Kudos to all users of the city's new citibike bike sharing program for embracing the program harder than I ever thought possible. Whether you know it or not, just by showing up you are helping to build a safer, better, and better-informed bike culture here in the city, and I dig that.

But seeing as how the membership cards do not appear to come with any sort of orientation or even an information pamphlet or poster, allow me to be apparently the first person to tell you that when you're on a bike, you're subject to the same basic traffic laws as if you are driving a car. This means, among other things:

* Stay in your lane
* Stay off the sidewalk
* Don't ride in the opposite direction of traffic, and don't go the wrong way down a one-way street
* Stop at red lights and stop signs
* Pass to the left
* Watch out for and yield to pedestrians
* Don't drive drunk
* Dinging your bell means, "Move out of the way, or one or both of us is going to be injured." It DOES NOT mean, "Hey, look! I'm on a bike!"

Also, I like your trousers. You might want to roll up the leg on the chain side though. I know they put that big old guard over it, but still.