the sight lines before the intersection are considerably improved over those of earlier years, so it is possible for drivers on Brackett road to see the group of bicyclists, probably a family, which assembles on the path approaching the road.

The flasher actuates. A motorist (coming toward the camera) stops in response to the bicyclists and the flasher. The mother, in blue, waves the motorist through, and the motorist restarts and crosses the path. The father waves to another motorist, who drives on through without slowing, eliciting an ironic comment from behind the camera. The father waves to a third motorist (red van coming from behind the camera). The motorists assume that all of the bicyclists are members of a group riding together, and this proves true in hindsight, though the motorists have no way to know this for sure or to know whether others might be approaching.

As the group turns right onto the road, the father waves by a fourth motorist (gray car), who merges to the left side of the road, crossing the path at a high speed with no way to know whether, in fact, all of the bicyclists will turn right. This motorist would be especially hazardous to trail users entering from the far side of the intersection and looking left for traffic. The mother waves to a fourth motorist (in black pickup truck), who accelerates and overtakes the bicyclists after all of them have turned right.

The bicyclists' wave-by gestures are courteous, but potentially hazardous. None of the bicyclists uses the correct step mount/dismount technique. The children remain perched on the saddle with feet dangling when stopped; the older girl (in brown sweater) also dismounts entirely and stands next to her bicycle. The mother uses the shuffle (scooter) start, and the father uses the cowboy start. The actions of the mother are especially precarious as she leans toward the overtaking pickup truck to shuffle-start her bicycle. Her wheels could get caught on the edge of the pavementand topple her into the roadway if the roadside sand is soft.

This little episode of one minute and six seconds points to the need for education of bicyclists in bike handling skills, and raises questions I can't answer yet about how to improve signals, markings and behavior at path crossings.