Riding in the Rain

In Missoula, bicycles are supposed to be treated just like any other vehicle that uses the streets; follow all traffic laws, stop at stop signs, don't use the sidewalks, and yield to pedestrians. This isn't always the case ( I Know I don't come to a full stop at intersections if there are no cars coming) as many cars often yield to bicyclists stopped at intersections along the streets that don't see extreme levels of traffic, speed limits under 30, and where people are used to stopping for pedestrians. This actually frustrates me since I don't mind waiting and don't feel that as a bicyclist I need any special treatment. Of course when cars stop, I'm not going to sit there and insist that the car keeps going.

Yesterday was a little different. On the commute home (about 30 minutes) it was raining pretty heavily and even with rain gear on I was getting a little soaked. At every street I came to cars yielded the right-of-way, even on the busy streets. On this particular day I was very grateful of their courtesy. They must have felt sorry for the stupid, lone-schlepp on a bike out in the rain.