don't be a honker

My cat decided that I should be awake at 6 AM this morning, which I took as a sign that someone wanted me to ride my bike to work. But I also had a feeling that it was a bad idea and that someone was going to run me over. Luckily enough, I wasn't run over (but there's still hope for the ride home).

The ride in is a twelve mile jaunt up Bluff from Southport Road, and I've been fortunate enough that I generally make the trip without any problems. Usually the worst thing that happens is someone thinks it's a good idea to honk and let me know they're behind me. Either that or they honk to let me know they're an asshole. In any case, it's usually good for scaring the hell out me. My guess is that they're just exercising that Hoosier Hospitality I heard so much about when I moved here. (I'm not really that upset about it. I'm not really that upset about anything.)

I've always thought that it was common knowledge that persons on bicycles had the same rights as anyone else on the road, but perhaps I'm wrong. Here's this (the whole thing is here):

Indiana Code 9-21-11
Riding on roadways; rights and duties
Sec. 2. A person riding a bicycle upon a roadway has all the rights and duties under this article that are applicable to a person who drives a vehicles, except the following:
(1) Special regulations of this article.
(2) Those provision of this article that by their nature have no application.

It then goes on to talk about how you're only allowed one person on a bike, you've got to ride to the right, you've got to have a light, and a bell, etc. I don't have a bell, which means I'm an outlaw. I think the most important thing for people to know is that I'm not only allowed to be in the lane, that's where I'm supposed to be. (Not on the sidewalk, where some motorists like to tell bicyclist to go.)

A person who operates a bicycle on a sidewalk or greenway in the city shall do so only in the following manner;
The bicycle shall not be operated at a speed, or in any manner, which constitutes a threat to the safety of either the bicycle operator or other persons, or diminishes or impairs the free use of the sidewalk or greenway by other persons.

I'm pretty sure that a collision with a pedestrian at 20 mph constitutes a threat to me and the other person.

Anyway, this might be coming off as a rant, and I don't mean it that way. I'm also not trying to be self-righteous. But I can't help but be a little jealous of folks living in Portland, where an unbelievable ten percent of residents commute to work via bike path. Ah... utopia.

When are they supposed to have construction finished on the south leg of the White River trail? I'm sure it's a start to a healthier Indy; we're just like Portland.