Cycling and the Law

I used to cycle a lot and like it. I hope that I never treated my cycle as an extension of my i-pod, in the sense that I thought I could do anything I wanted and create my own little world with its own rules. I did not want to break any rule I wanted with my bike, nor to cycle on the pavement and intimidate people simply because it was my personal transport and I didn't have to care about anyone else.

There were times when I got deeply annoyed with aggressive or just ignorant drivers, and others where I needed to be aggressive just to stay alive. Manners mattered to me on the road, though.

So I was interested to read this sad story from Neil Clark, about a cyclist who killed a pedestrian and walked away with a fine.

I was also intrigued by a story from Andrew Sullivan, in which he quotes some writing he admires that upholds cyclists breaking any law they want since it shouldn't apply to them.

Sullivan--whose writing I like, generally--then goes on to complain that the only place he was ever pursued and stopped for this sort of thing was Germany.

I have to say it; I could easily love the Federal Republic of Germany. Angela Merkel is excellent, sensible, and serious; the laws work; the place functions. Cyclists on the pavement are properly admonished by polizei, and not toytown community support officers with only half the DC comics utility belt.

If only modern, democratic Germany could incorporate the best bits of Belgium somehow, as well, I'd be over there like a shot. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm. Where was that book of mine on the Great War? This all reminds me of something....