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Q: Why do Bicycle Riders Keep to the Left When Riding Against Traffic?
I've started regularly riding my bicycle in Beijing instead of driving. I've found Chinese bike riders to be as bad as they are when driving cars. When riding against the flow of traffic in a bicycle lane, I've found that many of them keep to the their left, putting them directly in my path, on the the right side of the bicycle lane.
To make things worse, as I move further to the right, they move further to their left. It seems that even some of them think they can pass me on their left by slipping through the few inches available between me and the curb. This creates an odd game of "chicken."
Does anyone know why Chinese riders do this? Is there an written or unwritten rule of the road that I've missed because I've been driving a car this whole time?
11 years 42 weeks ago in Health & Safety - China
There are only 2 rules as far as I know.
1) Me.
2) Survival.
Sometimes #1 will override #2.
I have had bikes crash into me, in an empty street, because they insist on passing between me and the three inches separating me from the curb instead of the 20 feet of empty space behind me...
go left, I'm not sure if there is an unwritten rule, but I saw the same with scooters, since we drive on the right side of the road, the natural way to pass is go right, but the Chinese seem to want to go left. Awkward.
what about stupid motorcycle and moped drivers on the pavement, its not like they will go around you they will beep and expect you to move, sometimes i think its a case of people being used to it and no1 caring rather than the person being an a hole.
i wish more people said its not ok to do this, starting with the police then the public.
its all good that they have so many police officers in china im all for the proving jobs thing but i wish they did their job better will benefit everyone in the long run
