Dear friends with cars:
I know you don’t like to wait for cyclists. Believe me, I get it. I’m not particularly fond of it either, especially when I’m running late to get somewhere. Which is pretty much all the time with me. But humor me, for a minute, if you will.
This morning I went out for a ride. I only went about 16 miles because I didn’t have a whole lot of time before my doctor appointment that I ultimately missed because I had the time wrong. Duh. But something occurred to me while I was out on the bike earlier when some guy in a red pickup truck pulling a trailer nearly scared the crap out of me as he sped past in very close proximity. I’m not really sure what he was trying to prove, since it was pretty obvious that he and his means of transportation were way bigger and faster than me and mine. If he was trying to prove that he’s a jackass, he succeeded. Anyway, I think we all know I’m a pretty fearless chick, there’s not a lot that truly scares me. However, this caused enough fear in me that I began shouting at the driver of said pick up. It is entirely possible there were obscenities involved.
As I rode on I started thinking, if that guy was a friend of mine, he wouldn’t have been as likely to do that. No, I’m not planning to use his license plate number to track him down and make friends (nor for any other reason, for that matter). Actually, I have a favor to ask of all my driving friends.
My confidence on the bike has grown leaps and bounds over the past couple months, but I still consider myself a novice and I’m still figuring out the rules of sharing the road. I typically try to ride with company, so I can learn from my more experienced cyclist friends, but that’s not always an option. The runner girl in me is used to sidewalks and jogging paths, or being able to jump out of the way without the risk of too much damage, so trust me, I don’t love riding in your driving lane, but I also don’t love riding over all the gravel and potentially hazardous junk on the shoulder of the road. If I had my way, I would ride strictly on bike paths or country roads where the only traffic is an occasional tractor, but I have to get to those venues somehow. I’d rather not be scared or killed in my attempt to get there.
So, here’s my favor, you ready? Next time you are out and about in your car, and you happen upon a cyclist, pretend for a moment that it’s me, your friend. I’d like to think that most, if not all of you care enough about me that you are concerned with my well-being. I’d like to think that you wouldn’t want to cause me any harm, such as paralysis or death or at the very least the humiliation of soiling myself in public (although a few of you would probably enjoy that last one). There is a reason we wear helmets, and it’s not about the fashion statement, I assure you. It’s to protect ourselves, and I’m hoping you all like me enough that you would be willing to protect me too. So, please, use the brakes, slow down, take the extra 30 seconds to let traffic clear before you give me plenty of room as you carefully go around me, and I promise we’ll both have a better day because of it. Think about it, wouldn’t it mess up your day a whole lot more to have to make that call to my mom and my kids? That’s what I thought.
So next time you see “me” on the road, instead of thinking that I’m some egocentric cyclist who is out there being a jerk with the sole intention of messing up your commute, please remember that I’m really just out there doing the best I can.
Thanks, Friends. Now get out and enjoy this beautiful day!
XOXO…
Rambling Runner Girl
Note: If I have ever offended or harmed you in any way and you would in fact like to run over me, please disregard this message.
If you’d like to learn more about the rules of the road for cyclists, I highly recommend taking a Cycling Savvy class. Not only do you get a classroom session, but you also get a practical, hands-on (wheels-on?) session to learn the skills necessary to ride in traffic. http://cyclingsavvy.org/category/midwest-region/
Speak for yourself; I look damn good in a helmet.
Nice name, Stove. What are you? An appliance?
My name is Steve.
Whatever, Stove.