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Another cyclist lost his life on Louisville's streets. Lancing Livesay reportedly turned to avoid a parked car and struck or was struck by the mirror of a moving truck. Like the death of every cyclist, the tragedy of loss is soured by questions. The question is usually "was he wearing a helmet?" Behind the question is a blaming - a blaming not unlike the blaming of a rape victim. The implication is that she had it coming. At least we don't ask if she was wearing steel underwear.

In Lance's case the blaming concerns "weaving". Witnesses say Lance was "weaving through traffic". I wasn't there. I don't know how Lance rode. I do know the road from the saddle of a bike does not look the same as it does from behind the wheel or from the sidewalk. What is viewed as weaving by one is simply the successful negotiating of street-hazards for another. Consider the cyclist riding in the far right-hand lane of a four-lane road. He changes lanes to dodge a huge pothole. A few feet down the road he returns to the right-hand lane to let faster vehicles pass on his left. Then he changes lanes to pass a parked car. He changes again to avoid broken glass, again to allow a pedestrian to successfully cross the road, yet again to avoid bike-wheel-destruction by an inch-thick metal utility plate, and then squeezes past a stopped car belching blue smoke at a red light. To a non-cyclist, this behavior looks like weaving. To a cyclist, this behavior is the only way to successfully negotiate the hazards of the road.

Was Lance weaving? I don't know. I do mourn his death. And I do know motorized vehicles move at deadly speeds on our streets. Please, slow down, scoot over.

Jackie Green J@bikecourier.org

Contact the writer at j@bikecourier.org