Was this an essay that your composition class teacher marked with an F and handed back to you? So you decided to use it *somewhere*, instead? I'm usually willing to engage halfwitted "bikes suck!" rhetoric, but this is just . . . well, it's embarrassing. Your first point is . . . well, let's just leave that alone. But I do hope that you'll pay better attention in future writing classes.

As to the second, well, you're wrong. You're wrong in a million ways, but I'll just settle for pointing out that 1) you're wrong on where cyclists may be on the road, and 2) you just admitted, in print, that you regularly assault cyclists with a vehicle.

Justine, I'm sure you're not as dumb as this post makes you look. So please, try harder in the future. And stop assaulting other people because you can't handle the responsibilities of driving. Until you learn how to drive safely, take the Metro, walk, or hey, ride a bike.

I am now in love with you for this commentary. I agree 10000%.

Haha, thank you for your thoughts Mark ;) They are appreciated. Maybe you should start blogging too!

Certainly there are many who don't agree with me, and certainly one can see the humor and light jest in ALL of my posts. If I took myself half as seriously as people like Mark do, I'd be quite an unhappy person.

A big part of me hesitates to post this, but I'm going to anyway because your 'poor life choice' sensor needs a system shock.

Your impatience behind cyclists literally endangers their lives, and it's appalling that YOU instigate a reaction from them by disrespecting their hobby, mode of transportation, and their lives. An in-person argument about cyclists being on the road can get heated, but no one is going to die from it. An argument _on the road_ between someone in a multi-ton vehicle and someone on a ten pound bike, however momementary, can and has resulted in injury (head trauma, broken bones), coma, loss of life, &c. And it is almost always an avoidable accident, but it's caused by the king-of-the-road attitude you employ in your post and your driving.

Other points of contention:
-The cyclist's neon outfit is so people don't hit them
-5 mph is ridiculously slow for a cyclist
-Have you ever tried to ride a bike in the bike line or road shoulder?
-It is incredibly entitled and unreasonable to assume that your life and time has more worth than the cyclist's
-A 'bad' cyclist neglects to stop at stop signs and runs red lights. That is illegal. A bad pedestrian neglects to look for oncoming vehicles when crossing the street. Bikes are vehicles. It isn't illegal, but it's your fault if you get hit because you walked in front of an oncoming cyclist. If that's not what happened, your article deliberately misrepresents the account to support your theme. That is bad blogging.

Saying this article is light-hearted is like calling someone an offensive name and then saying you were kidding when they confront you. Except worse, because you are putting a human life on the line. If you wrote this to be funny, there is nothing funny about ruining a persons hobby or passion, wrecking hours and hours of bike personalization, endangering life, and being a bully.

There is no 'disagreeing' with you. This is an article of ignorance, but more astonishingly it is an account of how selfish and disconnected someone as charming and bright as you can be. That is objective observation, not opinion. And just smiling and laughing off someone's sincere concern at your driving habits confirms this observation. A kiss and a pageant wave can't revive someone's child, friend, or lover.

Every time I go out on the road, my mom is concerned but reluctantly settles with telling me to, "Be careful". It's people like you who assume that nothing will come of bullying cyclists, but end up terrorizing mothers like mine. Just like you get heated when someone insults police officers, I get upset when people disrespect the incredible danger a cyclist puts him or herself in to get to work or pursue a fitness goal. In a perfect world, that incredible danger wouldn't exist, because ignorant endangerment would not be allowed on the road.

This is not an attack on you. This is an attack on the attitude towards cyclists that you currently hold.

Thank you for your comments, Ryan.

Let's all remember to be respectful and mature in our comments please, no profanity or threats. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and we want to hear them! Just do so respectfully, please.

the sad thing is that she's more or less dead on. Bikers like to wear their environmentalism on their sleeves and scoff at anyone who drives a car. They often think that because they're "doing the earth a favor" that they're entitled to act like both a car, and a pedestrian whenever it is convenient and beneficial to them. Also conveniently, bikers love to play the role of victim in the car vs bike road-sharing relationship despite the fact the R/B corridor has a myriad of bike lanes and pedestrian trails. The fact of the matter is that bikes do share the road with cars, not the other way around. As a pedestrian and a driver, I notice bikers biking outside the bike lanes (where present) far more often than i see drivers driving in the bike lane (aside from parking).

