By Jim Fisher

I’ve talked before about how the local governments have tried to kill me while riding my motorcycle.

I don’t know what they have against two wheeled vehicles but:  I was downtown Bloomington a little while ago I parked on Front Street and noticed  these stripes painted on the street they were on the right side of the traffic lane but left of the on-street parking spaces. The lanes were very narrow about the width of a side walk or should I say about the width of an open car door. Now, I thought, that’s interesting, we have created a space for cars driving on the street to be aware and keep their distance from a parked car with its passenger safely opening the door to be able to exit without fear of being hit by traffic passing by. But then I noticed the picture of a bicycle painted on the narrow lane between car traffic and parked automobiles. A bike lane.

Then there was a bicyclist dressed to the max for riding his obviously built for speed bicycle within that lane painted with a bicycle, Head down pumping those peddles. I cringed as I watched him peddling away from me. What if someone in one of those parked cars opened their door? Bam! That would be worse than the scenario I mentioned before when a car hits an opening door. The bicycle would not have the weight of a car that would rip the door off and leave the passenger sitting in the driver seat. No! The bicycle quite probably would deflect into the car injuring the rider and the driver.  Or even worse, what if the cyclist swerves to miss the car door right into the path of a passing automobile.  I have actually seen the results of both these scenarios in real life.  You will never, I mean never, see me riding a bicycle in a bike lane. Or shall I say suicide lane. In fact I will avoid going down town Bloomington with my car because I cannot comprehend the feeling I would have if that cyclist cut in front of me while trying to avoid an opening car door.

Jim Fisher has lived on a small farm outside of Hudson for 30 years. Jim has been married to Jayne for 36 years. Together they have raised two daughters.  (no grandchildren). Jim has served on the Unit Five Board of Education. Jim works with the McLean County Tea Party.

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