The Journey to a Texas Ironman

I was just thinking early yesterday that it has been a quiet week of work and workouts with not much to report. Funny how things can change in an instant.

Cycling on a warm sunny day with a bit of wind, a friend of mine and I roll along catching up on life and riding. As we entered into a neighboring suburb, we arrived to a stop sign. Both of us stopped and a car pulled up next to us. The woman driver rolled down the passenger window and started yelling at my friend and I stating she is looking for a woman in her 60’s on a bike who spit on her a month ago in another suburb while she was driving her car and if we know who she is and so on and so on. As she drove away, she yelled out to us stating the woman of spit set cyclists back 20 years.

So we turn on our route and try to comprehend what just went down and what on earth would have caused a cyclist to spit at a driver. Of course I could not help but wonder after the random conversation of the driver who really started the altercation. ;)

This incident brings up a very valid point in regards to cyclists on Texas roads. There is currently one town in Texas that has banned cyclists and another now trying to pass a similar ban. I could not think of a more wasteful use of city hall time by enacting such a ban. Luckily, there is a coalition for Texas cyclists to educate and hopefully rid such ridiculous acts. Instead of banning, why not use this opportunity to educate the driver, cyclist and the community as a whole?

We have to come to a solution for all parties. Unfortunately, for Texas cyclists a law requiring motorists to allow for three feet of space between the vehicle and cyclist was vetoed. The coalition is not giving up and hopefully Texas government will come to come to their senses and enact a law to protect both cyclists and motorists.

Personnally, I think the issue is the uneducated drivers and cyclists. Both vehicles and cyclists can share the road. I see many times the arrogance of drivers swerving toward cyclists, the arrogance of cyclists riding 3 to 4 across the road preventing drivers from safely passing, and even the shared non friendly sign language used to communicate between motorists and cyclists. The bad behavior list goes on and on for both parties. Unfortunately, there have been terrible outcomes with the worst being death.

If you or someone you care about is a cyclist, take some time and read up on cycling safety then talk to your cyclists about what they can do to be safer on the road. If you are a driver and I bet you know other drivers, remind yourself and others to give the cyclists at least three feet of space and to drive with caution. If all parties would enact patience and be aware, we can share the road y’all!

Talk to ya next week,
Janet