We'll Call this 'Saturday Morning in Pleasantville'

I've got a story to tell you, but let me explain to you before I begin, that I live in a very picturesque planned neighborhood. It is very whitebread with manicured lawns and HOA fees and covenants and all. Honestly, it kinda creeped me out when we first moved there, because I sort of felt like we'd be the bad neighbors cuz sometimes we go a couple weeks without cutting our 10 sq ft of grass out front, etc. So there, your scene is set.

Saturday morning, Matt and I were trying to figure out what we were going to do with all of this amazing free time called a weekend, so we put Tabs in her stroller and we all went for a walk while we had a chat to figure it out. After that topic was exhausted, we turned to other varied topics … just as we were heading back into our neighborhood from the lovely little path we walk along, we were discussing road sharing between cars and bikes. This is a topic that comes up more frequently than you might imagine. And let me say that I'm not really on either side. I don't think cyclists nor motorists really understand the correct rules and procedures. As a cyclist, I've been screamed at by cars, ignorant of the rules, telling me to “get on the sidewalk.” And as a motorist, I've seen cyclists do some really dumb stuff, mainly not follow the rules of the road.

So just as we were coming into our neighborhood, we heard screaming and tires screeching. We look back and there are two cyclists screaming at a car. Apparently (I did NOT see this, I only heard what the guys were saying), the cyclist perceived that the car had gotten too close to them somehow and they were tiiicked. The one guy threw down his bike and challenged the driver of the car to fisticuffs (luv that word) right then and there. It didn't really get to that though. They were more talkers than men of action apparently, and I'm rather glad, cuz I don't like brawls in our neighborhood. I also always wonder if someone's got a more serious weapon than his fists. You just never know.

So they pulled over to the side, cell phones drawn and all called the police to have this little dispute settled. We had called them too, as I said, and I think others had as well (it was pretty busy out there with joggers and such) and before long we had two cops lights on headed their way. As we hadn't seen anything, we just got out of there, so as not to be nosy-whotsits.

I personally, do not ride my bike on streets (other than to get to trails). I just don't think it's paticuarly safe. But I do think that cars need to share the road. I kind of wonder if (especially in states like CO where we are very big into biking) that a bigger deal of road sharing rules shouldn't be made when you go thru drivers' ed. Hmm…