Where Does The Driver Stop And The Cyclist Begin?
Cycling erases driver's memories
There is an on-going not-so-under-the-breath battle between cyclists and drivers which rages every day during rush hour. Drivers think that cyclists think they own the road, while cyclists think drivers are bullies. Sharing a road for these two groups is not easy as each gets in each-others way because on one hand cyclists perambulate down roads keen to save the planet, avoid the snarling engines and keep fit at the same time, while drivers want to get there quick and in comfort with the least amount of stress possible. With only so many roads that are only so wide, it is frankly unsurprising that there is such a war going on.<br/><br/> The thing is though, many cyclists are also drivers. So why is it that as soon as they don their lycra shorts and helmet that they immediately forget just what it is like to be a driver. Surely if they could remember just how it feels to be driving along and be afraid that you are going to hit a cyclist, they would cycle that little bit closer to the side of the road or parked cars that are running down the side of it?<br/><br/> The only answer is that being a cyclist is an escape from driving. Much like being a pedestrian is an escape from it too. Driving is a stressful thing and being able to stop worrying that you are going to run someone over, crash your car or get stopped by the police for a few hours is bliss. Not that all drivers are crazy stressed out beings, but even just the fact cars demand a lot of financial and physical commitment to operate makes them something we worry about. This means that when we have an opportunity to forget about this stress, even if we are using the same roads, when we grab onto our BMX grips, oil up our hybrid bike and get out there, this can happen.<br/><br/> In an ideal world there would be separate roads for cyclists. If we could redesign our cities from scratch there would be fast routes everywhere for cars (perhaps underground) and safe wide cycle paths for cyclists that can deliver anyone who wants to use their bike right to where they want to go. With all the cars underground there would be significantly less accidents between cars and pedestrians and cyclists and cars would only very rarely need to mix. Unfortunately all the dreaming in the world will never make this a reality, so all that can be done is to hope that cyclists and drivers do their best to be respectful of the stresses each is under on the roads.<br/><br/><br/><br/>
About the Author
Sam Qam is a keen cyclist. He chooses a hybrid bike for long cycles but takes his cheap road bike to work in case it gets stolen even though it has bright pink BMX grips
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