I've been biking to work more and more with this wonderful weather - at least attempting to bike once a week, twice if I'm lucky. Mornings are always peaceful because it's as if I have the Metroparks all to myself. Motor traffic is minimal, lots of runners, and a few cyclists traveling in both directions. Love mornings. Evenings are the antithesis of mornings. Cars are dashing to and fro, people are in a hurry and distracted (please don't text while driving!), and it makes for a very tense riding experience at times. There's a stretch of the parkway where I will only ride the bike path because of how tight the road is...very little room for cyclists and cars to exist (at least for the evening crowd). Thank goodness I do that. Tonight I watched a White Suburban get so close to a cyclists that I could have sworn the passenger slapped the cyclists. The driver and passenger yelled horrible obsenities (words I usually only reserve for the "good" stories while drinking) and would not shut up. The cyclist was hugging the road, down in the aerobar position and I don't know how he maintained his composure. Fortunately, a Park Ranger was a couple cars behind and I'm pretty sure he saw everything because he sped up and it looked like the Ranger might have pulled over the Suburban.
The Metroparks is an area designed for motor vehicles and cars to coexist. It's crazy to be in a hurry to the point of disregarding someone else's safety - for what, to shave 30 seconds off your drive time?
Phew! I feel better now :)
how terrifying! Were you shaking for a long time afterwards? c'mon people - can't we all just get along??!!
ReplyDeleteThank goodness I only witnessed it but I felt awful for the affected cyclist and my adrenaline from fear and anger was really rushing! Riding is such a pleasurable, freeing act and it's just a bummer when a driver ruins it.
ReplyDeleteI told George that we need to increase his life insurance the ways cars & cyclists coexist here!
ReplyDelete