Discussions

Brandon drivers: you win... I'll stop waiting on the road at intersections and use a crosswalk to cross whenever possible.  
 
I've had several drivers stop for me at 18th and McTavish in the past 24 hours gesturing me to cross and then give me a confused and sometimes irritated look when I don't and gesture them to keep going.  
 
Drivers, what you don't realize is that us cyclists also have to navigate the opposing flow of traffic and it's not always safe to go. Again, we're considered road vehicles when riding on the road, so please treat us accordingly (and safely!). If we cyclists were actually to go ahead when you gesture us to, all that generally happens is confusion and panic for everyone once we meet up with opposing traffic.  
 
If you've been on the receiving end of a guy on a bike who has disdainfully and sharply gestured you to keep going, my genuinely apologies. I appreciate why you're doing it, but I value my life and there are only small windows that present itself when trying to cross traffic and when you stop to let me go, you eat up that window.

To be fair, I don't bike as much as I used to, but when I do, it's only ever on side streets and sidewalks, and I always get off my bike and walk it to cross busy streets. I value my life too much to try cycling on the main roads in this city, and I haven't gotten in trouble yet LOL. Much like merging, nobody here has an understanding (or care) of how to handle cyclists. I just try to travel in a way that causes me as little headache (and physical harm) as possible.