On Saturday, some drunk carrying his empties to a convenience store rear ended my Corolla. At the time, it seemed kind of funny, as he collided solidly into our back bumper while we were stopped at a light. His bicycle stopped on impact, and he virtually flew over our trunk lid, and onto the pavement. He muttered something under his breath (which smelled like cheap whiskey) while he worked to pick up the bottles that were not smashed across the pavement.
While this incident made us laugh at the time, it brings up an issue I have had for quite some time. If automobile drivers have to have driver’s licenses and insurance, and have to buckle up and have road tests, etc, why don’t the people who drive bicycles require similar safety precautions?
On more than one occasion, I have seen people too drunk to walk ride their bikes on city streets and highways, endangering their lives every time they sit on their seats. I have seen bicyclists ride on highways, at speeds too slow to drive behind, and have heard those people voice their concerns that automobile drivers should learn to share the road with them, and not pass them on highways. I say that if cyclists want to be treated the same as drivers, they should be forced to have licenses and insurance.
And impaired should be impaired, no matter what sort of vehicle you drive. Who fixes the scratches on the side of my car when the cyclist is too drunk to see a large green sedan stopped at a set of lights? Nuff said
SightsnBytes 