Necessity or Culture?

The debate over bicyclist behaviors/responsibilities/philosophies while out on the road continues (see Unofficial Guide's latest post on this topic). While there are clearly pros, cons, and good points made by both sides of this debate, I wonder how much of this debate is driven, not so much by actual cycling experience and needs, but by local cultural pressures.

In my own experience, I have only ever been scolded for not following all car traffic laws in smaller communities like Boulder. Here, the general atmosphere regarding cycling is definitely one in which cyclists are entitled to rights only through strict obedience to all traffic laws. This general attitude leads to a hyper-awareness and sensitivity to how well a cyclist does or does not obey these regulations, thus creating a scenario in which car drivers and even other cyclists feel that scolding a cyclist for running a red light or rolling through a stop sign is appropriate.

What is interesting is that this attitude and general atmosphere seems to really exist only in smaller communities, while in larger cities, people just travel without really stressing the ways other people are traveling. Pedaling in Denver is an entirely different story than pedaling in Boulder – as long as you don't crash into anybody or anything, people seem content to let cyclists ride, and no one scolds a biker for running through a red light. This trend holds even more true when we look at larger cities. Recently, I was in Chicago, and every traveler, whether pedestrian, taxi cab, automobilist, or cyclist, just did whatever was the quickest and most efficient, and as long as nobody did anything stupid or dangerous, there were no problems. Obviously, conflicts still arise and accidents still occur, especially when one group of travelers (in particular, car drivers) are inattentive, but as long as all parties are smart about what they're doing, nobody seemed to care enough about the principle of bike laws enough to scold and argue with a cyclist over an impractical and inefficient law, such as waiting at an empty red light for it to turn green.

In comparing these two cycling settings, what must be called into question is why there are such differing attitudes, and actions; why in some places, cyclists are scolded for not following all traffic rules even if they are still being safe and practical, and other places they are not. While proponents of the approach that requires all cyclists to follow all car traffic laws would maintain that it is necessary for safe, efficient, and cooperative traveling and road usage, the experiences of cyclists in large cities seem to prove this to be inaccurate. If it is possible for cyclists to travel in a safe and practical way while not necessarily being compelled to follow each and every road regulation (especially when they require impractical or inefficient actions on the part of cyclists), then perhaps they should be allowed to do so, and in the end, perhaps the trend of pressuring or scolding cyclists is one driven more by specific cultural attitudes rather than actual cycling needs or safety.