Appearances matter, too.

My three boys love to ride bikes, scooters, big wheels, and anything else that has a chance of going fast or causing injury. Unfortunately for them, we live on a residential street that many non-residents consider a throughway. So, whenever they want to ride their mean machines, I have to stand outside and chaperone them against the auto threat.

Whenever a car comes, I quickly shepherd them back onto the sidewalk to wait until it passes. But their preferred way of waiting is to sit on the bike, poised to tear off back into the street. So I always tell them to turn their bikes or big wheels sideways, pointing away from the street. “But dad, we’re on the sidewalk, just like you said.”

“Yes, but when someone is driving down our street, he doesn’t just want to know where you are. He also wants to know where you’re going to go next. And if it looks like you might rush into the street, that makes him nervous. Even though you know you aren’t going to, he doesn’t know that. So pointing your wheels sideways is how you tell him that’s not going to happen so he can stop worrying. That’s called being considerate.”