Courtesy and Guidelines

It seems our life from childhood to our senior years is full of rules. You might not know that there are 199 Florida statutes involving driving, 40 Florida statutes involving boating, and 20 Florida statutes involving bicycles. I would bet the best Florida Super Trooper can’t recite all of them. I have found there are some rules that seem to come up more commonly as an issue in our lives. Let’s look at some of those rules or in this case guidelines and the idea of showing some basic courtesy when interacting with others. Some guidelines to live by involving three modes of transportation I am very familiar with.  What I am talking about here is driving, boating, and biking, the pedal kind of biking. 

In our area of America, we are blessed with well-maintained roads, normally clear weather, and, for the most part, well-identified and marked roadways. We are also an area with traffic congestion that varies greatly by the season of the year. Add to that, out-of-the-area drivers constantly distracted by things that they just must look at, “Hey, a pelican” and “Look at that view!" Or just trying to find that location on a phone or car map leads to doing three (or more) things at once. You remember when you first showed up down here and realized what a fantastic place this is, a little patience for our visitors might be warranted as they are experiencing the same "WOW” we all did. And to our visitors, please realize most of us are working during the day, so again, staying in the right lane when you are looking around is very much appreciated.  

Let’s discuss some of the basics of driving and courtesy: stopping at stop signs, how to turn correctly at four-lane intersections (think Collier and Elkham and Collier and Barfield), and my favorite, as I just mentioned, getting out of the left lane. In the Situational Awareness PowerPoint, I talk about road rage. One good rule in driving is to remember it’s not a race: you’re not going to win anything by being first. And staying out of the left lane goes a long way in not making you a trigger for road rage. Being a courteous driver also goes a long way in keeping both your blood pressure down as well as the drivers around you.  

On to STOP signs - yeah, really stop and look around. Parking lots are a big problem again; slow down and take a second look. Many accidents occur when a car is backing up, so again, the key is to slow down and take a second look. Also, keeping your head on a swivel and looking past the car just ahead of you in traffic is also a great idea. In evasive/defensive driver training, you are always told to look for brake lights several cars ahead of you and realize the cars just ahead of you will be reacting to those brake lights, so SLOW DOWN now. Make it a habit to really slow down and look around at yield intersections and roundabouts. Not long ago, I was on Yellowbird heading to Collier, and there were no other cars in that roundabout. At the last second, I caught a road bike rider with no lights on the bike (more on that later) coming north on 6th Avenue, running at least 15 MPH, he crossed right in front of me and continued north on 6th Ave - that was a close one. Turning left from an inside lane, you should always complete the turn by staying in the inside lane. Unless you’re driving an 18-wheeler there is no reason to swing right into the outside (right) lane. Turning right in the outside lane, stay in that right outside lane; resist the urge to fall off to the left into the left inside lane. 

One last thing - golf carts. Golf carts are what I drive on the fairway at a golf course. On our roads, they are street-legal licensed motor vehicles. These vehicles are a plus for our island, less noisy and environmentally friendly, and frankly, they look like fun. Our roadways are marked 25 MPH, 30 MPH, and 35MPH. Is it going to kill us to do 30MPH for the six blocks before we turn off traveling behind agolf cart? Relax. And to those golf cartdrivers, look, we get it, it’s nice to have the open-air freedom and view, but look in the mirror. If there is a line of cars behind you, maybe a short pullover to the curb and letting the line go by might be a nice thing to do.  

Bottom line, seriously, slow down, don’t get distracted, and here’s an idea: set a daily goal. It's fun, I actually do this! See how many drivers you let back out of a parking place, go ahead of you, and wave to let them turn left and into traffic on any given day. It might be fun to just be friendly.   

BICYCLES, from a driver’s point of view, are another sometimes annoying thing to deal with. But many of us ride for our health or for an alternate means of local transportation. Our island is a very bicycle-friendly island, but there is a right way and a wrong way to bike on our island. Bike riders are subject to the same rules as drivers. One big point: ridingwith traffic, never against the traffic direction. If there is a bike lane, please use it and single file is just smart. Vehicle drivers need to know that if there is no bike lane then the roadway is now a multi-use lane. And realize bike riders are constantly dodging debris from broken glass to dropped landscaping, so a move into the driving lane and back is just trying not to lose a tire or your upright position. Drivers, our islandhas wonderful multi-use sidewalks, but any bicyclist riding at speed must be in a bike lane or traffic lane or risk a collision with cars in driveways, intersections, and other people using the sidewalks. Bikers BE VISIBLE! I ride a lot on the island. I have a flashing white light facing the front, a red flashing light under my seat facing the rear, and another flashing light on the back of my helmet. Plus, I wear orange or yellow, fluorescent shirts; MORE IS BETTER. And wear a helmet. I have dumped my own bike several times over the years, a “brain bucket” saved me for sure. 

