CYCLIST: Driver disobeyed law

This letter is to the JERK in the blue car on N. Meyer Road, Saturday morning (March 30) — keep reading, you’ll recognize yourself in a moment.

I was riding a recumbent trike. I had been passed — safely — by many vehicles before you arrived on the scene. You “squeezed” by me close enough that I could have touched your car. And you elevated your “jerk-ness” by honking your horn right in my ear.

You scared the crap out of me — nearly caused me to crash into the ditch. I could have been seriously injured. Maybe killed.

Here’s the thing — you are required by Idaho law to treat cyclists as you would other slow-moving vehicles (farm tractors, for instance). You did not.

You probably justified your actions to yourself — and your buddies — by stating that I wasn’t supposed to be there. You would be wrong. When the shoulder is unacceptable for riding, and the lane is too narrow for both cyclist and motor vehicle, the cyclist is supposed to ride IN THE LANE.

And motor vehicles are required to pass them as they would any other road user.

No — a “share-the-road” sign is not required for this to be true. Please, look it up.

Signed — a cyclist.

KEN BENSON

Rathdrum