I agree with you Justine, and I got your back. The only gripe i have with your article is that it was too short.

Way to go Justine! You can be sure you represent alot of "quiet" Arlingtonians too afraid to speak/write for fear of ridicule from the snarky bike lobby.

Preach Justine, preach! I will come to your services anytime.

http://images.cheezburger.com/completestore/2010/4/14/129157477066831452.gif

Hello Justine--at your convenience, I'd like to personally invite you out for a bike ride around Ballston. I think you may find the experience from behind the handlebars educational and enjoyable. If you are interested, please email me at info@bikearlington.com.

~Tim Kelley, BikeArlington

Well said Justine. I once had a bike rider --who cut me off and forced me to slam on my brakes -- bang on my windows and threaten me to fight. I of course ignored all of it. He then precedded to run a red light at 10th St and Wilson. I debated callington Arlington PD or just wishing he got hit. It's that type of rider who gives them all a bad name.

Timmy making moves! Good luck bro.

"Every time I go out on the road, my mom is concerned but reluctantly settles with telling me to, "Be careful". It's people like you who assume that nothing will come of bullying cyclists, but end up terrorizing mothers like mine. Just like you get heated when someone insults police officers, I get upset when people disrespect the incredible danger a cyclist puts him or herself in to get to work or pursue a fitness goal."

sounds like a genetic anxiety disorder

Why do bikers wear spandex? Seems to me, if they wanted a real work, out they'd wear loose clothing for more wind resistance. Plus, they wouldn't be polluting my visual space and making me want to stab my eyes out with a rusty screwdriver.

Here's the kind of local paper blog post I'd like to see more of:

http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/04/the-bicycle-dividend/

Aim higher, Justine.

More "local paper" stories you should read
http://www.thestar.com/news/crime/article/1020450--cyclist-fractures-pedestrian-s-skull-gets-400-fine?bn=1

http://www.torontosun.com/2011/07/06/cyclists-should-need-a-licence-to-ride

cool story bro

Ah yes, the time-honored technique of sucking up to a**holes by assuring them that their thuggish tendencies are just fine with you. This little screed is way too poorly thought-out and written to be taken seriously as anything but an attempt at attention-whoring. Try taking your best girlfriend to a kissing contest at a biker bar, honey. It'll be more honest, and you'll feel less ashamed looking back on it in 10-20 years.

This is supposed to be light-hearted? When you feel the need to describe how much you HATE a group of people? Personally I didn't find it funny when someone with your attitude tried to injure or even kill me last week when I was on a bike. (No other traffic on the road at the time.) Someone from a balcony tried to nail me in the head with a bottle full of liquid. Based on how loud the impact was, it had to have been thrown from high up, perhaps 10 stories or more. Or else it was thrown from a lower floor with some speed. I guess that person felt it was OK to "hate" all cyclists too. I suppose you're getting a chuckle out of this story, unfortunately.

I see car and truck drivers try to push pedestrians out of crosswalks every day, when they have the WALK sign and are already in the crosswalk. The driver wants to turn and is too impatient to wait for 10 seconds to let the pedestrians finish crossing in the crosswalk.

Car drivers speed through red lights frequently. "Speeding up on yellow" appears to be viewed as an inherent right. Some take it further and blow through the red light.

Instead of complaining that you feel you will get mugged, you should consider whether this "hate" speech (your exact word) will cause a driver to do more than intimidate someone by revving an engine, and take the next step by assaulting a cyclist (or pedestrian) with 2500 lbs. of metal and plastic. It happens fairly often, whether you like to think that's the case or not.

Get a life. I ride to ride - to go places, and for exercise and fun. I am not holier than thou, but I have a right to ride. (And yes, it is good for the environment, even if that's not why I do it.) A cyclist held you up when he was going to slow for you? Boo-hoo. What do you do with slow drivers? Honk and tailgate?

