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Annoyed by cyclists riding on sidewalks? Make sure you’re angry at the right people.

An acquaintance of mine asked this on social media: “Am I the asshole for using my dog’s leash to block a cyclist who was riding on the sidewalk?”

In my opinion, yes. Yes you are.

You’re “TA” for a number of reasons, ranging from Karen-esque policing of citizen behaviour, to escalating a basic nuisance into a safety hazard, and so on.

But ultimately, she was “TA” for blaming the cyclist personally for this breakdown of urban infrastructure.

Cyclists are the only road-users who are routinely asked to change their mode of transportation on-demand: “Cyclists Must Dismount.”

Have you ever seen a sign that says: “Drivers Must Push Their Cars” or “Pedestrians Must Ride Skateboards?”

I’m being facetious here, but the point remains. Cities create transportation corridors that force cyclists to make decisions between riding in areas that threaten their lives (traffic) or riding in areas that threaten their social standing (sidewalks).

Obviously, cyclists are going to choose the latter.

“Why can’t they just get off and push? Is that too much to ask?”

It can be. Pushing a bike is awkward and slow. Plus, cyclists occupy twice as much lateral space while doing so—making it even more awkward to manoeuvre around pedestrians.

Add a heavy cargo bike, or a bike with kids on the back? It’s brutal.

And sometimes, these unsafe corridors last for several blocks. This means cyclists are not simply being asked to push their steeds a few paces, but for five to 10 minutes or more.

It’s not equitable.

“It’s not safe for cyclists to ride on the sidewalk!”

Somehow, we’ve convinced ourselves that pedestrian-cyclist crashes have us all in mortal danger. There’s just no evidence of that.

In the city that I live, about seven cyclists per year are killed by cars and about 18 pedestrians. And pedestrians killed by cyclists?

Zero. Not per year. Just zero, forever.

Cyclists are aware of the way they’re perceived when they ride on the sidewalk. Few are happy to do so. Most are trying their best not to crash into anyone.

But all have been left with an inequitable choice forced upon them by poor urban planning.

So next time you see a cyclist on the sidewalk. Get mad! Get annoyed! Take action.

Just direct it to toward the city, not the cyclist.