Wednesday, May 8, 2002
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Wednesday, May 8, 2002 |
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Please don't honk at bikers "With all the miles of cart paths here, do you have to ride [your bike] on the road at 5 p.m.?" the middle-aged woman in the white sedan shouted out her window at me. I was too shocked to say anything before she drove away. "Yes!" I screamed a moment later. I had been riding my bike on the paths for nearly 15 miles, came to the end of them, near Redwine Road, and had just turned on to Robinson, where there are no cart paths at the south end. But the irony of it all is that Robinson Road is one of the few arterials that just happens to be wide enough for both cyclists and cars. Maybe she belongs to that group of motorists who think that bicyles have no place on public roads. To that I say: read the Georgia vehicle code book. We do have a right to ride on the roads! The cart paths are fine for riding more slowly, like I do, but are not very well-suited for the long-distance, faster workout that the typical "roadie" enjoys. Those guys can go up to 25 mph or more at times, and often will ride a distance of 50 miles on any given day. People need to be just a bit more accommodating to the occasional cyclist who is doing his/her best to stay on the far right side of the traffic lane, on a human-powered, non-polluting vehicle, trying to get some great exercise, or even ride to or from work, even at 5 p.m.! We are not going to go away. The bicyle has been around as long as the automobile, and is still popular with many, so please be nice. We are just people like you. We also drive our cars, but are just a bit more aware of cyclists, walkers, and joggers. Judith Simpson member, Fayette Biking for Life Club Fayetteville
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