a nod to community
JoelI had three hours to kill while my wife got pampered at a South Tampa spa (you know, the one). I had a full tank of gas after a stop at a BP station (with a sign that said, “Excuse me, I have gas,” who could resist?). I had the Streets and New Order in the CD player. I had a jones for seeing a part of Tampa I haven’t spent much time in during my thirteen years here.
So like any good, responsible American during “war”time I drove around aimlessly.
Five minutes later I almost hit a bicyclist.
Before you label me an insurance risk, you should know two things:
- I scored a 95 on that driving rules test. Because that means a lot.
- Coming around a blind corner into oncoming traffic on a busy road is not usually a good idea, bicycle or not.
Everyone was fine, but I was shaken enough to take this incident as a sign to get off the road. Nevertheless in the mile or so it took me to arrive at Ballast Point Park for some stationary relaxation, I saw two other cyclists being menaced by cars. Share the Road indeed.
A few days later my wife gave me a bicycle for my birthday. I’m not sharing the road, but that’s because I don’t have to.
I live in New Tampa. I may complain a lot about the endless chain restaurants and lacking sense of community, but for someone with a new bicycle this place is heaven. Just about every inch of sprawling artery leading away from Bruce B Downs has a trail alongside; without once ever being threatened by an SUV I can bike for miles of wooded wonder (we also have Flatwoods Park, a favorite of local blogger Alan Snel’s Bike Stories). And best of all the trails are well used by many other New Tampa residents. I see dog walkers, inline skaters (yes, people still do that), joggers, etc.; finally, a community!
Or not. The fact is that anytime I so much as nod my head or give a slight wave at these people they look at me like I’m a pedophile with three heads. I’m not asking for a hug or an invitation to brunch - I just want an acknowledgment of how much cooler we are than the able-bodied missing out on our beautiful Florida late afternoons in favor of being inside for The Fox Report. Is that too much to ask?
Seriously - is that too much to ask?
***cross-posted at In Theory***
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June 9th, 2006 at 12:37 pm
This post is awesome! Although I have to say as someone who actually has a “Share the Road” license plate on his car, sometimes, cyclists need to pay more attention to what they are doing.
There are some major things they don’t do, the biggest … if you’re going to go in front of a car, especially crossing an egress or ingress, MAKE EYE CONTACT with the driver. If you don’t make eye contact, do NOT cross in front of him.
I love bike riding. Hell, I’ll be on the Pinellas Trail after work.
June 9th, 2006 at 1:14 pm
It’s time to make the South Tampa greenway a reality. Ultimately planned to hook up with the Friendship Trail (old Gandy Bridge) it would make bicycles a reasonable transportation choice in much of SOG Tampa. Now I worry more about the husband riding his bike to work from Port Tampa to MacDill than I did when he was in Afghanistan and Iraq. That being said, Port Tampa is a popular Saturday morning destination for serious cyclists who seem to be training for big races. (Or at least they spend on gear like they’re serious.)
June 9th, 2006 at 1:32 pm
Re eye contact w drivers: You can try, I guess, but I find they often look right through you. Drivers in Tampa just do not see or look for bikers. Even when they see us, they still keep driving as if we are fellow motorists, not fragile human beings sitting atop wobbly little bikes. I stick to the Pinellas trail, Bayshore sidewalk, Davis Islands and only the quietest side streets in s Tampa. It’s dangerous out there, but we have no other options if we want to enjoy our bikes.
June 9th, 2006 at 4:23 pm
Great points, Anonymous. I guess we can only do our best … but you’re right, many times, they do see right through us. They feel that because they have their big environment-destroying machines, that they have all the right of way over us puny little cyclists.
Damn you, Ronda. =P
June 9th, 2006 at 5:13 pm
There’s a HUGE difference between serious cyclists like Snel and all the halfwits forced to travel on two wheels because the judge won’t let them drive four anymore. Case in point: I’m at a red light the other day and some MF on a 10-speed (I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a Trek) almost takes off my side mirror as (get this) he was running said red light! Two thoughts immediately came to mind: Where’s a cop when you need one, and does Share the Road really mean surrender it altogether?
June 9th, 2006 at 5:14 pm
Not having to “share the road” hardly excuses suburban sprawl. You can ride your bike in a park.
June 10th, 2006 at 11:16 am
Just in case anyone needs to refer to them, here are Florida’s traffic rules for bicyclists. I wonder how well people would score on a test of these rules. Most of the rules for cars apply to bikes, though, and since Florida scored so low, there’s part of your problem.
C.W. - True, although sometimes the serious cyclists know the rules so well that they abuse them and decide to take over the road. Riding as close to the curb as possible isn’t always their priority.
Rachel - It’s not, but the sprawl isn’t going anywhere; it’s best to try and work with what you have. And when you get back from work with about half an hour to pack up the bike, ride to a park and ride for oh, five minutes before they close, that’s not a viable option for riding on weekdays.
June 10th, 2006 at 1:04 pm
the question really boils down to this: why would anyone oppose riding a bicycle anywhere? it’s quiet, doesnt burn fossil fuel, takes up no room, doesnt pollute and hurts nothing and no one. drivers with road rage tend to see bikers as the cause of some of their angst. who knows why? maybe they present he biggest target for mindless hatred? florida is one of the saddest states in the u.s. to be a biker. if we cant even feel safe on bayshore boulevard, a virtual cowpath compared to major streets in real urban environments, then riding here is a fools game, at best. i wdnt ride in the ‘bike lane’ on bayshore if you paid me.
June 10th, 2006 at 2:12 pm
In the late 60’s the kids learned to ride their bikes at Ballast Point School - later on we took trips down Bayshore Blvd sidewalk to TGH then on the way back stop off at Colonade Rest to rest & eat. Had a great time back then…
June 12th, 2006 at 10:25 pm
I’m a naughty bicyclist! I run red lights all the time! Well, actually, only on Sunday mornings in downtown, and then only because there isn’t any other street traffic. I also NEVER signal my turns. Drivers are more likely to assume I’m trying to flip them the bird than to understand what hand signals mean anyway. Not that that’s any excuse, but… no, wait, that is an excuse. I also ride on the sidewalks (illegal) and often use Marion Street as my north-south corridor (illegal during the workday). One time riding home from a club in Ybor at 3 AM I rode on the sidewalks in Ybor, ran three red lights, made an illegal turn, and went the wrong way up a one-way street. The key difference is I do this when there’s no other traffic on the road, and after checking to verify this belief. I feel I’m in much less danger riding downtown, traffic laws or not, than most of the cyclists I pass on my to work down Bayshore in the mornings.