I wrote the following to my friends on Facebook. I thought I'd share it here.
Tonight on the way cycling home I had 4 drivers drive at me. No, they didn't just accidentally make a bit of a mistake. No, I didn't do anything to annoy them, apart from be on the road in front of them. Perhaps I held them up for 30 seconds or so. They drove at me and I had to take evasive action to avoid being hit. Today was my daughters birthday and I just wanted to get home.
Many of you won't have ridden a bike on the roads before. It can be amazing, but you are so vulnerable as well. It can be frightening. I don't blame most people for not riding a bike.
There are many, many reasons why we need more people riding bikes. As things stand our government is committed to building more roads. More roads, leads to more driving. More driving leads to more congestion (the cars have to get to these new roads on the current congested roads) and....we become yet more car dependant and as a result more frustrated by people like me who want a different way. Anti car? Me? No. I'm about to buy a new one. But the car is only one of many possible ways to get from A to B. At the moment it is the only one supported by our government. They spend 100s of millions on new roads and throw crumbs and nice words our way.
Some of you will have been to our wee Pedal on Parliament protest before, most of you won't. Please though, come to this one. With the election coming, this one matters. Not for me, I'm beyond saving, but for my kids and for yours. Ask yourself, which future do you want for them.
I don't normally do this, but if you agree with what I say, please share it. I want to get home for my daughters birthday for many years to come.
My very bright lights failed for some reason as I let the office so I had to use the road and cycle path rather than the canal. As I approached my least favourite point outside Asda in the go ahead lane, I indicated after the junction but in the shaded box part to get into the right hand lane for the t-junction ahead and was overtaken by a BMW from the turn right only lane. He of course immediately cut across me into the turn left lane at the same approaching junction. We were the only 2 on the road, there was plenty of room for him to pass on the left as I had signalled prior to him doing the manoeuvre.
ReplyDeleteHowever, it wouldn't have demonstrated to me how fast his car could go had he waited. Just because you can do a manoeuvre is not a reason to do it.
Hope your daughters birthday was more fun than your journey home.