Don't be a jerk

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 It's illegal to bike on the sidewalk in the downtown central business district.

An actual email exchange from my wife this morning:

Her: Cycle etiquette question:

Probably not cool for a superbiker with a brooks saddle to whiz by me (within inches) at top speed without dinging or saying 'on your left' ON THE SIDEWALK of 20th street, right?  This is what gives y'all a bad name, right?  Shouldn't you do some kind of PSA?  He was definitely riding faster than the traffic on the street, so I don't know why he was on the sidewalk.

Me: That's no only poor etiquette. It's also illegal. You're allowed under the "law of the sidewalk" to punch him in the head. 

Her: He was gone too fast.

Me: Asshole

Since the blog has such a wide reach (hi mom!), here's my PSA. While I'm not the biggest fans of so-called laws (WHERE'S THE BIRTH CERTIFICATE?), I am a big fan of convivencia.  Don't do stupid shit like this. It only serves to alienate pedestrians, with whom we share a lot of common interests. I don't think that one person's bad behavior should be used to tar an entire group. In the LSAT test prep business, that's called a part-whole comparison flaw. But I also don't think that any one person should exhibit such blatantly stupid behavior! If you ride downtown, ride in the street. It's your right and, I guess, obligation. Be courteous to those around you because they deserve it. They're just people trying to get around, too. And if you act like a dick and get punched in the head, well, it's the law of the sidewalk.