Days getting longer, doing more biking, and feeling the close calls with cars again. The orange vest seems to help (a few drivers seem to equate safety orange with “government employee” and become deferential), but it’s amazing to see what drivers will do even when you know they see you – things they would never do if I were another car, since then I’d be a threat to their fender integrity. All of this gets me thinking about Matthew again, and then I learn about the upcoming Ride of Silence:
On May 18, at 7 PM across the country and around the world, cyclists will take to the roads in a silent protest of what they call carnage taking place on the streets. Although cyclists have a legal right to share the road with motorists, much of the motoring public doesn’t seem aware they are there.
Wyn Aldrich tells me Matthew’s name has been added to the list of bicyclists who have been killed by cars, and is to be among those commemorated at this year’s nation-wide event.
I feel like Jekyll and Hyde sometimes driving around boston, because while I try to give cyclists the space they deserve, often a subset of them do completely stupid things (riding between lanes of stopped cars at incredible speed, ignoring traffic signals, riding on sidewalks, etc)…
An orange vest is a really good idea. You’ve inspired me to dig mine out, before I get on my bike again. You can’t be too careful … it’s not just your ass on the line now either, now that you have a wife and a kid. Be careful out there!
My bike is now languishing in my basement, because I’ve had too many close calls with some pretty insane motorists in Cambridge and Somerville.
Just this morning, I watched in horror as a woman on her cell phone (driving an SUV) came within inches of running over a cyclist as she swooped into a parking spot. Had the cyclist not popped onto the sidewalk, he would have been toast.
I was pretty enraged to see this oblivious woman nearly kill the guy.