FFS - think about it

I was riding in the bike lane approaching a bus waiting to make a right turn. He was in my way. He was in my lane. Just standing there, waiting for some dawdling pedestrians to cross the street. I looked over my shoulder and swerved to go around him on the left. He started turning then, at the same time a pickup truck came out of that side street to make a left turn. The driver obviously had no idea I was there, but I’d seen him, so I slowed down.  I got pretty close to him, but I don’t mind giving the right of way, because it beats being run over.
Behind him, surprisingly, and much more dangerous than an oblivious pedestrian, appeared an oblivious fellow cyclist going the wrong way, on my bike lane, at regular speed. When we spotted each other we stuttered a bit, then almost collided.

Never assume that someone very proximate isn’t just in the middle of doing something stupid and unpredictable.  And when doing something stupid and unpredictable yourself – and we all end up doing unpredictable, even stupid things, if only by momentary distraction, that we’re sure we’ve really really thought through – please!  Make sure that you have.

where'd ya get the biria?

Stranger with white helmet: Noticed you going westbound on Queens Quay today around 11:45. I had decided to walk because of the snow storm. It is better to leave my bike at home in the morning than at work in the evening.
You passed me on the sidewalk, a little close I must say, on your funny-looking Biria Easy Boarding Bicycle.
I watched you ride away through some terrain that defies everything I thought I knew about riding in the snow, bouncing and wriggling through whatever was hidden under the inch or two of new fluffiness, including lumps of ice and construction debris, and through a 4-inch snow drift rounding the corner on the sidewalk up a ways. I know this because I had the opportunity to follow your tracks most of my way, no footsteps anywhere, just the two snakes of wide tread of the brave tires on your magic bike, until I thought I’d lost you at the entrance to the Westin Harbour Castle, where I stopped a while to investigate where you might have gone, and would it be worth it to find you and pick your brain. Did you buy the tires separately? Do you park your bike outside? Where d’ya get it?
I happen to have seen this bike online just yesterday, and couldn’t find a dealer for it.
Later I picked up your tracks again, they led me to a side entrance of one of the many condos where they ended right at the little back door, and at least one of my questions was answered.

almost home now don't get cocky

It’s ok to unclench your hands and jaw now, but don’t get too comfortable, close to home is where most people get into accidents.
Every year, when the snow hits, I’m a little surprised at how un-slippery it is.  It feels a bit out of control while your tires are finding the pavement, but people expect it to feel like riding on a skating rink – years ago I did – but it compares much better to riding on a beach.
Every year I remember that I meant to buy goggles. When I rode to work yesterday I didn’t realize I had the wind in my back. I also didn’t realize it would keep snowing all day long. I might have left my bike at home, but I hate to be stuck walking after a storm when the sun has come out, and everything has been cleared.
I worked hard coming home! I had to hop off and push through a few stretches of soft ‘n’ fluffy. Intersections are difficult because the criss-cross of tire tracks turns into sort of a maze of snowbanks. But the biggest hurdle last night was the wind. It’s hard to hop back on the bike, when both the ground and the air are keeping you from gaining momentum. There was lots of traffic, presumably Christmas shoppers. They didn’t seem as frantic and desperate (and dangerous) as last year, or maybe it’s still early. I didn’t enjoy the masses of cars, but without their ruts I woudn’t have ridden at all!
I keep forgetting, the city waits a certain amount of time before they plough/ re-plough the streets. Surprisingly, a lot of the sidewalks were clear! A matter of timing, I suppose.
My usual 15 minute trip home took me 45 minutes.  After about 10 I was just a big wet sponge of sweat, my eyes were watering because snow flakes feel like needles in that wind – a visor can’t keep out horizontal precipitation – and my eyebrows were riddled with icicles because condensation was coming up from my covered mouth and nose. But when I got home and upstairs into the warmth, I felt calm.
I never ride fast or far, so cardio is not part of my daily riding experience, but it was last night!

it's snowstorm time again

Today I experienced that first snow storm of the season on a new set of two wheels! My dainty little Raleigh passed the test.

When setting out on a snowy day don’t count on the bike path, or the sidewalk. Forget about those till spring time. Get visible, but seriously visible! Keep your eyes open; keep a constant eye on the terrain. Try to avoid the nice soft pillows of fluffy pretty snow. They are the devil. Dangerous obstacles are concealed under there, curbs, pot holes, metal grates, debris, ice.
Find the place in the lane that has the most grip, usually pretty much the middle, where drivers want to be, where they have already made a nice path for you. Yeah, they’re gonna get a bit mad. I don’t recommend this during rush hour, or in a whiteout, but have your lights on, wear bright clothes, and as long as you are seen, you’re as safe as… usual, whatever that means. This morning they were very well behaved, probably because they were as uncertain as I was.

