Bicyclist Rage

About a week ago, two bicyclists were circling a third at night when the one being circled said, "Get a light." This enraged the other two, as they tried to ride him off the road, followed him to his house and then got in a physical altercation.

(Here's the story http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/317175)

I find this amusing because this showcases the dichotomy of Madison bicyclists. There are the nice ones who follow the rules, such as the victim described above. Then there are those who feel they own the road, and these are the ones who give all bicyclists a bad rap, like the attackers above (by the way, state law requires lights for bikes at night).

I'm sure you've seen the latter group on the streets: They go down the wrong way of one-way streets, they never make complete stops at red lights or stop signs, they never yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk, they ride in the middle of the road in order to disrupt traffic, etc.

Madison has gone out of its way to be biker-friendly, especially with all the bike paths and bike lanes in the city. It's unfortunate that the asshole bicyclists have marred the reputation for all.

Remember: if a car and a bicycle go head-to-head, the car ALWAYS wins. It's your life, so be careful!