From the archives: WaPo's 1983 bicycles are most "lawlessly operated" vehicles in DC

There are more than a few sentences in this 1983 article on the reckless disregard of cyclists and the way the poor law-abiding motorists must sit in their cars, clutching their pearls and saying "oh my" as they watch them ride that one could see in an article today. But really quite a bit has changed. A lot of these claims (like that "cyclists are close to out of control") might show up in a letter to the editor, or even an opinion pieces, but not in a feature. The police, I hope, would not say that cyclists must obey the same laws motorists do or that "the tragic fact is that most don't". 

We also don't hear much about messengers anymore. I'm not sure that there even are any. There is, despite it being 1983, still a mention of not wearing a helmet. The DC transportation bike staff was just one person - Michael Jackson who later went on to work for Maryland - down from two in 1980.

Also it sounds much worse back then. One bike commuter was hospitalized 7 times in 15 years and regularly had half and full beer cans and cigarette butts thrown at him. (Ah it was a different time when everyone smoked and it was still legal to drive around while drinking a beer. That's true young people, that was legal and socially acceptable!)

Comments

[Richard B]

And bikers have gone out of their way to keep the resentment alive.

[Jeffb]

I rode back then and, yes, I can personally attest that beer can throwage was a thing.

[Greenbelt]

That sounds about right. Bike riding flourished in the 1970s, as gas prices rose, but the all-car push back hit hard in the 1980s as gas prices began to fall back and energy efficiency seemed less important.
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/WTISPLC

[Crickey]

Yes, I rode a real ten-speed in cutoff jean shorts and a Slickee Boys T-shirt. What about it?

[Richard B]

Its good to see that bikers have been trying to live up to the stereotypes for the past 30 years.