1. Bikers have a right to a clear bike path no matter what gets in the way. Uh-uh. Shit happens in the big city. Cyclists don’t have an inalienable right to unobstructed bike paths any more than drivers have a right to perpetually traffic-clear roadways. No, cars shouldn’t park in bike lanes. But when it happens, you can stop or go around. Whatever you do, don’t scream shit. That driver might have had a good reason.

2. If motorists can bend the rules, so can we. Nothing lowers a driver’s estimation of cyclists more than those who flout the law. Drivers do, too, of course. Anyone who’s biked for any length of time knows that some motorists are barbarians. But, in fact, cyclists who think they can take a leisurely ride on main streets while tweeting, listening to music or doing anything but paying attention to the road have more in common with distracted drivers than they think. Fact is, the rules of the road need to be more strictly enforced for all users.

3. Motorists have no respect for cyclists. Okay, this is a tough one, given the madness cyclists encounter on our increasingly crowded, mean streets. Lots of anecdotal evidence suggests the ignorance of motorists is only growing more profound when it comes to cyclists. We’re a long way from when Bicycling magazine named Toronto North America’s most bike-friendly city in, wait for it, 1995. It’s fairer to say that most motorists accept that roadways should be shared. But – and there’s a big but – politicians deserve some of the blame for not building the necessary bike infrastructure to keep bikes and cars separated. As a result, we’re forced to fight for the same piece of asphalt.

4. What drivers really resent is our freedom. The fact that you’re breezing by in the curb lane, not waiting for congestion miles ahead to clear, can be frustrating for motorists. No doubt some of them would like to be able to ride a bike to work, but not everyone has that choice. Sitting at a standstill in the blazing sun is nobody’s idea of fun, so don’t rub it in by waving as you blow by. When you run the red up the street, that’s the real reason they resent you. Just sayin.’

5. City Hall is not on cyclists’ side. Most car-vs-bike discussions about safety do revolve around what cyclists can do to prevent accidents as opposed to the other way around. Outside of ticketing cars parked in bike lanes, the police’s annual spring “safety” blitzes tend to target the transgressions of cyclists more than automobiles. Both practices reinforce the notion that cycling is inherently dangerous. But that attitude is changing. See the growing number of people turning to cycling, as well as City Hall’s efforts to build more cycling infrastructure – separated lanes, more bike parking – during the Rob Ford years, arguably cycling’s darkest hour.

With files from Susan G. Cole and Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists.

Don’t miss: 5 myths about cyclists that drivers need to get over.

enzom@nowtoronto.com | @enzodimatteo