You seem to be assuming that cyclists always obey the rules of the road. I wish I was in a position to have a conversation with the one who recently pulled out from between parked cars at night without lights, causing me to brake and swerve (otherwise I may have killed him) resulting in knocking my car mirror of against another car. The cyclist was oblivious, leaving me to pick up the pieces. I live near a university and it happens all too often.
No I don't assume that all, in fact I regularly and deliberately do it myself at a stop sign just metres from my home. Why, because one to many hard stops by people driving motor vehicles behind me who have no intention of stopping and suddenly realise I am. I have learnt that my life is far more valuable than earning their respect so I now roll up to the stop sign if a motor vehicle is coming up behind me or more typically tailgating (not only illegal but damn dangerous but hey that is okay right, because I need to earn their respect by obeying the law) me here and if it is safe to proceed I roll through or if not I brace myself. Nice don't you think and all because I haven't gained some random vehicle operator's respect.
On that basis I guess I fail the "respect test" and I guess all people riding bikes must do so now because of me so I apologise to them all for that but I don't want or care about the respect of others driving motor vehicles for me personally. Being injured does not justify it. Thankfully, but when I get in the car and drive all is good again
All that said I am curious as to how I am to earn the respect of the 200 to 500 people for example driving motor vehicles who pass me when I am commuting to or from work, besides of course stopping at that stop sign. Should I ask them if that ticked the box?
Please also do tell how I am meant to know if I have succeed and for that matter all other persons riding bicycles including children of course and if I haven't how am I mean to correct that and do all of that in a few fleeting seconds as they pass.
Do I fail because I didn't stop at the sign some hours ago (I only go through that stop sign on the way home)? Do I fail because I stopped at the red lights? Do I fail because another random person riding a bicycle somewhere didn't stop at a red light? Do I get respect if I was riding my bicycle safely and in accordance with the law? If the latter is true can you please
explain this driving then by a truck driver ... is it because I hadn't gained his respect first? Should I have stopped at the lights we "met" at earlier on and asked for it? Actually I probably should have begged for it given what happened minutes later down the road. Just for the record I was 100% in compliance with the state road rules ... not an ounce of law breaking ...
Unlike your bicycle rider, I doubt I would have lived had that truck hit me. Where is the respect for me, my children, my sister, my partner?
In closing I struggle to understand your thinking which I see so often when we have such a high death rate, such a high injury rate on our roads. Are cyclists to blame for all this? Is it because they haven't earned the respect of people not driving motor vehicles? If not, why is there an expectation that they must earn this respect of those doing the majority of the killing and injuring. Shouldn't it be around the other way around if "obeying the law" is so critical?
I agree but that
all road users should obey the law, and
use the roads in a safe and considerate manner with the
well being of all road users in mind.
Cheers
Andrew