"Get in the bike lane and stay there?" I'd prefer to do this actually, except nails and broken glass are swept there, joggers clog it up, delivery trucks park there, some lanes are crappy and can't be safely used, etc. I think you're being intellectually dishonest, but I understand your *emotion I guess. The fact is that in real life it isn't always about your convenience. You have to care about other people's safety. I don't know what else to tell you. (The law also tells you this in case you'd prefer to ignore me).

Bikes go slower than cars. Bikes have a right to use public roads, and actually contribute more toward paying for those roads (most local roads are funded through property taxes, which most cyclists pay because cyclists as a group are statistically affluent and more likely to own homes -- and then since they pose virtually no stress to the actual road itself via riding a bicycle, are actually subsidizing dirvers like you -- and in your case, you're thanking them by acting like a fool and bordering on criminal)

Get over yourself. Ranting doesn't do anyone any good -- it appeals to the lowest common denominator (which is nothing to aspire to) and alienates those different from you.

I found this this blog post through the WashCycle blog, (which did not agree with your statements) As a daily bike commuter I have some points of my own to make.

1. "self-righteous environmental snobbery" We're just trying to get somewhere, either work or otherwise. I'm sure some bikers (just like some drivers) have an 'attitude' about them, but most of just find it more convenient or enjoyable. We save money by not using the metro or using gas, it's economic sense.
2. "get in your bike lane and stay there. If there isn’t one, tough cookies" It would be impossible to get somewhere if the only means was bike lanes. Bike lanes provide a reprieve for cyclists in downtown areas with more congested traffic. They aren't supposed to be the only means of biking. A commenter mentioned a fear of 'dooring', many cyclists die every year because of doors being opened in front of cyclists. Sometimes (especially going downhill) I choose to ride in the road and not the bike lane because I'm passing a hundred cars and the chances of someone opening their door in front of me are really high.

3. Getting stuck behind slow bikers- Many cyclists are able to keep up with traffic and do so regularly (myself included). As for the cyclists that ride much slower than traffic, there are some things to consider, it is extremely unsafe to ride in a side lane with parked cars because we are no longer visible to oncoming traffic. Every biking guide emphasizes that you should not do, bikers should ride in the lane in order to be seen (and not get hit!) If you should find yourself behind a biker going slow, and they don't immediately make an attempt to let you pass, then just light tap your horn indicating you want to pass. This should work most of the time, if it doesn't there's not much you can do, as some others have commented, it is extremely dangerous to make any kind of aggressive action towards cyclists.

Yes, there are some bikers out there who are jerks, I see them weaving between cars and it isn't right. But the majority of us ride by the rules and are just trying to get to work. You shouldn't be spreading hate towards us, drivers aren't perfect either. Drivers are constantly pulling into bike lanes without looking or merging, (I got hit in a bike lane because of this) Drivers run red lights, stop in crosswalks, and harass other drivers and bikers. I think you need to adjust your attitude, you should try riding a bike in the city and you will see how difficult it is dealing with bad drivers.

"attention whoring?" "best girlfriend to a kissing contest at a biker bar?" classy logical and well thought out response. What a substantive contribution...

Justine, you know what you really really need?

A bike.

I'll be happy to take you on a ride around Ballston and the surrounding areas. You'd learn alot, and I'll bet you'd love it. Say the word.

P.S. I see Tim has already offered a ride. Time for a group ride with Justine, and anyone else who is interested.

My friend was struck and killed by a car. Please respect cyclists' lives. Regardless of your feelings toward bikers, their lives should still trump your impatience to get to your destination.

Shockingly enough, I actually don't bike around town because I would be a nuisance. I'm not good enough at bike riding to presume that I belong out and about on two wheels (disclaimer: before any more panties get any more into a wad, my previous statement was about me, only me, and everyone can just chill out about it.) That said, I would be the exact kind of biker that I find frustrating and therefore do not go out for rides around Ballston or any other large busy area.

Thank you for your generous offer.

"I actually don't bike around town because I would be a nuisance." Hmm... you don't seem to apply that kind of thinking to the activity of writing.

