I have come to the unfortunate conclusion that I can't stand bicyclists.
Actually, that's not completely accurate. Most of them are just fine. In fact, my favorite aunt is a bicyclist and participates in rides for good causes and so on. It's just that the ones that are rude and nearly cause serious car accidents or almost hit children stand out more than the hundreds that are respectful and aware and so on.
Which is, I suppose, true for everything in life.
For some reason, I am running into (not literally, obviously) a significant percentage of the entitled, "I don't want to share the road, I want to own the road" bicyclists this summer.
I was going to go through my list of obnoxious bicyclist behavior--the one that rode in the middle of the lane on a curvy road and almost caused a head on collision when the car in front of me tried to go around him (the posted speed limit was 45 MPH ... he was going significantly below that); the one that pulled right out in front of me with no warning at all (and there wasn't a light or a stop sign or anything, he just suddenly appeared); the one that started screaming at a group of children trying to cross on a crosswalk at a busy intersection near the beach--but there are just too many of them.
It's gotten to the point where I see a bicyclist, and my heart goes into my throat and adrenaline starts pushing through my bloodstream and I am already pissed off at the cyclist before s/he does anything to warrant it (which, to be fair, most of them do not).
Which, considering that I live in a summer resort town that is rather heavy on cyclists, is not a good thing.
I hate it when somebody else's actions change my mindset on things ... and I hate it even more when I am aware of it yet somehow helpless to stop it. Oh, and the fact that those memorable SOBs are almost always in the minority, but they are the ones you remember.
Reading over this, I realized that this post isn't really about bicyclists. Instead, it's about learning to rise above the few and far between that are rude, disrespectful, self-obsessed, "the-rules-don't-apply-to-me", and so on.
Most people are good ... what a treat it is to accidentally remind yourself of that :-)
Happy Friday!
Actually, that's not completely accurate. Most of them are just fine. In fact, my favorite aunt is a bicyclist and participates in rides for good causes and so on. It's just that the ones that are rude and nearly cause serious car accidents or almost hit children stand out more than the hundreds that are respectful and aware and so on.
Which is, I suppose, true for everything in life.
For some reason, I am running into (not literally, obviously) a significant percentage of the entitled, "I don't want to share the road, I want to own the road" bicyclists this summer.
I was going to go through my list of obnoxious bicyclist behavior--the one that rode in the middle of the lane on a curvy road and almost caused a head on collision when the car in front of me tried to go around him (the posted speed limit was 45 MPH ... he was going significantly below that); the one that pulled right out in front of me with no warning at all (and there wasn't a light or a stop sign or anything, he just suddenly appeared); the one that started screaming at a group of children trying to cross on a crosswalk at a busy intersection near the beach--but there are just too many of them.
It's gotten to the point where I see a bicyclist, and my heart goes into my throat and adrenaline starts pushing through my bloodstream and I am already pissed off at the cyclist before s/he does anything to warrant it (which, to be fair, most of them do not).
Which, considering that I live in a summer resort town that is rather heavy on cyclists, is not a good thing.
I hate it when somebody else's actions change my mindset on things ... and I hate it even more when I am aware of it yet somehow helpless to stop it. Oh, and the fact that those memorable SOBs are almost always in the minority, but they are the ones you remember.
Reading over this, I realized that this post isn't really about bicyclists. Instead, it's about learning to rise above the few and far between that are rude, disrespectful, self-obsessed, "the-rules-don't-apply-to-me", and so on.
Most people are good ... what a treat it is to accidentally remind yourself of that :-)
Happy Friday!
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For me, it's drivers who don't yeild. We live in an area of sleepy villages. Tourists (we call them smog gobblers)do not follow OUR rules. We yield in turn...they yield to no one.
ReplyDeleteAnd they speed...and they don't wave on passing...
Jane x
This post made me LOL. You don't, by any chance, live in my hometown of Portlandia, do you? We have lots of own the ride bicyclists, unicyclists etc...
ReplyDeleteWell if it's any comfort the ones that do cut across and take over the road don't last very long. That's not much of a comfort though. I don't mind cyclists, but if you're going to be in the middle of the lane, then you're just being stupid.
ReplyDeleteHi KLo, we have the same issue where I live. In Tennessee, it is a law you have to allow three (3) feet when passing a bicyclist. I live in the country and the main road is a popular bicyclist route. Needless to say, the road is two lane with no shoulders and a 45 MPH speed limit. The expectations is the vehicles should yield for the 5 miles to where the road widens. This is through a windy mountain pass along a windy creek. The day is going to come when someone gets seriously injured.
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to seeing what your sign will look like in my living room. Will you be delivering or sending it in the mail?
Have a great Friday and weekend. Jim
Just another note, I just awarded you the Liebster Award. stop by my blog to receive your award and info. http://willingtomakeadifference.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteJim
Try it in London. Cyclists have a habit of ignoring all the lights and then blame car drivers when they're nearly run over.
ReplyDeleteIt's down to attitude and a few bad apples spoil it for everyone.