Friday, October 27, 2006
Tales from the Road
Here I was thinking about the future of my blogging this morning, and considering I haven't written here for a week and just what oh what would I write about today - when the fine citizens of Syracuse gave me some things to tell home about.
First, a fine example of how car drivers on the hill do not know how to interact with bicyclists (and I think because the majority of us do not ride in a manner in which drivers know what to expect from us, see my report on the critical mass ride earlier). Approaching a four way stop I see a car approaching from my right and coming to a full stop. I then come to a stop obviously after the car did and even after they should have already proceeded past the intersection. But them, having seen me on a bike, and not expecting me to stop at the intersection, dawdle for a few more seconds and we are forced to look at each other perplexed - me for why she has not driven through the intersection yet and her for why am I stopping at the stop sign?
Second, I am traveling uphill and at a bit of a slow pace, in a wide lane which is extended for bus traffic to pull up to an advancing public transport stop, when I spy a white university pickup swerving from the oncoming traffic lane, not only into my traffic lane but all the way over to come to a dead stand still park not more than 50 feet ahead of me, facing me and directly blocking my land of travel. Granted it wasn't a problem because the traffic on the road is calm and light, and that is probably only one of the reasons this fella decided it was alright to park the opposite direction in my travel lane - but come on some consideration please.
Finally, thanks to the ubiquitous ipod, and this is something I encounter almost every day, I nearly take out a pedestrian who is mind numbingly crossing the roadway as I come out from around a 90 degree turn in the road. They are middle of the block not near a pedestrian crossing, looking straight ahead, and ipod zombie shuffling to their own pace. I could have swerved in front of them or in back of them, well I chose in front of course - might as well let them know I am there and that they could pay a little more attention to traffic than Timberlake, of which by the way bicyclists have always been bringing sexy back!
First, a fine example of how car drivers on the hill do not know how to interact with bicyclists (and I think because the majority of us do not ride in a manner in which drivers know what to expect from us, see my report on the critical mass ride earlier). Approaching a four way stop I see a car approaching from my right and coming to a full stop. I then come to a stop obviously after the car did and even after they should have already proceeded past the intersection. But them, having seen me on a bike, and not expecting me to stop at the intersection, dawdle for a few more seconds and we are forced to look at each other perplexed - me for why she has not driven through the intersection yet and her for why am I stopping at the stop sign?
Second, I am traveling uphill and at a bit of a slow pace, in a wide lane which is extended for bus traffic to pull up to an advancing public transport stop, when I spy a white university pickup swerving from the oncoming traffic lane, not only into my traffic lane but all the way over to come to a dead stand still park not more than 50 feet ahead of me, facing me and directly blocking my land of travel. Granted it wasn't a problem because the traffic on the road is calm and light, and that is probably only one of the reasons this fella decided it was alright to park the opposite direction in my travel lane - but come on some consideration please.
Finally, thanks to the ubiquitous ipod, and this is something I encounter almost every day, I nearly take out a pedestrian who is mind numbingly crossing the roadway as I come out from around a 90 degree turn in the road. They are middle of the block not near a pedestrian crossing, looking straight ahead, and ipod zombie shuffling to their own pace. I could have swerved in front of them or in back of them, well I chose in front of course - might as well let them know I am there and that they could pay a little more attention to traffic than Timberlake, of which by the way bicyclists have always been bringing sexy back!
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