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The original was posted on /r/Boise by /u/Training-Common1984 on 2024-09-12 00:48:59+00:00.

Hey everybody!

I commute by bicycle quite often through the spring, summer, and fall. I have the privilege to be able to drive or get a ride when the weather is not so nice.

Lately, when biking through the northend especially, I’ve been seeing a trend of cars stopping and yielding to cyclists at stop signs. (That is, I or another cyclist will be stopped at a stop sign waiting to cross 15th, and cars travelling down 15th will stop and wait, even though they have right-of-way.)

DON’T DO THIS. Cyclists are not pedestrians - we are vehicles! There are a few slightly different traffic laws, but for the most part, you should treat a cyclist the same way you would treat another motorist. The only exceptions would be children riding on the sidewalk, or if a cyclist dismounts to use the crosswalk. Otherwise, as a cyclist, I don’t want you to yield when you have right of way. And when driving, I treat cyclists as other vehicles. Obviously I am going to do my due diligence to avoid a collision (and I feel that motorists should have a higher burden of care, as cars are 2-ton death machines), but I’m also not going to slam on the brakes for cyclists stopped at stop signs.

I appreciate that you are keeping an eye out for us and that you are trying to be considerate. However, this is a hazard for multiple reasons. Don’t be nice - be predictable. I don’t know if traffic going the other way will stop or not. I don’t know if the vehicle behind you will notice that you’ve stopped unpredictability and rear end you. But, since you are now waiting and holding up traffic, I feel like I need to cross as quickly as possible.

Seriously, I am content to wait on my bike at the stop sign until it is safe. Just like when I drive!