"I'm not good enough at bike riding to presume that I belong out and about on two wheels." Based on your self-described behavior behind the wheel, I'd wager you're "not good enough" at driving to presume that you "belong out and about" on four wheels, with two tons of metal surrounding...talk about a liability for every living creature in your vicinity.

Really, so much so patently wrong with this article it doesn't bear parsing...

See you on the road. I really do hope you behave.

But Justine, how are you going to learn anything if you don't try it? I'll bet you were one annoying driver a few years ago when you had your learner's permit, but that didn't stop you from getting behind the wheel.

So come on! We'd start riding somewhere easier and safer than Ballston.

Your post wasn't clever or new. I've heard it all before. What's shameful is how flippant you are about a matter of life and death. You think your ignorance is cute. But it's not. You're an ugly and damaged person.

I thought about responding by cut and pasting from the Virginia vehicle code and going point by point to show you how wrong you are, but you'd probably giggle and think it's all a tremendous hoot.

Cyclists help you personally in a number of ways. We reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality, subsidize car use of roads, reduce society's expenditures on healthcare and reduce the flow of money to foreign petrodictators to use trying to kill us. You might be a tad grateful for these things instead of blaming us for rudeness, by your account, from a lady in an airport in California and by a motorcyclist.

In truth, most of us don't ride for those reasons. We do it because it's the most fun, cheapest and healthiest way to get around town (and often the fastest). If you'd take Tim up on his offer, you'd find that out for yourself.

It's always good to supplement our impressions with actual data--to see if they are valid. So I recommend the following.
Justine,
- Put a stopwatch in your car.
- Next time you are delayed behind a cyclist, click on the stopwatch
- Stop it once you pass.
- Keep track for a month.
- Take the total time and divide by 2 (since you're going about 1/2 as fast--not zero)
- Let us all know how much time you lost during that month

I'd be very interested in the results. Others on this comment chain are encouraged to do the same and let us know how much time the cyclists cost you. Thanks.

I thought this was very juvenile and snobbish. There are just as many a@#hole bikers as there are a@#hole drivers. Bikers are the vulnerable ones, not the drivers. If you don't ride (which based on your post, that's abundantly clear) you will never understand what it's like. I make an occasional mistake at times when I ride (I'm human) and cars do too. Except the burden of safety is MORE on the cars than the riders because of the potential damages inflicted. It's not like any rider (that I know) is thinking to himself, "Man, I'd really like to gridlock traffic and piss off the vehicles". Stop being so dramatic. Some people can't afford a car and they bike. Talk about being righteous (you decry the people actually trying to make a positive impact like green movement folks, then tell the bikers tough luck if there's no lane?!) Sounds like you're pretty righteous and snobbish yourself.

If you don't believe the science behind the green movement, that's fine. Why judge those who do? No one's looking to you as some sage for scientific data, hate to break it to ya.

My suggestion is to stop being so uptight. Are you that unhappy that BICYCLISTS prompt you to post something this angry? I mean this is DC after all, aren't there bigger fish to fry...

Hi everyone. Thank you for your comments. I do feel it's important to remind you all that this is a blog post and is purely the author's opinion. It does not reflect the opinions of Ballston Patch or Patch as a whole. You all are invited to continue sharing your opinions here, but please keep doing so in a respectful manner.

Please don't endanger someone's life because you dislike them.

Ironic, Ms. Whelan, that you would prefer to have all cyclists in that little section of Northern Virginia driving cars instead of riding bikes, given the parking scarcity from Balston to Rosslyn (and, indeed, in most cities and the surrounding suburbs). And you somehow managed to completely avoid discussing the fact that Arlingtion strongly encourages bicycling as a means of transportation and has been (and continues to be) lauded for its progressiveness to that end. Apparently, you really don't know the area well...why are you writing for this blog?

BTW, most motorists also fail to respect right-of-way pedestrians in that area. Perhaps you'd like to share your views on those pesky people who cross the sidestreets while you're in a hurry to make your right turn.

