Civility/Civisme, let's try it for a change!
Some words about Civility, or civisme, as we call it in french.
Basically, it means following a few simple traffic rules and rules of life, so that everyone can get along with everyone else and we don't kill each other in rude ways.
Such as...
Civility is not riding bikes on sidewalks
Civisme is not riding through busy intersections on the red light
Civisme is not riding against the flow of traffic or on the wrong side of the road or bike path
civisme is courtesy, giving courtesy so you get courtesy returned to you
Civility is riding safe
Civisme is the right thing to do.
Civility is setting the example as if what you do is the model for what everyone does
Civility is how we act in a civil society
Civility is not "me first"
Civisme is not honking your car horn
Civility is not jaywalking through busy traffic or red lights
civility is being nice to other road and bike users, saying hi to people as you pass them
civility is not blocking other traffic by riding side by side in traffic or on busy bike path
civisme is not passing on the inside
civility is using arm signals to signal your turning intentions
civilty is not taking every shortcut posible, on the bike or in life
Civility is the right thing to do. Pointe finale!
posted by Cycle Fun Montreal @ 9:09 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Civility was saying thanks to the construction worker who stopped traffic because I had to ride in the middle of de Maisonneuve to get around some equipment by Bleury.
Civility might not have been the couple of times I loudly told pedestrians to "Get off the bike path" as I swerved around them at various points on de Maisonneuve.
Hi Flow, those are two good examples of civility, what's important is that we "think" about "our" behaviour and act accordingly and this process will start to add more civility to the recipe of urban life, and soon afterwards... a better & nicer world!
I love to use my "drrring" bell and I stop and in a happy tone of voice ask the wonderful but misplaced people if they wouldn't mind using the sidewalk because they are on the bike path and "other much more crazy people" will just try to run them down (they look inside their hearts and recognize that this city's massive lack of urban civility means it could easily happen), and that's no fun at all, and they usually comply (usually)(I used to use a more negative approach!) but I love my bell, it's both friendly and ,well, it stimulates a part of their brain dealing with self-preservation, which points out that the recipient of the bells ringing has better wake up or be run over!
Also this year I have been aggressively stopping for pedestrians at crosswalks and red lights/stop signs. This never fails to surprise the alert ones who are afraid of cyclists and have seen way too many examples of bad cyclist behaviours. We should be ashamed that people are afraid of cyclists in this city!
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