[allengeorge]

As a pedestrian it's a horrible idea. I've almost been struck 5 times (and counting) by cyclists riding the wrong way down avenues. It's incredibly frustrating - and definitely gives me a very jaded view of cyclists and their respect for traffic rules.

[thrownblown]

this is the thing about cyclists is they are scarier than they are dangerous.

in a collision between a cyclist and a pedestrian there is an almost equal potential for harm for both the cyclist and the pedestrian. the rates of rapid deceleration are just as forceful as the rate of acceleration.

the pedestrian could potentially be struck with a metal part of the bike. an almost equal potential exists for the cyclist to be injured by a metal part of the bicycle hitting the ground or a parked car before the cyclist does.

So while i'm sure that your close encounter with a scofflaw cyclist was scary, it was just as dangerous for you as it was for them.

[mc32]

That doesn't excuse the behavior. One is deciding to engage in it despite the danger the other is a passive unwilling participant. Or, to put it in auto terms, a reckless driver and other drivers have the roughly the same potential damage if a collision were to occur, but we definitely don't equate the reckless driver with the one who drives predictably.

[allengeorge]

It may be as dangerous to them as me, but I doubt they're considering that. And I'd rather not get hit by a bike; I was once, by a cyclist going at a decent clip and was lucky to leave with only minor injuries (if I'd fallen at a different angle my head would have hit the edge of a concrete stair.)