And Abby, I'm going to take your disclaimer about the views expressed by your bloggers as a good sign; one suggesting you don't think it's responsible to encourage contempt for people who are often in a physically vulnerable environment and who are harming no one. I certainly wouldn't suggest censorship; in fact, this kind of vapid, facile, intellectually lazy rant generally tends to highlight the ignorance and ethical shortcomings of the author quite nicely, as it did (and continues to do) here. But I do advocate distancing yourself and your site from these pointlessly hateful opinions and their ilk as you just did.

What strikes me about this is the writer's choice of being direct. I know some see the word "hate" and assume evil by the person who uses it. I "hate" when I smash my thumb with a hammer. Dislike is too soft a word to descibe that feeling, in my opinion. (I am assuming everyione can have their own opinion) What I thought was great about the blog post was that both sides of the issue got very defensive about their position on bike riders. Isn't diversity the acceptance of others view points? Aren't all of us Arlingtonians proponents of diversity? As to the comments of those cyclists killed by cars, that is a tragic event and the driver should be prosecuted if culpable. I know also that their are drivers out there who live with the torment and guilt of having killed bicyclists, and pedestrians because of the negligence or recklessness of the bicyclist or pedestrian. Great work by the writer on igniting a spirited debate. I think both sides can reflect a little and maybe some good comes of this.

You do care if people believe you otherwise you wouldn't have posted it.

If you father posted your previous post, I have no confidence in your ability to develop any kind of empathy for other people in the world.

You don't have a chance. You're young and inexperienced -- playing with a computer and without any idea how your actions affect other peoples' lives.

Really Cricket? "You don't have a chance"? I do believe you and others are over reacting. It's just a blog... an outlet for writing. Just like your comment. If you stop and think for a moment, your post/comment, as well as others, actually take it a step further to the realm of personal. Shame on all of you.

This is "Ballston" and hopefully I don't get shot? You live in Arlington, honey. You're not going to get shot walking down your little manufactured pretty-paved sidewalk that goes straight from the metro to the front door of your high rise building. And now that MY "poor life choice" sensor busted for the morning...
Biking is just a method of transportation like anything else. The bottom line is, too many commuters in general (bikers, drivers, peds) ignore the law. Some cyclists break the law, and yes, that is irritating. But what about the people who blow through a crosswalk texting and completely disregard the DO NOT WALK SIGN? (Im sure you're one of them, because based off this rant you clearly assume that you have the right of way no matter what you're doing)
I ride my bike to work every day downtown, and for the most part, cyclists obey the law. And we just ask that drivers do the same. It's not easy to navigate a traffic circle, travel down a street with no bike lanes, or attempt not to get car-doored, on a daily basis. I would argue that bikers pay MORE attention to the road then most drivers do, you have to, or you'll get killed. Intentionally trying to intimidate someone by revving your engine is wrong - and just makes you look incredibly immature and uninformed by putting it out there. I don't know if you know this, but Arlington is TRYING to get more people to bike to work...maybe you should give it a try before posting again on this topic.

Let's perform a thought experiment:

If someone were to write an article about how teenaged women are shrill, irritating, and self-absorbed, and that if they open their mouths in public, someone should put their fist in it, no one would have any problem seeing how disgusting and contemptible that author is. We wouldn't give them a pass if they claimed they were just being "humorous".

You know who I hate? Homeless people! They should be beaten to death with sticks!

JUST KIDDING! What, you can't take a joke?

There are some sh!tty little hate-filled screeds that should be kept to oneself. If you put them out there--if you expose yourself as a hate-filled egocentrist--expect all the scorn and contempt you deserve--certainly not "respect". That's what living in civilized society means. You're entitled to your opinion; decent folks are entitled to judge you for making it public.

