...by guest blogger, Phoenix, the bike.
Take it from me, sidewalks are not built for bicycles.
Despite the number of drivers who yell at Helen to get on the sidewalk, Indiana law says bikers have the same rights and responsibilities as cars.
Besides, sidewalks are hazardous for us bikes.
Drivers pull into our path to watch for a break in the traffic.
They turn right in front of us without even noticing we are there.
And whoever built those beautiful brick sidewalks didn't have to listen to Helen's teeth chatter as we rumble over them
Why do they put lampposts, trees and benches on the sidewalk if we are supposed to ride on it?
And what about those dangerous manhole covers?
Sometimes sidewalks can be beautiful.
Maddie's rider, Katie, wrote a nice blog about the fall of the cherry blossoms.
Her post helped me notice the candy-striping of the petal-filled sidewalk beside me.
The cars whizzed by, oblivious to the beauty just a few steps away.
It makes me glad I'm a bicycle...
...but I still don't like sidewalks.
4 comments:
Harry is the best bike =) and Phoenix aren't you TJ's bike??
Ha, my yet unnamed bike completely agrees with Phoenix. Whenever I ride on sidewalks I get punished by every little bump in the concrete. I don't want to count how many times I have been forced to stop for cars in drives, and I most certainly don't want to know how often I have to slow to a crawl behind people blocking the entire sidewalk.
I use the roads whenever possible, and my bike (and body) thanks me.
Beautifully said, Helen. We get so wrapped up in drawing diagrams of accident causes and collisions to make the same point . . . but this lyrical, beautiful photo essay is a lot more fun to see. Thank you!
-- John Schubert, Limeport.org
Very nicely done. And bicycles may have the same 'rights' as cars on the roads, but then so would roller-bladers, skate-boarders, etc. And that doesn't necessarily mean that it is intelligent to exercise those rights...right? I love riding my bike, but I cringe when I see road-bikes on 146th street in Hamilton County, belligerently endangering themselves, all the while a 6' asphalt trail is available right along side.
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