It's just one of those days

... when we're fed up with the way bicyclists are treated in the traffic. Actually it's not that hard:

1. Plan for and build new, nice, safe bicycle lanes. That way bicyclists won't ride their bicycles on the sidewalks or in the car lanes.

2. Make it clear that these lanes are for bicycles and not for skateboarders, parents with prams or buggies, people in wheelchairs or pedestrians. The reason that we bicyclists don't want you non-bicyclists on the bicycle lanes is not that we are stingy, greedy people. The reason is that a bicyclist can reach speeds of 20, 30 or even 40 km/h. It might not necessarily be good to ride that fast in a city, but it's a fact. Imagine, for example, that you are a parent and you have an important meeting in the morning. No matter how carefully you plan the day and that there was plenty of time when you started your morning, children have an ability to rip plans to shreds. So you have finally managed to leave your child at the kindergarten and now you are running late for that meeting... It happens to bicyclists, it happens to motorists and it happens to pedestrians and people who ride buses, trams and trains.

Have you hit or been hit by something weighing 40 kilos or more, at 40 km/h? We have. It hurts. It hurts both the person hitting, and the person being hit. And it hurts a lot. And that's why we bicyclists don't want you non-bicyclists on the bicycle lanes. It's dangerous for both you and us.

3. Don't park your cars or put your stuff (not even "temporarily") on the bicycle lanes.It's not as dangerous as someone staggering out on the bicycle lanes, but it makes us really annoyed. Imagine how you would react if we would block the car lane or the entire sidewalk. You get it, right?

4. Turn that frown upside down. No, seriously, doing all this won't make all problems disappear. There will be problems and conflicts, we're only human. We all have bad days. We all get stressed, scared and angry. And there are bicyclists who behave like assholes. But if we all try to be nice and polite, help each other and show consideration it would be so much nicer. Then it will be better.

If you understand Swedish we highly recommend this blog.

(We didn't make this cartoon, so thanks in advance and respect to the artist Johnny Helms and to http://www.thefootdown.com/blog, where we found the image.)

Ride safe