Justine,
Obviously, you're too young to really provide a valuable comment. You'll grow up one of these days unless you get run over by a person who thinks just like you. Yes, cyclists, do bother me too, when they don't ride properly, so do pedestrians, and more often than not, the drivers of cars, who drive unsafely and without courtesy. I'm a cyclist, one who has been hit by a car, not driven by a young driver but an old lady who thought she could pass me when I was riding close to the curb. She sideswiped me and I went tumbling down the sidewalk and on the grass. Luckily, I wasn't hurt badly. That happened after about a year of commuting, experience. Since then, I dictate how drivers should deal with me. I take the whole road when I feel it's unsafe to pass. I give way when I think I'm obstructing traffic. I move through red lights because it's safe to proceed and I don't want to hold up traffic. I thank drivers who give me way when they don't have to, because they are courteous and safe. I give way to traffic, I try not to hold things up. The air is cleaner because I ride, traffic is reduced by one car, I feel better and am fit. I may be the guy you would like to date, but if you're not fit, you can forget it. Next time, think before you speak. It's not about cars or bikes owning the road or pedestrians. It's about educating all of them to work together and keep it safe and keep traffic moving.

Justine, this is from your bio...
"sharing my sometimes hilarious encounters with the species population, and making sure that I spread the love for this wonderful not-really-a-city city of Arlington :)"

Thank you all for your comments on Justine's blog post. She has written a response to all of these comments here: http://patch.com/B-ljh .

I think someone posted this during their shark week.

Justine,
As a biker and driver, I'm really appalled by your blog post. A few years ago I was hit dragged and thrown head first into a curb by a car that was not paying attention at a circle - I had the right of way in the form of a green light - they did not. I received 23 stitches, a massive concussion and was hospitalized. Time and time again I encounter angry drivers that purposely try to cut me off, speed up to cut me off, have had things thrown at me - you name it. I could have died for christ's sake so please be careful with your aggression towards bikers. As a matter of fact, I've had one friend who did die on a bike and several others put in the hospital with life threatening injuries that required long term hospital care due. One of whom was purposely plowed down by a driver who claimed practically an identical argument to her - that bikers annoyed her. We have enough problems in this world - take a deep breath and respect your surroundings.

This is a pretty sad attitude to have about the way someone decides to get around town. After I graduated from college I moved to Arlington and found that a car in the Orange-line-hood was pretty silly. There's limited parking and forced restrictions on streets by high income families that9 don't want vehicles crowding neighborhoods. On weekends, the kids from the outer exurbs come in to drink, park, and drive sloppily around Kirkwood, trying to get onto 66 West.

I don't care if you decide to drive, I'd rather not spend money to make my butt expand. But I follow the traffic rules as best as I can, despite motorists who cut off cyclists and pedestrians, talking on their cell phones regularly. In fact the only accident I got into was a motorist, on a non-hands-free cell phone, who rammed into me at a neighborhood intersection on 9th and N. Barton. That person sped off, leaving me in a heap on some family's front yard.

All of us need to work together to limit injuries and be aware of our neighbors

Y'all take yourselves very seriously. The bottom line is:

1. Justine if you really believe most of what you wrote above, I feel sorry for you. Good for you for driving a manual transmission though!
2. Both sides of the argument seem to depend way too much on gross generalizations. I cycle everyday. In my street clothes. I see as many stupid moves from cyclists as I do from motorists. And good operators of both vehicles will occasionally make mistakes.
3. The rancor that is expressed from both sides is really counterproductive. It's a fact of life that we'll be sharing the road. Rather than get pissy at one another, how about helping correct the bad behavior in a constructive way?

One more thing...Cyclists Rule! Motorists Drool!

I cycle around my NoVA community for many trips and errands, I am an engineer working on bicycling facility design so that there are safer facilities for users of all ages and abilities, and I am one of the organizers of a national effort to enable more women to ride bikes in our communities. I too would like to invite Justine and the Patch editor to meet some of us professionals who work on these issues in the field so that we can explain the design aspects of Justine's commentary as well as discuss the responsibilities of the various road users. I might change hats from that of a professional to that of a bicyclist, a Mom and a parent to explain the particular aspects of the commentary that were most worrisome and threatening for vulnerable users of the public roads. Please contact me at FinnBike@gmail.com

Well said!. You know what else irks me? People who insist on driving manual transmission vehicles!. They are so self righteous with their "stick shifts get so much better mileage than automatics." First of all, it's not the whole truth. Secondly, If I want to support the economies of America's enemies by depending on their oil exports, that is my right! In fact it is every American's right and duty to support terrorism, pollute the environment, jeopardize the safety of others, and become obese. That goes for you too bike riders!