Riding in the snow, it comes back to you. You’ll remember that a bit of slipping is normal, it’s not exactly slipping, it’s more like a different margin of control. It takes a bit of time to become comfortable with it again. In the meantime you might look like you don’t know what you’re doing, because you’re so focussed on the street, and you’re all clenched, and bent forward and ready to jump off.
It’s hard to command respect that way. So, of course I got honked at. By the driver of a TTC bus! Who urgently needed to beat me to the red light ahead. I looked over my shoulder, to make sure  he wasn’t too close or too fast, stuck out my left arm and crossed the lane to the other side to prepare for my turn.
I will not be intimidated.
When I arrived at work and started to lock my bike I did notice that my hands were shaking.
Did I mention to stay visible?

dear motorist transcript

This is a video appealing to everyone, drivers and cyclists, to be more mindful in traffic.  I made a transcript so that I could break it down, and discuss some of the points in separate blogs in the future, and to make the content more accessible.
[sz-youtube url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Euu2QRIuEPk” /]
Over the last 10 years, 6,957 cyclists have been killed. Our goal is to save at least one. Cyclists have written the following letters.
Dear motorist,
Dear motorist,
Dear motorist,
I am a mother.
I am a daughter.
I am a cyclist.
Over the years cycling has kept me healthy. It has given me a way to escape from the pressures and stresses that life can bring.
I’m out there riding my bike to stay healthy, to enjoy the beautiful place where I live, and simply because I love it.  I love the wind on my face, the sun on my back, the scenery flashing by and the feeling of satisfaction I get from living an active lifestyle.
Dear motorist, I’m not a cyclist, but I’m a husband. I have a wife; she loves to ride. Someone almost hit her the other day. My heart stopped when I heard the news.
I know that cyclists can be annoying, when they ride in your lane, force you to slow down and wait before turning. Until I bought a bike I too was easily irritated by cyclists impeding my commute.
[interview:] The thing that a lot of motorists don’t realize is that cyclists are gonna put themselves into whatever position they feel safest.
When you are driving your car and road conditions become dangerous you move around them to keep yourself safe. It is the same with cyclists.
I’ve taken a right-hand turn in my car and nearly missed a cyclist I failed to see around the corner. I’ve been cycling on the shoulder of the road and almost hit by a distracted driver. I live on both sides of this discussion.
I recently had a good friend of mine killed while riding his bike. It was tragic and unnecessary. He was too young to die.
My friend lost his life doing what he loved. Doing what I love.
He had a wife and four kids. I wanna be there for my family. He no longer can be.
It is easy to feel invincible, like you are the exception to the rule, like it would never happen to you or to somebody you know. In an instant his wife’s and 4 young children’s lives were changed forever, and not just theirs, but the life of that motorist will never be the same, either.
[interview:] I think that’s everybody’s worst fear, um, is actually having taken someone’s life, or even injuring somebody. Um, I can’t imagine the guilt I would feel, um… not only for the person that I injured, but for everybody else in that person’s life.
My friend does not have to live with that memory every day, but the driver who hit him will live with that guilt every single day, for the rest of his life.
[interview:] I’ve had a really hard time getting back on my bike since the accident, because I’m afraid that every car I hear coming from behind is gonna hit me, and I just don’t wanna ride that way.
I’m at the mercy of the motorists I’m sharing the road with. You are bigger than me. You are travelling faster than me. If we collide my chance of injury is a hundred times greater than yours.
Every single person’s life is worth a few seconds of your time.
[interview:] I understand where cyclists would be angry with the situation. I understand where motorists get frustrated with slower moving objects on the road.
I’ve seen my fellow cyclists do some really not so smart things on the road, and it hurts me to think this is where our image comes from.
[interview:] I think it can be avoided by both parties. Cyclists need to be conscientious of drivers, and obeying the laws, and not just assume that drivers are gonna look out for them.
As a cyclist I pledge that I will be as visible as possible, to stay as much out of your way as possible.
I’ve made a new commitment to myself: I will stop the distractions when I’m behind the wheel.
Please slow down and drive cautiously. There isn’t anything that’s going to happen while you’re driving that’s more important than the actual act of driving.
I don’t want to leave my kids without a mother, because I didn’t respect you as a motorist, and you didn’t respect me as a cyclist. More importantly I want you to respect my kids, even if they are still learning to respect you. So my plea is for us all to be safe, to be aware, be courteous, and to share the road.
Sincerely, your friend
Sincerely, your brother
Sincerely, a mother
Sincerely, a cyclist’s husband
Sincerely, a cyclist
Pledge to be more aware at:
Dear Motorist  (.com)

there's more room on the sidewalk

If you’ve already shouted “What pros?”  then you might want to go read something else. But I’d like you to be able to stay, read on and give me your opinion. When you’re finished reading.
It’s probably not a good idea to ride on the sidewalk, and in the end not even worth the hassle, and incidentally in Toronto, also illegal, but you might  find that there are some good reasons to do it. Hear me out.

