Rules of the Road

On October 24th, 2009, my local cycling community lost an invaluable member to a hit-and-run accident. He was an extremely experienced rider who knew and obeyed every rule of the road, yet could not control variables such as distracted or aggressive drivers. I never knew him myself, and was not a cyclist at the time of the tragedy, so while I of course supported my friends who knew and rode with him for years, I never felt a personal loss or impact. A white Ghost Bike was placed in memorium at the site of the accident.

When I first started riding, I knew that internalizing the rules of the road was not only the most important aspect to tackle, but also one that could save my life. Wear a helmet. Hold your line. Call car back when riding in a group when you see a car approaching from behind. Point out gravel, potholes, or other dangerous road hazards when riding towards the front. Give clear indications of your intentions through hand signals. Make direct eye contact with drivers when riding through towns or intersections. Take the lane when appropriate to keep yourself safe.

If I've missed one, please let me know.

My first two weeks of riding, despite my inexperienced state and my busy city streets, I was amazingly lucky to not have a single close call.

Last week, I did.

On Thursday I was with a fellow Velo club rider enjoying a pretty hard (for me) 25 mile ride around the county. I was definitely trying to push myself. When we reached the intersection of Church and 150, he suggested bypassing a dangerous section of upcoming road by riding a very brief period on 150 (a non cyclist friendly place) and then turning off to a quiet, well paved byway.

Sounds like a plan to me.

I hear a rumble from behind, call car back, and hold my line. The rumbling gets louder, and I know it's more than a car, even more than a truck. I hold my line and stay as far over to the right as I can. Suddenly, a blasting horn goes off in my ear, as a dump truck races by on my left close enough to touch. I can actually feel the driver's hatred of me. Me, a person he doesn't even know, who has every right to be on the road and is perhaps delaying his normal speed for two minutes, five at the very most, not even making him stop completely, just slowing him down a bit. He hates me. So much to so that he comes as close to running me off the road as he can without running me off the road. He wants to psychologically scare me as much as he can, since physically hurting me is against the law.

I've just been buzzed.

I knew the physical logistics of buzzing was dangerous in and of itself. A vehicle zooming by at extremely high speeds creates enough wind to knock a rider off course, as well as distract them to other road conditions. What I wasn't prepared for was the emotional aspect, which left me even more shaken than the fact that I could have reached out and touched the truck as it sped by had I the inclination.

Which of course also begs the question. Why are we all so angry? This man who drove the truck doesn't know me. I am a generic cyclist, nameless, faceless, and therefor an easy target for misplaced aggression. Had I been his daughter, wife, or friend, needless to say it wouldn't have happened. He was angry that he had to slow down. And please, let's be real, if you're one of those people who is angry at having to slow down, consider: What are you really angry about? A problem you're ignoring in your life? An argument you had with a loved one? A dead end job that's going nowhere?

Because it's not me.

In October, we lost a wonderful man. He was a tragic victim of emotional driving. I didn't see the accident. I don't know if the driver was distracted, angry, or both. I don't know if she realized that she ended her own life as well as the life of a loved friend, father, and husband. But she did.

I'm preaching to the choir if you're reading this blog. But please, people, go out and educate the unenlightened. Talk to people who "hate cyclists" and explain to them the dangers to both themselves and to the riders when they partake in emotional driving. Explain to them the laws of the road, and the responsibilities that all parties have to operate by them. Tell them that you, your husband, your child, your friend, is a cyclist, and to imagine if one of their children, spouses, friends were as well. How would they feel? How would they behave?

Yesterday, while riding with a group down Church St by 150, I saw a white bicycle threaded through with roses. The Ghost Bike.

Maybe you have seen a ghost bike, but not understood exactly what it meant. Now, hopefully, you do.

Please share the road.