He didn't do much.  The wool-jersey and tights-clad bicyclist just sat upright, turned to us, nodded, and in a genuinely serious and welcoming tone said, "Hello cyclists!"  Then he got back down onto his drop bars and kept going.  He hardly slowed down.

The kids, thirty 5th grade bike safety students stopped at a stop sign on a drizzly morning in Tigard, were overjoyed.  Something big had just happened.  They had just been acknowledged and shown respect not as cute little 5th graders but as cyclists.  In the way he delivered his two words, he somehow made it clear to them that they were now part of a larger community and that as fellow responsible road users, they deserved respect.  I don't think I'm overstating how powerful this moment was for many of my students.

I remember the first time I encountered a bike safety education class.  I was riding up SE Umatilla in Sellwood and was suddenly faced with a wall of yellow-pinnied kiddos and was so impressed by the scene that I rang my bell, waved, and blew a stop sign.  Two out of three ain't bad, but the kids definitely noticed my scofflawry and I was pretty embarrassed.  Now that I've taught a few of these bike safety classes, I know exactly what was going through that class instructor's head, "Stop at the sign.  PLEASE stop at the sign!"  Cyclists are quick to figure out that we're teaching bike safety, but slow to recognize that they should be on their best behavior.

The next time you see a bike safety class, brush up on your signaling, make a point of obeying all signs, and, if you really want to make some kids' day, greet them as fellow cyclists.

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.