safety on the streets...

safety on the streets...

first off...
we all need to slow down!

pedestrians need to open their eyes to vehicles other than cars
too often pedestrians step out into the streets without taking into account of the approaching cyclist
I am not slight figure
for someone not to be alert enough to see me moving down the road on my bicycle
well... that person needs to take a trip to the nearest eye doctor

unplug the headphones
put down the cell phone
focus on the moment

pause your phone conversation and cross the street
I give everyone the space and respect that they deserve
but... the idiots that are in a cell phone bubble... they get less space and less respect

a sad story in the post...
a pedestrian was hit and killed by a cyclist this weekend
I was not there
so I will not place blame on either party
it is tragic
my heart goes out to the family who has suffered a loss
and to the cyclist... I hope you mend up fast

another article in the post...
on a pedestrian master plan

so often people complain about traffic
various intersections where there is back up
it is not clear to me why there is such an effort to keep enabling the car driver
each car with one person...
car pool?
two people in each car.... makes half the cars... half the backup
can these people not do the math?
if the traffic blockage is corrected...
well, then people will not fix the real problems

so many people drive to work when walking, cycling, or public transportation are perfectly good options
a person need not be a cyclist to ride their bicycle to work... but... they may find that they like it and then let the bicycle become part of their life
too many people do not walk enough
we can clearly see this in their waist lines
we need to stop enabling people's bad habits
we need to make their options clear to them

we need to raise the next generation of drivers to see that driving is not the only option
our car dependency is not neccessary
I own a car... there are times when I must drive
but... I have arranged my life such that I do not need to drive all the time

dropping the kids off at school on the bicycle is an awkward option
honestly... I do not take that route
but... the main reason is the safety of it all
people are such obnoxious assholes behind the wheel that I can not trust them
just the way that the parents drive around the elementary school while making drop off scares me
in the other areas of the city...
forget about it

it is risky enough for me
no way I am going to try and pull my kids across down in that mess
not yet at least

maybe when they get a tad older we can rework our personal system

but...

on drop off as cars circle looking for a parking space
as parents are fighting for that one space that just opened up
I am walking to the school with my boys from a few blocks away
where there are always parking spaces
and there is less chaos

the system needs to be restructured
the streets need to be made more safe
more safe for foot traffic, bicycle traffic, and car traffic
people need to rethink their next step