I have, as part of my commute, a bucolic little parkway that many moron drivers use as a high speed shortcut from the Hiawatha corridor.
I've
screamed and been screamed at,
flipped off and been flipped off,
banged on windows,
doors,
fenders
(and anything else I could reach)
been driven off the road by
people passing way too close,
people driving up onto the grass
(one guy telling me he won't be that nice next time)
people swerving over at me from the oncoming lane
(generally telling me to get the $%^&* off the road)
So
After too many morons drivers have put my life at risk, I have surrendered to the bike path for this section.
It has a 10 mph speed limit and during warmer weather is filled with
dogs stretching their leashes across the bike path,
meandering baby stroller pushers,
squeaky cruisers wobbling from side to side,
occasional punk clusters practicing their rudeness skills
(they're already rude enough and don't need more practice)
As annoying as these all are, none of them are as likely to kill me as the pea-brained cagers who seem confused between the terms Parkway and Raceway.
The good part is that all the fair-weather path users have abandoned the path so I generally have it to myself except for the occasional fellow commuter refugees who all nod knowingly.
Looks like fun,: D
ReplyDeleteCan I follow your blog friends?? and gives $mile :D
I just don't get it. What IS it about bicycles that ticks drivers off so very much? Sounds like the bike path is a safer, albeit slower, choice.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Doozyanner and I know I'm redundant with this - like a dog with a bone. But I just don't understand why the sight of the cyclist gets some morons SO worked up.
ReplyDeleteNeno - What? DId you text this from your car?
ReplyDeleteDoozyanner & Limes - It's just another example of intolerance and further proof that we have a long way to go to realize a truly peaceful world.
Grrr!
ReplyDeleteSimilar experience here, rush-hour drivers shortcut through a subdivision I ride through. No stopping at the stop signs, no signals, aggressive passing last minute swerving around parked cars on narrow 40km/h side streets. This is somebodies neighbourhood, there is a school and children regularly playing outside their homes - not surprisingly no children are seen during afternoon rush hour.
ReplyDeleteI regularly catch those same drivers at the light, it is a long light, bashful looks or indignance and indifference greet me as engines anxiously idle.
Recently the city dug up the cross-road that the residitianl road exits on. Now those drivers have to turn back around - no more short cut, lots more swearing and angry 3-point turns as they floor it back down the side-streets. I however can simply dismount and walk through the construction zone. :)