I have to start out by saying that I have a great deal of respect for bikers who pedal.
I guess, after saying that, I should really clarify that I respect the Harley Davidson kind of bikers as well.
Actually, this may be a good opportunity to pose a hypothetical question that has been haunting me since biker weekend (officially called "Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Rally") in DC last June:
Say you are a biker chick who is dating a biker dude who goes on long biker trips (the cross country kind). You think your relationship might be getting serious and then, one day, he buys a new bike and it's a one-seater! Is he hinting that he doesn't plan on taking you on any of his cross country trips? Does it mean he's not in it for the long haul? Do you have to start to question the relationship? Sorry, these are just the kinds of of things I think about.
Anway, back to the original subject: I have a great deal of respect for bikers who pedal. You are sparing the environment, getting a workout, and straight up brimming with social responsibility. It's all very very impressive and you make me feel like a big fat capitalist consumer jerk every time I hop into Lumi (full name: Lumina...as in Chevy) and start the ignition.
(Although, giving my car a name and personality does kind of make me less of a jerk, doesn't it? - it's not a gas guzzling, fume emitting, machine of destruction...it's my friend!)
All of that said, I have recently encountered a biker (the pedal kind) whose behavior threatens to tarnish the elevated status pedal bikers everywhere hold in my mind. He rides past my building every morning at about the time I'm leaving for work and I will just call him Mr. Biker.
My first experience with Mr. Biker was one morning when Lumi and I were starting the morning commute with a right turn from a little side street onto a very busy 16th street. I looked both ways (I promise) and then I started to pull out only to hear a loud "You *&*%()&$$% - watch the *&^$ out!". I swear he wasn't there when I looked left...he came out of nowhere! No, I didn't hit him but I definitely had visions of being hauled away for reckless driving - there's no redemption for a capitalist consumer jerk who carelessly hits a socially responsible man on a bike. I sat for a second, collected my thoughts, and reminded myself of the importance of watching for bikes when driving.
My second experience with Mr. Biker was one morning when I was crossing 16th street to get to Lumi. It's a long light (at least 3 hours...ok less than that) and I was late so I was poised and waiting intently. Finally the little walking person symbol lit up and it was my time to cross. I was distracted by a cute puppy in a yard on the other side of 16th so I, admittedly, failed to look both ways and started to cross when all of a sudden "You *&%*($& - watch the *($^() out!". Once again, there was my friend speeding down the street, and he really didn't feel like he needed to stop for the red light. I jumped back onto the sidewalk in time to avoid becoming a speedbump and reminded myself of the importance of watching for bikers when you are crossing a street....even when you have the right-of-way and they have the red light.
My third experience with Mr. Biker was this morning when I was walking down the sidewalk to the stoplight where I cross 16th street to get to Lumi. There were several people waiting to catch the 16th street bus (bus riders are also responsible citizens who don't drive cars - almost as socially responsible as bikers who pedal) including a gentleman in a wheelchair. As the bus pulled up, the line started to form and everyone was stepping aside for the wheelchair to go first when all of a sudden we all heard a loud "You *(Y*&(*&$ - watch the *$& out!". He was speeding down the sidewalk this time and the man in the wheelchair was blocking his path. I suppose the man in the wheelchair should have looked looked both ways but you generally don't think to do that when you are crossing THE SIDEWALK. I reminded myself of the importance of watching for bikes when you are on the sidewalk...even when you are in a wheelchair.
Fortunately, while I took the passive approach in this particular situation, the man in the wheelchair was more than capable of defending himself and did so, quite eloquently compared to Mr. Biker who, as you may have noticed, only seems to know one phrase.
My dream: that someday we will live in a world where drivers, walkers, runners and bikers (both of the pedal and Harley variety) can agree on fair and equal traffic patterns.
Peace out.
I guess, after saying that, I should really clarify that I respect the Harley Davidson kind of bikers as well.
Actually, this may be a good opportunity to pose a hypothetical question that has been haunting me since biker weekend (officially called "Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Rally") in DC last June:
Say you are a biker chick who is dating a biker dude who goes on long biker trips (the cross country kind). You think your relationship might be getting serious and then, one day, he buys a new bike and it's a one-seater! Is he hinting that he doesn't plan on taking you on any of his cross country trips? Does it mean he's not in it for the long haul? Do you have to start to question the relationship? Sorry, these are just the kinds of of things I think about.
Anway, back to the original subject: I have a great deal of respect for bikers who pedal. You are sparing the environment, getting a workout, and straight up brimming with social responsibility. It's all very very impressive and you make me feel like a big fat capitalist consumer jerk every time I hop into Lumi (full name: Lumina...as in Chevy) and start the ignition.
(Although, giving my car a name and personality does kind of make me less of a jerk, doesn't it? - it's not a gas guzzling, fume emitting, machine of destruction...it's my friend!)
All of that said, I have recently encountered a biker (the pedal kind) whose behavior threatens to tarnish the elevated status pedal bikers everywhere hold in my mind. He rides past my building every morning at about the time I'm leaving for work and I will just call him Mr. Biker.
My first experience with Mr. Biker was one morning when Lumi and I were starting the morning commute with a right turn from a little side street onto a very busy 16th street. I looked both ways (I promise) and then I started to pull out only to hear a loud "You *&*%()&$$% - watch the *&^$ out!". I swear he wasn't there when I looked left...he came out of nowhere! No, I didn't hit him but I definitely had visions of being hauled away for reckless driving - there's no redemption for a capitalist consumer jerk who carelessly hits a socially responsible man on a bike. I sat for a second, collected my thoughts, and reminded myself of the importance of watching for bikes when driving.
My second experience with Mr. Biker was one morning when I was crossing 16th street to get to Lumi. It's a long light (at least 3 hours...ok less than that) and I was late so I was poised and waiting intently. Finally the little walking person symbol lit up and it was my time to cross. I was distracted by a cute puppy in a yard on the other side of 16th so I, admittedly, failed to look both ways and started to cross when all of a sudden "You *&%*($& - watch the *($^() out!". Once again, there was my friend speeding down the street, and he really didn't feel like he needed to stop for the red light. I jumped back onto the sidewalk in time to avoid becoming a speedbump and reminded myself of the importance of watching for bikers when you are crossing a street....even when you have the right-of-way and they have the red light.
My third experience with Mr. Biker was this morning when I was walking down the sidewalk to the stoplight where I cross 16th street to get to Lumi. There were several people waiting to catch the 16th street bus (bus riders are also responsible citizens who don't drive cars - almost as socially responsible as bikers who pedal) including a gentleman in a wheelchair. As the bus pulled up, the line started to form and everyone was stepping aside for the wheelchair to go first when all of a sudden we all heard a loud "You *(Y*&(*&$ - watch the *$& out!". He was speeding down the sidewalk this time and the man in the wheelchair was blocking his path. I suppose the man in the wheelchair should have looked looked both ways but you generally don't think to do that when you are crossing THE SIDEWALK. I reminded myself of the importance of watching for bikes when you are on the sidewalk...even when you are in a wheelchair.
Fortunately, while I took the passive approach in this particular situation, the man in the wheelchair was more than capable of defending himself and did so, quite eloquently compared to Mr. Biker who, as you may have noticed, only seems to know one phrase.
My dream: that someday we will live in a world where drivers, walkers, runners and bikers (both of the pedal and Harley variety) can agree on fair and equal traffic patterns.
Peace out.
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