Monday, July 24, 2006

Biking

I'm not one to go and freak out about things and I'm certainly not one to try and force my opinions on anyone but I've got to talk about the stupidity I see everyday when it comes to bicyclists on the road.

We live in a small, tourist trap, quaint fishing village on the southern coast of Maine and in the summer our population swells to about 10 times it's winter's size...thus the traffic is horrendous from June-August. Our town has no bike paths, no plans to build any, no provisions for biking, very few sidewalks and lots of twisting turning roads. The coast in my town is full (thanks to receding glaciers!) of huge ledges of granite, boulders the size of small houses and lots of salt marshes. When settlers needed to get from one place to another, they rode their horses and carts around these obstacles, creating paths, which became trails, and then roads....which we eventually slapped some asphalt on and VOILA! A maze of very twisted roads that wind around these obstacles with barely enough room for 2 cars to pass safely (let alone 2 cars AND bikes on each side) and no room for expansion because the houses were built close to the roads. You see... long ago, before snowblowers and personal vehicle snowplows were commonplace, it made no sense to build a house far away from the road unless you've got someone to do some serious shoveling in the winter.

Now, I ask you..... given the scenario I just described to you..... what in the frig tarnation would possess a person to want to bike along our roads? Why would you subject yourself to cycling on roads where your life is in peril at any given moment? And the question I really need to have answered, why oh why would you put your kid in one of those pull along buggy things and drag them up the road behind you? Even if they are wearing a blast helmet? I know these buggies are all stylish and whatnot and I'm sure you look really suave and hip but for christ sake's - how could you ever explain that accident to anyone? "Well, it was like this. I really, really wanted to take a bike ride and I could see that the roads weren't designed for it and the area doesn't cater to it but I thought "what the hell - it will be fun."

8 comments:

lime said...

oh i hear you. similar thing here. tourist area. bad roads with no shoulders. much congestion. foolish bikers tempting the fates.

3outta5 said...

Oh boy, do I ever know about that!!!! I lived on the northern California coast -- same damn thing. Barely enough room for CARS, let alone nuts on bikes. A few bike riders got killed on those roads EVERY year, but still they did not seem to figure out that it was a BAAAAAAD idea.

Now that I live in Hickville, USA, it is not a tourist destination. At all. In fact, in the 16 years of my residence here, there has been exactly ONE new building built in the entire town. I always say that the best thing about our town is that you are never *underdressed* to go to town!!! ROFL

Sue said...

Lol! You should hear Earl Sr. on this one! Earl wants to sponser a bill that makes it illegal for someone to ride a bike on a highway, unless there is a bike lane. He can't stand meeting those things. And why do they ride with the traffic? Why don't they face the traffic so they can see what's coming at them? I can just imagine what the log truck drivers have to say about them.

Sharpie said...

Those things are only safe on bike trails. Jeez - you'd think people had more sense.

mainiax said...

hey I saw your hubby in a maine bass master book I see he made the team is that this year? one of the guys I work with does all big tourniments with him.
But he doesnt win much LOL

Beth said...

Well, I used to be a serious cyclist in a small town and I think if you get the cycling bug, you can't really help yourself. I preferred running myself and had a few drivers pissed at me as well, but I never understood this. It was always just me, I always pulled over to the side of the road, which is literally off the road. Still, it was like I was taking up both lanes. My small town had a problem with my commitment to health and exercise. That's the only way I could see it. LOL I think for experienced cyclists, not the "I've got money so will buy an expensive bike" crowd, it's their passion and yes, they'll risk their lives and children's limbs to do it.

Sandi said...

I cringe just looking at that buggy thing. I know the way Gary drives, and I wouldn't even walk beside the roads there.
Some people just need to be killed so the gene pool can be cleansed.

ccw said...

We have the buggy thing, but our neighborhood is designed for walkers/bikers/runners so no one is putting their life in jeopardy. What in the hell would possess a parent to pull their child along your roads??