Can’t we all just get along?

There seems to be a 3-way battle brewing between motorists, guided bike tours, and the owners of bike rental shops in Hawaii.

The guided tour companies say that the rental shops need to take more responsibility for how the renters ride the bikes. They expressed concerns over young riders and even adults riding down the middle of the road, blocking traffic and creating a safety hazard.

The rental places point out that they can only go over the rules of the road so many times, and that it’s up to the cyclists to follow them. They also mention that the tour’s sag wagon drivers are a bit too aggressive.

And then there are the motorists that don’t want to share the road with anyone. They don’t seem to be too picky, they give no respect to the tours or the self-guided riders.

Here’s the thing though. They all need to get together and works things out. Tourism is a very important part of Hawaii’s economy. As it was pointed out, the self-guided riders are more likely to stop and patronize a small cafe or gift shop, while the bigger tours may not have that option. But they both have their place, and they’re both catering to people that want to ride bikes. So let’s hope they can figure out a way to get along. It would be terrible if either business had to close up, and Hawaii became know as unfriendly towards cyclists.