Big Kids
When I was a kid, biking was my favorite activity (after drawing.) Luckily I had a lot of space to do it.
When I started biking to work I hadn’t ridden a bike in 10-15 years. I’d never experienced biking for transportation. So it was not surprising that getting on a bike made me feel like a kid again… except I found myself biking in this:
It was anything but carefree. I realized pretty quick that I couldn’t bike like a kid and I had to pay attention. The city was an entirely different thing with potential for dangerous situations and the need to be careful.
However at least once a week I see someone do something careless like this:
Without even flinching or showing any awareness that they were almost killed. I just wanna say you guys SCARE THE SHIT OUT OF ME!
I’ve heard some brush it off and say they’re only putting themselves at risk. But, last time I checked, cities have more than one person. So when you do something careless like take a sudden left from the far right of the right lane…
You could set off a chain of events and put others at risk. Nope, you can’t bike like a kid anymore.
Keep that mind and drawing hand safe!!
I have to agree. I watch some other cyclists do some hair raising stuff. Drives me crazy when poor cyclists give all riders a bad name.
I totally agree Albert.
Cyclist need to obey the rules of the road too and I do feel like we all look bad when one cyclist runs a red light. That is why even as a cyclist myself I want to see an increase in tickets given to cyclists.
I’m with you guys. Had a rather heated conversation yesterday with a cyclist I caught up to after watching him sail through a red light, go up on the sidewalk and then back on to the street in a really busy, dangerous part of the city. (I wasn’t trying to catch up – he was actually waiting for a light to change in the other direction – so he could ride across a crosswalk.) I tried to explain exactly that, that his lack of responsibility made it harder for all of us to be respected. He then said to me, “Oh, so you think you own the road?!” I just could not make him see my point that in fact, he was behaving as though he did. I don’t know. I struggle between thinking it’s none of my business how others ride, and yelling!
Bikeyface – thanks for drawing and making us laugh, and nod, and for provoking interesting conversation!
I’ve tried that twice (except that I caught them the hard way), all I got was a grunt in return. Decided that doing it a third time might fit the definition of insanity (and it’s hard work, trying to catch a red-light runner while riding a cargo bike AND obeying the lights. Some of these guys (and it was guys) are young, too.)
LOL – yes! It does fit the definition of insanity, you are so right. Okay – I am determined to have a summer of riding my own ride, and letting the dicks be dicks. I’m not going to change the world either way, and at least my blood pressure will be lower! 🙂
Nailed it! Getting cut off by an idiotic driver trying to make a blind turn is the worst! But it’s even worse when other cyclists are the culprits—if you’re on a bike, assume the people driving cars never see you, and PLEASE, be cool with other cyclists. we’re on the same team, so pedal well! Thanks for the post!
One of the only two times I’ve been knocked off a bike in London it was by another cyclist (as I describe here – http://invisiblevisibleman.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/minister-who-made-invisible-visible-man.html). I also once knocked off a cycle messenger who decided to swing from behind me and across my path at lights just as they changed. She had the decency to accept it was her fault. But I can tell you it hurts a lot less getting hit by another cyclist than by a car (not that I’d like you to find out about either, particularly if it damages your drawing hand).
I sometimes wonder about other cyclists’ risk perception. I don’t know how they can stand the stress of some of the things they do even if they get away with them. It seems so much easier to me just to take it easy and go through the lights when they turn green.
It’s a beautiful blog as always,
Invisible.
http://invisiblevisibleman.blogspot.co.uk/