This time around I'm going to go on a bit of a journey and hopefully you'll come along for the ride.
From my perspective too many drivers simply are too distracted and too engrossed in their own world to be safe for themselves and for myself and my fellow cyclists.
If you're not familiar with the term cyclist, it doesn't refer to motorcycle riders, it refers to those riding bicycles or at least in this case that's why I'm referring to.
I started riding a bike around my neighborhood as an adult sometime in the 90's as a part of my weight loss program, then I decided to get brave and venture out on to the main roads. The first month or so was very nerve-wracking. This was way before texting and driving or whatever is distracting so many drivers these days but even then motorists were not sharing the road.
In those first few years of cycling, I was cursed at, had the horn blown at me more than one occasion and a car pass me so close that they nearly knocked me off the bike just from the wind displacement.
Thankfully cycling around Charlotte started to take off in the late 90's and early 00's and many drivers started to at least try acting like adults and maybe figured that we were here to stay and acting childish really wasn't going to improve the situation.
Jump forward about a decade, and after moving to my own place a bit more out in the country, I had quite a few more options for riding off the heavier traveled roads. Most are country roads with little traffic and very few obnoxious drivers.
That being said, I do have a few gripes with drivers:
- Don't beep the horn to let me know you are coming around me! Honestly people, you are driving a 2- ton vehicle that makes a lot of noise. I have no problem knowing you are coming!
- Yelling or cursing at me while you drive by is totally pointless as well as childish. I can't understand a thing you're saying because you are driving faster than I'm pedaling and the wind displacement causes you to sound like a bunch of gibberish. If you don't like me using my right to ride a bicycle on a public road, which is my right, check the law books then frankly that's your problem. You probably are the driver that is usually tailgating me too when I'm driving. I also had one group of teens slow down and yell that I was fat. Yeah, mature. I also had a driver pass me, passing into oncoming traffic, nearly have a head-on collision and possibly kill me, them self and the oncoming driver!
- The clothing that you all find so strange has a major purpose, and that is comfort! Modern cycling shorts are padded in all the right places and keep men especially much happier than if they were just wearing boxers and some cargo shorts. You can figure that one out for yourself. It's not that we're trying to look like weirdos, it's that we're trying to be comfortable, cut down on wind resistance and in the summer take care of wicking away some of that sweat that is pouring from our bodies.
- I can't ride 50 mph - The fact that many drivers come flying up behind a cyclist and then get mad because the cyclist is riding along at 15 mph - 20 mph is just silly. We aren't superhuman and we can only go so fast on a human-powered vehicle.
I'm sure there are many other points I could add, but I just ask everyone to use some common sense when you come up on a lone cyclist or a pack of them on a group ride.
We aren't out to intentionally slow down your rocket ship known as a mini van that you are currently hurtling through space in at above the posted speed limit.
We are simply out trying to get some exercise, enjoy a beautiful day and maybe cut down on some fossil fuels by burning calories instead of gas.
This will probably go totally ignored and that's fine, I've shared my thoughts and I hope that one day motorists and cyclists in this country will learn how to get along with each other and share the road. We've only got one planet to enjoy, let's all learn to share. Until next time, Please Sit On Your Sandals!