well, let’s talk about this

Let’s first take a look at the reasons not to. The sidewalk is a minefield of opportunities for collison.  If you’re moving at a fairly regular bicycle speed, you’re doing it wrong. If you’re passing pedestrians, get off the sidewalk now. There’s no safe way to pass an unsuspecting pedestrian. I woudn’t bother ringing my bell, you’ll just be seen as the rude trespasser asking the proprietor to kindly lurch out of your way. For more detail on the dangers of collision on the sidewalk, you can take a look at my article about the peculiar behaviours of pedestrians.  And kids! A little kid can break free from his parent’s hand and be under your wheel in a second, when you thought you had ample room to do your thing.
Pedestrians can suddenly appear from out of doorways, and from behind corners. Plus, to a pedestrian you’re taller, and harder, and faster than he is, and threatening, and just not supposed to be there at all. People will get pretty protective of their turf. Some pedestrians will glare at you even if you’re meters away just because they feel that you are getting away with something.  and some just because you HAVE a bike on the sidewalk, even if you’re not sitting on it.
The dangers to you:  Curbs and driveways! You can get seriously killed coming off a curb at a speed a driver doesn’t expect from something on a sidewalk!
Oh,… fines! I haven’t met anyone who has been fined, but they are steep, last I researched.
So then, why would you want to ride on the sidewalk?
Some people are too scared to ride on city streets. With very good reason! The bike path infrastructure in Toronto is very limited!
My aunt for example has terrible pain in her feet, but gets around wonderfully on a tricycle. She’s very nervous in traffic, as one would be, when one goes slowly and is wide. Midtown streets are narrow. Drivers can be aggressive. So she rides on the sidewalk. We never discussed it, but I’m sure she has good judgement and rules she lives by. She wants to be safe, and respectful, and she is no doubt patient and ready to stop and give the right of way. She is after all aware of being in someone else’s territory.
Single lane traffic. It’s a construction zone and the lane is so narrow, nobody can safely pass me. If there are a dozen cars lined up behind me all bubbling with rage and resentment, and the sidewalk is empty and about the same width as the lane, I will opt for the sidewalk. It’s just the better choice!
During a heatwave, when there is shade on the other side of the street, and i’m about to wilt or be turned into a crispy cracker, I will find room on that sidewalk on the other side. If I see an available bike rack down the street on the opposite side, but my chance to cross is now I will end up on the sidewalk for a small stretch.

Ok, so maybe you’re thinking they are pretty good reasons to be on the sidewalk, but why not get off and push? Well, beside the fact that it would defeat the whole purpose for my aunt, I don’t think I should have to. Many townships don’t make riding on the sidewalk illegal. Riding on the sidewalk should work perfectly well. Bike paths through a park can be no wider than a sidewalk and there are easy rules that make sharing possible.

• Don’t go slower than you can manage balancing.
• Don’t get close to anyone without warming. Speak, don’t ring. Stop when uncertain.
• Be aware of everything that could happen around you, 360 degrees, and be ready to jump off.
• Be patient. If you must pass someone, ask politely to squeeze by.
• Say please and thank you, and smile.

If you conduct yourself respectfully with a well-thought-out code you can be safer than a personal mobility device, or a stroller, a child on a scooter or roller-blades, or a person pulling a suitcase. I see nothing wrong with scooting along, one foot on a pedal, bike under me, the other foot pushing off on the other side, ready to stop on a dime. Have you ever noticed that you actually take up less space that way, than if you pushed your bicycle beside you? You can lose your balance trying not to hit your ankle! The only time I will ever collide with a pedestrian on a sidewalk is when a multi-tasking pedestrian trips and falls right into me, but as a wise friend has pointed out, it would still be deemed my fault.

