I taught them that cars and trucks had the right of way and to stay out of the road.
As I passed my first group of riders, I came upon another group, once again two-deep and well over the white line, which I was told was a bike lane. As I passed over the double yellow line I thought if a police officer saw me I would probably received a ticket for my actions, but what would happen to the bike riders?
After encountering these rude riders I can't help but wonder, when they get hit by a car they all mourn the horrible tragedy, but how many of them were in the lane of traffic thinking they owned the road when these events happened?
I'm not saying all bike riders are rude, but give me a break. All of us see higher taxes and licensing fees on our vehicles for road improvements and the right to use these roads. That is the cost of using these roads that take us to our jobs to earn the money to pay these taxes. If the bike riders are going to hog these roads, maybe the state should impose a tax on these riders, or better yet, ticket the rude ones that don't obey the law that the rest of us are forced to obey.
Sharon Clearwater, Lacomb