A response to “Bicyclists should stay off roads.”

Last week I was biking back from class on the roads, same as I usually do.

I managed to get back to my apartment without inconveniencing any pickup trucks, but just as I came off the street and onto the short stretch of sidewalk leading up to my apartment, I passed a college-aged male who thought it would be helpful to yell, “Get off the sidewalk!” at me. I didn’t feel like responding or making a big deal out of something small, as I had just finished class and was in a fairly good mood.

Then, just yesterday, I observed a gentleman in a black Ford F-150 yell at two bicyclists to get out of the road while they were waiting patiently in front of him at a red light. The bikers moved to the corner of the sidewalk, the truck took a right on red and went speeding off.

I have no idea if that was Mr. Rees driving the truck, but he could have very well been.

The fact that Mr. Rees chooses to drive a three-ton truck does not excuse him from safe driving. The collision that he carefully outlined in his letter misses the point.

He gives a scenario where a 6,400-pound truck collides with a stationary bicycle. Who says it has to be a bicycle that’s the one getting struck standing still? Why not a motorcycle? Or what if I were to replace his truck with a fully loaded 90,000-pound semi, and the bicycle with his truck?

I’m no safety expert, but I don’t know what kind of truck is made to withstand 3,450 kJ of energy — the same as being struck by a 3,000-pound car, moving at 160 mph.

To respond to Mr. Rees’ argument of legislation, bicyclists do have a right to be on the roads. The city of Ames has a very detailed website that addresses bicycle use in Ames. According to the website, “Under Iowa law, both bicyclists and motorists must comply with the same rules of the road and be afforded the same rights.” I’ve spoken with the Department of Public Safety on this matter and they have specifically said that bikes are to stay off of sidewalks at all times.

I would be happy to stay off the roads — as most drivers in Iowa are simply not used to seeing a bicycle on the roads — but until there are designated bike paths, not the shared kind that are crowded with pedestrians, I will continue to exercise my right to the road. I just hope Mr. Rees is able to share it.

John Eaton is a sophomore in pre-business.