So, are we cyclists really arrogant rule breakers? Apart from riding on sidewalks we do a whole lot of other illegal and insolent things, make rolling stops, run red lights, cross intersections diagonally, sometimes cutting things really close, inconveniencing others or putting them in danger, squeeze past a row of cars on the right (cause it’s just so difficult for us to have to wait in traffic), go down the wrong way on a one-way street (cause we’re special, and we shouldn’t have to do detours). And some of us expect the rest of the population to make way, and even to be the ones to pay attention and protect our safety from our own foolish carelessness. How often have you seen a cyclist do something so dangerous, like swerve around a pothole or pass another cyclist in dense traffic without looking over his shoulder? And how often have you seen a cyclist go through a red light, almost hit a pedestrian whose turn it was to cross the street, and then yell at them? Who wouldn’t be paranoid and full of indignation!
My friend says: “I’m a conscientious rule breaker.” Sure, me too. I get the Using Your Judgement, and the Rules Are For The Thoughtless.  But what we conscientious rule breakers need to keep in mind is, well, first off, that we’re breaking the rules, and it doesn’t matter now much we think these conscientious things we do make sense, or how much sense they really do make, or how careful or how respectful we are. There are two things to consider when breaking the rules, there are the things we do, and there is the impact we have on the people who see us do them.
Some say we should follow the laws, and everything will be fine. I’m not sure that would solve the confrontational aspect of the situation. Besides, it doesn’t sit right with me. Am I to stop at every stop sign even when nobody’s around? Well, yes, but will I? I don’t think so especially since there are communities that have such exceptions actually written into the by-laws.
But somehow we do have to reverse the damage we’ve done by taking liberties. I don’t blame anyone who feels intimidated and retaliates. We’ve stopped communicating. We’re all impatient with one another. We don’t think about others as much as we should. We’re always in a hurry. We’ve become resentful and we’re up in arms about the smallest things. We have to give, not take. We have to show appreciation and understanding. We have to use forethought. We have to educate ourselves, and we have to show respect, and kindness, above all.
If I’m anywhere near a person on the sidewalk you can’t tell me apart from a pedestrian, a weird polite pedestrian, because I talk a lot more and I yield to everyone. Also I’m strangely bicycle shaped, and well, my feet may be off the ground at times.  So, that’s one problem solved, you’d think. The other problem is the much bigger one. To a previously terrorized pedestrian, it doesn’t matter how loving a pit bull I am, I’m still a pit bull in a yard full of bunnies!

shit pedestrians do

Traffic on sidewalks kind of ambles, pedestrians never look over their shoulder,  there are no lanes on sidewalks, people just stop or veer without warning and for no apparent reason – that shit would never fly on the street. Remember that I’m generalizing, so please don’t take offense, but these are observations I make on a regular basis.
Pedestrians text and walk all the time, they get so engrossed, they slow right down, and just waft over into your path. If you have one oncoming or you’re trying to pass someone focused on their Smartphone, you sometimes have to calculate the slight arc they are walking, and judge whether you’ll still have an opening once you get close enough, or whether you should decide to pass him on the other side, or perhaps just stop and see what happens.
Notice that a pedestrian never just suddenly turns around, no.  A pedestrian will turn around by stepping sideways quite possibly blindly into someone else’s path. When a pedestrian hears something behind them they might do their side-stepping maneuver, either to see what’s behind them (which is fair), or in a misguided attempt to make way, when it would make so much more sense to just hold his course and allow faster entities to pass.
Pedestrians like to cut corners, when crossing the street, exactly into the path of say a cyclist pulling up to the line at a red light.
A pedestrian might know he can’t cross the street in the 3 seconds left in the countdown of his traffic light, but he will start anyways, knowing that everyone will allow them to safely reach the opposite side, even though they are chomping at the bit.
Pedestrians are so certain of their right of way at intersections like 4-way stops, that they will simply start crossing the street, sometimes without even looking. Jaywalking, if a pedestrian doesn’t hear anything coming on the street they might step off the curb onto the street without looking, forgetting that cyclists are silent. Or he might rush right up to the edge of the sidewalk making it seem as though he’s just going to cross, then suddenly stop, just as you’re about to consider the consequences of a hit’n’run.

The sidewalk has absolutely no rules, people just meander, exit doorways running, appear out of nowhere from behind corners or kiosks, they cut each other off, willy-nilly – there is no discipline or sense of personal space, it’s dog eat dog on the sidewalk!  That’s why riding a bike on the sidewalk, is such a bad idea!
Pedestrians have no problem getting into a cyclist’s space when they want to, but roll onto their turf, and you might get a scowl you won’t soon forget, sometimes even if you are pushing your bicycle beside you, which incidentally makes you twice as wide. A pedestrian might even subtly get a little closer to you, just to illustrate how much you’ve inconvenienced him. Don’t scoff, I’ve seen it! Or he will lurch out of your way in terror to make his point, even though you are still more than 10 feet away from him.
To some degree I understand this hostility. Most of us cyclists are terribly arrogant as well. And some of us do take unnecessary chances with others’ safety.
Then why would I go through the hassle of riding on the sidewalk?  That’s the topic of a whole other blog coming up.