People in cars are trying to kill me. When I ride my bicycle to and from work, they keep pulling out right in front of me or veering suddenly into my lane. Sometimes two or more will team up, one parked guy opening his door suddenly while his partners whip by real close on the other side of the bike lane. I make them really mad on my clownish toy vehicle. I look like a child playing in traffic, and should therefore be taught a lesson. I might as well be on a pair of stilts. At least they could see me from farther away.Meanwhile, pedestrians are trying to make me kill them. The other morning a man grabbed his four-year-old daughter's hand and pulled her, without looking, directly into my path. He continued not to notice me even as I struggled desperately to avoid hitting the very large target that the two of them formed and not fly over the curb and consequently my handlebars. He couldn't hear me. So I didn't exist. Except in the wide eyes of his daughter.
Some people do hear me, and even see me barreling straight for the spot into which they're considering stepping, and they go for it anyway. Even if I shake my head frantically and give them the wide-eyed crazy guy look. Even if I repeat the word "no" over and over, starting under my breath and quickly building to a berserk shriek. I don't fool them, because they know that to serve them the punishment they deserve would be to punish myself at least as severely. I have no power in this relationship.
Hence, I am caught between the sadistic and the masochistic deathwish. Those whose hatred will not be relieved solely by my destruction would utilize me in their own, destroying me in the process.
- Andrew
2 comments:
You must get to Amsterdam. The cyclist rules the road and everyone - young and old with kids sitting in various parts of the bike go barreling down their part of the road ( which is most of it). If you are a pedestrian and happen to get in their path - they ring their bells loudly and if you don't move , they would run you down. By the way, no one wears helmets. I think it's a great way to travel. They have a bicycle parking lot for about 200,000 bikes!
Mum
Amsterdam, y'say? I am there!
- Andrew
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