Cycling is an elegant activity. Commuting, exercising, socializing, racing, sightseeing, escaping the crowds, grocery shopping, even schlepping your kids. You and a bike can do all these things. That's the good news.
The bad news is that there's been a tension between cyclists and what seems like everyone else (cars, trucks, pedestrians, cops, etc.). I'm convinced part of it is competition for limited space. Part of it is impatience. And part of it is conceit (it's my damn road!). We all want to get to where we are going in an efficient manner, without delay. And I think too often when people are on their bikes, they do it without concern for others.
It seems like whenever I ride with one friend, another story of a bike/car confrontation is told, inevitably with the "innocent" cyclist being hit. I'm not so sure it's always that one-sided. The news wasn't good this past weekend around here in Berkeley when a local guy was killed after allegedly running a stop sign and plowing into a car. One cyclist friend knew the guy (they were neighbors) and said the crash victim wasn't one to follow road rules. Witnesses said he blew stop signs just before it happened. I originally thought this was another person trying to capture one of those strava KOMs on a descent. (Disclaimer.....I have a strava account and it's fun. But let's be sensible.) He wasn't some kid....he was in his 60s, a long time cyclist. Whatever the reason, the fellow isn't around anymore. Is that worth getting a KOM? Or getting home a little quicker? Or experiencing the thrill of just blowing through stop signs? Last week on our Tuesday night group ride, one of our guys decided to pass a motorcycle and a car on a descent and then blew through a stop sign at the bottom. Fucking foolish and we all let him know. No one was hurt and he seemed to understand that wasn't the brightest move. Lucky. Then this weekend, another friend said he heard a case of a cyclist hitting a woman in Central Park while she was walking, rendering her brain dead. Not lucky. The event has apparently resulted in more animosity towards cyclists in the already hostile environment of NYC. Not the first time. Not the last time. (A similar case happened in San Francisco's Castro not long ago while a cyclist was aiming for a KOM. The pedestrian he hit died.) Again, too many people competing for too little space? Or stupidity?
I know that cycling can be one answer to getting around quicker in congested conditions. It can be a beautiful sport, a way to get out and enjoy the back roads, or a cost-effective, low environmental impact mode of transportation. It can be a stress reliever. But use a little fucking common sense. The bottom line....share the road. There are assholes out there who drive aggressively. So ride defensively. Don't be another asshole. Be courteous. Signal your intentions. Wave when someone lets you go ahead of them. Do all these things and more. Get used to it. It'll save your ass. It's better to enjoy cycling than use it aggressively. Don't stoop to the level of those redneck pickup truck drivers who hit the pedal on their smelly diesels, covering you with black soot. Don't be the next guy blowing through a stop sign on Spruce, hitting an innocent driver or pedestrian. Someone is going to get hurt. Or worse. And likely, it'll be you, the cyclist.
No comments:
Post a Comment