I wanted to get an expert’s opinion, so I reached out to Matt Walthour, the owner of the Island Bike Shop at 1095 Bald Eagle Drive, and asked Matt his views on riding on Marco. 

MATT: I believe something that is overlooked by a lot of bicyclists is riding in the direction of traffic, either while you are on the road or one of the many multi-use pathways. Bike with the flow of traffic!! I advise all my renters and even folks that purchase new bikes the same point: to ride with the flow of traffic. I realize it is not always the most convenient thing to do, but it sure is the safest, and it's the law (on the road, anyway) I tell people that are "serious" road riders, you have to get up early in the morning if you want to ride in the street and if they do not want to battle traffic and I advise most people to stay on the sidewalks or multi-use pathways as best they can. The light aspect is very important. I always keep my lights on my bike even during the day. There are a lot of lights we sell that are daytime visible, very important with all the distractions on the road these days, texting and people from out of state or country not knowing where they are. So any visibility is better, just like you said. I tell people that I am lit up like Studio 54, unfortunately, not many people get the reference. Personally, when I am riding and I must be in the street, I always use hand signals to let drivers know my intentions, and even if I am with other riders, I let them know what direction we may be turning, or I signal if debris or a pothole on the ground or when I am slowing. etc. etc. I also believe bells or horns are important on a bike, and I have them on all my rentals. Now, granted, people with headphones on are oblivious, but it is just a courtesy thing to let people know you are approaching. A lot of the time when you say, "on your left" or "on your right," they go in that direction, so hitting that bell or horn early gives them enough time to react properly. You personally must be the one in charge of your biking. At our shop, we have a great bike lane map and we do offer a lot of great riding suggestions, whether it's for a family, a solo rider, or people who just want to "check" the island out.  

At the end of the day, it’s all about courtesy. Bikers come on, none of us are Lance Armstrong riding in the Tour de France, no reason to cut in and out of traffic, ignore red lights and stop signs, or unnecessarily block traffic. Give the drivers a break. Drivers think about this, a person on a bike is one less vehicle you need to deal with. Give them some space and be glad someone’s out there having fun. You should join us!  

BOATERS, I have spent many years going out of the Marco River and around our area by boat, and I am constantly amazed by the things I see on the water. It’s an interesting fact that you cannot legally drive a car without going through training and qualifying for a driver’s license. But anyone over 14 can just run that boat without any training at all. There are many rules of the road that boaters really need to know. First let’s look at going in the right direction and that direction’s location. For you untrained boaters, those red and green panel-like things on the top of poles in the water are not left-over Christmas decorations. They are there to tell you where you should be in the waterway you are in, depending on the direction you are going. You really should understand aids to navigation. Also, people have the misconception that they must only be concerned with their wake in a no-wake zone. In fact, you could be criminally or civilly responsible for your wake and any damage that you cause. Florida statute 327.33 Reckless or Careless Operation of a Vessel is an interesting read. Again, courtesy comes into play. If you're running up on plane and you see another boat that you will be passing, coming off plane is just the courteous thing to do. Also knowing the water and weather is a wise thing to do. Our offshore waters are shallow, so storms and the resulting waves can come up quickly. The Marco River entrance, when there is a tide combined with a wind coming from the opposite direction, can also have waves build to a dangerous height.  

Lucky for us we have groups who offer classes to make you a better boater. Americas Boating Club, the Marco Island Sail and Power Squadron, has a training center located in the Speakeasy Plaza, 1114 N. Collier Blvd. marcoboatingclub.org. Contact the educational officer, Jeff Williams, at jeffwilliams125@gmail.com To discuss the courses offered. The Marco Island Sail and Power Squadron is a fantastic club; consider joining it for both the camaraderie and to become a better boater. The Marco Island Coast Guard Auxiliary is offering the following classes for 2025. Boater’s Local Knowledge-Marco Island, Boater’s Local Knowledge-Backwater, Boater’s Local Knowledge- “Jet Ski," Suddenly-in-Command, Paddle Craft Safety, Boat America-Certification, as well as (3) new class offerings: Lines & Knots, Weather & Boating, and Rules of the Nautical Roads. Contact Frank Ciriello or Mark Schab at 239-384-7416 or cgauxcourses@gmail.com for more information.  

So, the message, well we already know it. Life is short, slow down and relax. Driving, biking, boating, and our other outdoor pursuits should be fun or at least not stressful; we get enough stress from other areas. And show a little courtesy - say hi to people. The reactions and facial expressions from them are nice and rewarding, and frankly, the occasional looks of amazement are funny when you do something nice.