Although I was the consummate passenger, even from the backseat I understood the thrill, when the bike would round the curve exposing us to the rawness of life or scream full-throttle down a straightaway. But I also sensed the vulnerability when other vehicles surrounded us. Our exposure sometimes felt like we might become caught in the perfect storm of metal, pavement and rubber. Yet it was the ying and yang of those rides that thrilled these boys down to the core. And their adrenaline was self-evident when they'd dismount, grinning like little children, as they unstrapped their helmets.

A few years later I gave up the backseat of a motorcycle for good, and permanently placed my body into a car. But the experience has stuck with me and has had an impact on the way I drive.

As that backseat passenger, I won't ever forget how close cars and trucks used to come to our tailpipe. And believe me, it's not real comfortable having an engine roaring next to your rear. Nor is there any comfort in having a car tailgate you. It's bad enough when that happens while you're in a car, but it's downright scary when it's happening on a motorcycle. And then there is the knowing that the only thing separating you from that too-close-for comfort vehicle is pavement. Thanks to those college days I am overly conscious of motorcyclists when I'm in my car, giving them lots of space at a stoplight or sign or when driving behind them.

Now, this mindset has extended to another kind of rider: a bicyclist.

After talking to a number of cyclists it's clear to me that this same lesson in driving--courtesy and distance--should be applied to these riders as well, perhaps even more so. These bicyclists may not be motoring at 50 mph, but they can get up to 30 mph. So we need to give them their space and not act like they have no business being on the streets. We also need to learn some patience. Sure, we can speed up and cut in front of them to make those turns. But imagine if you were moving at 30 mph in your car and another car sped up, passed you and then cut you off to make a turn. That's exactly what cyclists experience on an almost daily basis.

Then there are the drivers and passengers who treat bicyclists as some kind of sport. You folks, go take a hard look at yourselves in a mirror. Shooting at cyclists, trying to run them over, pushing them or slapping them on the back is pathetic behavior. Playing with people's lives is not sport.

Perhaps the strangest thing about this pervasive attitude toward cyclists is that it's rampant in the South Bay. We are supposed to be a highly educated population that cares about the environment, pollution levels and quality of life. And here is a group of people who are traveling with pedal power and putting one less car on the street. But instead of giving these riders a salute of gratitude we are trying to run them off the road.

Lately, I've been noticing a lot of cyclists commuting to work around 7 a.m. It's the same time I sit in the passenger seat as my daughter drives our car to school. As she improves her driving skills--we are getting close to that fateful road test day--I remind her to give the riders enough space, to move over a little and share the road. And if we are behind them and we need to turn, I ask her to be patient until they pass.

Being more cognizant than ever of their presence, I want to pass that awareness on to my daughter, who may in turn pass this way of thinking on to her friends. And then, who knows, it just might spread from there.

Moryt Milo is the editor of The Willow Glen Resident. She can be contacted at 400.200.1051 or mmilo@svcn.com.