Due to circumstances beyond my control, coupled with the fact that I tend to put the health of my friends a bit higher than bicycling on my list of what is important in life, I've yet to be able to bike to work this week. To put it bluntly, it sucks, but it makes me appreciate my bike much, much more. It also makes me hate everyone else driving much, much more.
I experience a slight bit of stress when I ride on streets, mainly stemming from the fact that LA drivers enjoy telling me to go procreate with myself, informing me that I am making them at least five seconds late to Starbucks, and suggesting I change my mode of transportation to a horse. Most days though, my ride is awesome, and I tend to run into some decent human beings who make my day a bit brighter and help restore what tiny sliver of faith I have left in humanity.
They say that commuting by car is quite stressful, and I can attest to this. Between constantly having to worry about idiots not signalling, trying to cut me off, and treating the speed limit like it should be the number posted multiplied by two, I get to work a bit frazzled, cursing at the fact I wasn't able to ride on such a beautiful day.
You're not clever for speeding up in the turn lane and then merging over at the last second. You're an asswagon if you think that expensive car puts you above using blinkers. Your children are perfectly capable of walking a mile to school; you do not need to drive them in your massive SUV on a daily basis. The time it takes me to get to work by car is cut in half when school isn't in session, mostly because of the lack of soccer mom SUVs chauffeuring at most one child and three small dogs to school.
When the light turns green, I don't enjoy waiting ten seconds for the cars that are running the other red lights to finish going through the intersection.
How do people deal with this every day? I can't remember how I was able to cope with driving on a daily basis, which is something I used to do. That part of my life is shrouded in utter unhappiness, brought on by lack of bicycle.
Anyway, some good news!
LA will be getting 832 miles of bikeways in the future! Granted, mostly it seems like they will be Class III style, meaning not dedicated lanes or trails, but signage informing motorists they yes, yes we can legally ride in the lane. Even still, this is good news, and will hopefully encourage more people to ride, which I am always okay with.
Here's to hoping I will be riding to work tomorrow. At this rate, I might actually have to put gas in my car soon...like some sort of animal or something.
...maybe I'll sneak out for a late night Leap Day ride later.
...maybe I'll sneak out for a late night Leap Day ride later.
2012 Distance Count: 337 Miles | 542.4 Kilometers
I have a long commute - I drive part of it, but I keep a folding bike in my trunk, so I ride as much as I can. Driving is always so much more stressful.
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