Cyclists Seek Rights Yet Ignore Laws

To all of you bicycle aficionados who advocate more bike trails and “rights” for bike riders, please be aware of one of the reasons why people like me don’t hop on your “bicycle wagon.”

Driving down Pacific Coast Highway on (a recent) Sunday at 8 a.m., I counted the groups of bicycle riders through Newport Beach, Corona del Mar and finally Laguna Beach (I did not include single riders). And of the six groups riding on Pacific Coast Highway only one group was riding single file.

The rest of them were spread out two or three abreast, making no attempt to move over to single file. In fact, two of the groups actually took up the entire right-hand lane of PCH and were totally oblivious to traffic going by. Yes, I did wonder where a police patrol was because, according to the last time I looked, there is a law about riding single file on a public street.

Living on the Balboa Peninsula and driving on Balboa Boulevard, I have found usually that if you do toot your horn or roll down the window and nicely suggest that single file is in order, particularly on the narrow boulevard, one can expect a dirty look (or word), a sneer or a finger indicating it is none of your business.

May I suggest that a safety-first campaign is in order for all bicycle riders if they truly want their riding place in Southern California. And we need some police patrols to tighten up on those who feel they have the right of way no matter what!

DAYNA PETTIT, Balboa Peninsula