Essay: On Cycling’s Chutzpah

(2020) I could telegraph what was about to happen the moment a cyclist caught my attention during my commute last week. I found myself stuck behind a utility truck for several miles and now we were approaching an intersection close to the end of the drive. Before the final stretch a young cyclist didn’t slow down for the approaching stop sign, he gassed it. Not only did he gas it, he turned and was now the leader in our lane of traffic.

This past week was an interesting one for us in Bucks County, but it was also interesting for us on a cycling platform. Monday started with a cycling meme page asking for riders to comment on an anti-cycling social media post. Instead of pumping vitriol, we decided to add on to their accusation, stating, “Not only are we asshole cyclists, but we are coaches, teachers, hockey fans, [fill in your personal response here].” We proceeded to get our comment erased and account blocked. Apparently a common sense comment went too far. But as we approached the intersection, cycling’s chutzpah took center stage when combined with a comment from that social media post of, “How about not blowing all the stop signs?” It was precisely what this kid did into the path of a work truck.

From my vantage point chutzpah was in play. Once junior blew the stop sign, I knew what would happen. The Mcallister Construction (with the license plate ending in 2970) truck was going to do the ol’ brush-him-back-to-teach-him-a-lesson. Sure enough the truck zoomed tightly around the rider, who was in an odd selection of winter leggings and bare arms. He sure was hammering though. He appeared unphased by the close encounter. I’m sure many people here will say, “That’s what cyclists get for running stop signs!” or something to the effect, until I tell you the beginning of that story. 

Miles before this, I crossed back into Pennsylvania via the Stockton/ Center Bridge span, I was about to make my turn onto River Road north. Apparently my choice in the matter was too long and the McAllister truck mentioned above ran the stop sign and cut me off to head up the same road. And I was stuck behind the kelly green truck all the way through Lumberville, through Devil’s Half Acre, and through Point Pleasant. The driver rolled through the stop sign in Point Pleasant and I remained stuck behind the driver. (Good thing he didn’t stop, because I really would have held up his day.) 

It was the final turn near Wismer where he barely stopped again and turned left. For those keeping score, he had managed to blow one stop sign completely and rolled through two others. This set us up for the rendezvous with the young rider who was to be ‘taught a lesson’ for running a stop sign.

I am not condoning the cyclist’s choice to not only run the stop sign nor to actively sprint through it. But what is interesting is the belief cyclists are the only ones who roll through stop signs. Come sit with us at our office for an hour and count how many cars run through the stop sign out front. Unofficially it stands at 90%. And of that percentage a full 30% won’t even touch the brakes through the four-way intersection. 

There are people willing to criticize cyclists for not stopping at stop signs, but in our experience those are the people to question. Last year an Australian MP, Mark Parton, tried to propose a bill that would issue tickets to cyclists through Strava. As it turns out, the MP had an extensive list of Strava KOMs that concluded he would have fallen victim to his own law. That’s the chutzpah of it all: Look down on cyclists for rolling through stop signs but then run the next stop sign? And when confronted the motorist says “Well that’s the only sign for today.” Somehow I doubt it’s an isolated incident.