Who says the Asian cultures are more enlightened when it comes to sharing the road? (Well, I don't think anyone actually does - and we may have the reason why right here.)
From an editorial by John Lui in MIS Magazine Asia (of all places):
In Singapore culture, the bigger your ride, the bigger your rights. People who drive SUVs, family vans or lorries owe it to you, the smaller road user, a lesson in Darwinism. People buy large vehicles for the very reason that it allows them a more care-free attitude towards the rules of the road.
In western cultures, so I'm told, there's the concept of equal rights. Whether you wobble along on two wheels or barrel down the freeway on 16, every road user is entitled to space, respect and safety.
Well, there's concept and then there's reality, as demonstrated by the joke doing the rounds in the UK:
"What's another name for a London cyclist?" … "Organ donor."
Or to take that "share the road" message Singapore-style:
Singapore is interesting because it stands at the crossroads of cultures. Ride a bicycle and you will, literally, be wondering which side of the cultural divide a driver sits as he attempts to switch lanes, with you somewhere between him and his objective. Me? I always guess he is of an Oriental persuasion and hug the pavement as fast as my legs can pedal.
Wow, who's going to be brave enough to tell this guy he should be taking the lane?