Secondly, Automatic Transmission Vehicles > Manual Transmission Vehicles. I am SO sick of when some MT Head (See what I did there. Say it to yourself out loud "M T Head") stops at the top of a hill and then has to roll back 20 feet in order to get the car back in gear and moving forward again. How do I handle the situation? I stop an inch from the bumper of that vehicle and when they hit me, I claim whiplash and sue the sheet out of them..

So as you can see, it's all relative. One person's passion is another's pet peeve. It's just that most of us have the good sense to recognize we're being close minded and irrational and keep it to ourselves.

It's a little bit interesting that all this should come up shortly after this other whole situation erupted:

http://gretachristina.typepad.com/greta_christinas_weblog/2011/07/why-we-have-to-talk-about-this.html

Must be the zeitgeist.

This post (and the long stream of offended bikers) cracked me up. Around here (about 2 hours south of NOVA, people run over bikers who act like asshats. I don't personally do this or condone it, but it does happen. You don't piss off a hick with "Git R Dun" emblazoned on his truck.

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Ms Whelan: Keep your personal liability insurance up to date, and buy the highest limits possible. It sounds like you'll need it.

This "assault" thing is just crazy. I don't care what kind of logical contortions you force yourself to do, you are not being assaulted when a 19-year-old woman revs her engine. Grow up. This is a semi-urban area. People rev their engines all the time. At other drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. It is NOT a big deal. Stop being so hysterical. I sometimes encounter cars that rev their engines at me or honk at me when I'm legally crossing the street at a crosswalk as the pedestrian. These drivers do not have the right of way. They are obnoxious and wrong. However, I'm not going to scream "assault". I'm not going to lobby the Virginia legislature to pass a law classifying this as assault. I'm a grown man not an immature baby. I realize that state legislators and law enforcement officers both have better things to do with their time. I ignore the jerks and continue to cross the street. That's the grown-up thing to do.

Things I've seen in these comment threads:
-Justine is a domestic terrorist for writing this column.
-Criticism of bicyclists is analogous to racist criticism of African Americans and is just as bad.
-An unpaid 19-year-old blogger on Patch should be held to the same literary standards as a professional journalist or writer.
-Revving one's engine constiutes assault.

The amazing thing is that you all seem completely oblivious to how stupid this all sounds. This is one of the most egregious and silly overreactions to any column I have seen in my years of reading stuff on the internet. You are bikers. You use a bike to get around town. Nothing more, nothing less. You are not being persecuted, you are not taking your life into your hands to fight for individual freedom and liberty, you are not making a bold political statement, you are not infalliable.

Get out of your biker echo chamber for a while and join the real world. It may help you get some perspective on why you are impossible to take seriously.

It's called "perspective", not logic. Carl has his, which is only that of a driver and pedestrian. To translate that to a cyclist requires an assumption, which may or may not be warranted. The cyclists here seem to think is isn't.

As a biker I'm often caught between two bad choices - ride on a narrow or potholed path/sidewalk with pedestrians - or ride on a road with no shoulder/bike lane and lots of cars. If I am riding with my kids or commuting on my commuter bike on a leisurely ride I'll choose the path/sidewalk, but it's always an adventure dodging pedestrians that don't look around or respond to my yells or bell as we approach. If I'm riding my road bike and training I'll usually choose the road because I'm going too fast for the path. In that case the adventure is not getting doored, getting cut off, getting hassled, running into a vehicle parked in the bike lane, avoiding potholes or even finding a way to move forward without getting in the way of traffic, but it's not always possible. Sometimes I just have to merge with traffic and go as close to the speed limit as I can.

To summarize, pedestrians always have paths and sidewalks, cars always have the road. Bikers on the other hand can and often end up in a situation where there is no good choice.

So maybe my appeal might be that all three groups should just be a little conscious and considerate of the others. We have three groups (drivers, bikers, pedestrians), but usually only one or two ways to travel (road or path) so we're going to have to share sometimes. All three groups paid the taxes that built the roads and the paths.