I heard something I wasn’t sure if I agreed with the other day. A fellow passenger who shall remain nameless to protect his/her identity said, “I don’t feel sorry for any bicyclists who are run over. They should all get hit.”

Although I did find the statement truthfully a bit harsh, I understand the thinking behind the speaker’s statement.

Bicyclists often rule the road in Seattle and other places in the northwest. They ride on the sidewalk, crosswalks, the middle of the road, and refuse to follow any rules about bicycle-riding. Half-pedestrian, half-bike riders—there must be a mythical creature drawn somewhere to represent them—bicyclists have become a menace to society. (Don’t even get me started about the horrible coke-snorting, vegan-donut-eating, bicycle-riding contingent that is running rampant in the Pacific Northwest…)

Regular bicyclists are bad enough. Bicyclists are loathe to get over on the side of road when cars, trucks, and buses drive past, even when there is a likelihood they might get hit. The thought of sharing the road with traffic doesn’t seem to bother most road bicyclists as long as it understood that bicyclists have the right-of-way all of the time. Bicyclists, of course, don’t really have the right-of-way all of the time yet, but might

Oh, I know there are those who feel that bicyclists are the best because bicyclists don’t use any gas and are in good shape. And I also know that many find bicycling a pleasurable sport. Plus, bicycles don’t hurt the road as much as trucks and SUVs do.

But that doesn’t mean that I have to love bicyclists, bicycles, or that bicyclists should be allowed to own the road. There are cars, pedestrians, ducks, and the occasional chicken to consider as well. When the bicyclists who are faster ride in the car lanes like they are supposed to, they are still a menace to society because they usually don’t ride fast enough for the busier streets or they manically weave in and out of traffic with little regard for the other vehicles around them.

Maybe in the distant future, when there are cars flying around like the on the Jetsons, there will be more room for bicycles, ducks, and chickens to fight over the streets.

But until that actually happens, let’s hope that the bicyclists try to keep to bike lanes and bike paths and avoid sharing the sidewalks, roads, and crosswalks with the rest of us.