Wouldn't it be great if there was a free class that taught people how to stop being such dangerous, selfish pills on city streets?
There is. It is called "Friendly Driver," and it's offered by BikePed Little Rock. The 90-minute class is for anyone — walkers, cyclists, motorcyclists, drivers.
The class is taught by trained instructors and has been available since Oct. 14. After today, four sessions remain, all in the second floor room at the River Market, 400 President Clinton Ave.:
■ noon-2 p.m. Nov. 13
■ 3-5 p.m. Nov. 21
■ 3-5 p.m. Nov. 29
■ 10 a.m.-noon Dec. 3.
A recent class, taught by Nathan Keltch, one of the program's six licensed cycling instructors, was an informal experience. Keltch first gave his three students a page of multiple-choice questions. Each question posed a situation in which bikes or pedestrians interact with cars and asked whether certain behaviors were legal or not.
Then came a slide show about traffic laws and avoiding collisions that also explained how to read and use bike lanes, wheelchair ramps and new-to-the-city features like the "Leading Pedestrian Interval" and walker-activated stoplights called "pedestrian hybrid beacons."
Keltch invited students' opinions and let them chat freely before explaining city ordinances and state law. In every case, at least one of the three students expressed surprise about changes in the law since they learned to drive or rules they simply hadn't been taught as cyclists.
Students took another quiz at the end. Keltch collected both quiz papers, but assured students they were not being graded — he was.
To attend, register at least 24 hours before a class and then show up. You don't even need to supply your own pencil. Here's a shortcut to the city website with the registration link: arkansasonline.com/1105drive.
Style on 11/05/2018