Because of the great invention that is the Ipod, notably the very durable Ipod Classic, my daily commute isn’t such a grind every day. My mobile bubble as I speed the transition from active teenagers to the domestic soap opera at home has a distinctly British theme listening to podcasts from the mother of all broadcasting Corp’s herself: the BBC. What doesn’t make for calmness on the road is the numerous drivers who should know better, agenda driven cyclists and the all to many pedestrians who appear to have left their frontal lobe on the hallway table as they left for work this morning.
Road Rage Delight!
It’s a typical water cooler topic which elicits a thousand slices of life: stories of enraged drivers. It can be serious as illustrated last week when a driver was jumped by two guys with baseball bats, upset that they sped ahead of their van. And that’s all it takes. A white BMW parked at the side of the road took of in front of me. I horned them, as they the car was in danger to collide with me. I was greeted with a women who open her mouth in silent rage as she protested and gave me the finger! Misjudging the speed of the traffic she was entering, and using the horn as intended: to give warning of potential danger to both parties…..yet she gave me the royal salute…….nice…..
God’s Cyclists – Goddamnit!
Cyclists, who are just as entitled to the road as cars, in many cases seem to ignore the laws of physic’s at their peril. I’m all for being more like the Dutch and encouraging cycling on our public roads. But there is a reason it is a success in Holland – they designed their cities to accommodate cyclists as well as motor cars. One cannot ignore the basic fact that in a fight between a 200 pound man on a 25 pound bike, the 2 ton metal beast that is the car always win. Negotiating each other is hard enough when the real estate we have to travel along is so limited. Especially in a city like Vancouver where car usage is outstripping the available public highways we all depend upon daily.
A classic example is extremely narrow 2 way road along Cornwall Avenue. Despite a designated bike-way just a few streets south, cars still have to contend with agenda driven cyclists – who are going to cycle because its my god damn right! – who will travel in the middle of the car lane regardless. Sometimes 2 cyclist will travel side to side. Because it’s my god damn right! Goddammit! – So cars have to slow down forcing them to go around them and placing themselves in danger to traffic in the opposite direction and the cyclist themselves. I remember trying to reason with one such cyclist as he did this, but was met with a ‘F**K Off’ and then a “F**K Off’ and…..a ‘F**K Off’. Constructive and enlightening for all concerned.
Yet, there is the dilemma of the car driver. The informed cyclist knows that if I, the car driver, hit and possibly injury a cyclist – I will pay thorough my insurance and legal penalties. There is no legal license to prove you are competent and trained to cycle, or insurance if you are the cause of an accident. It is in the best interests of all parties: cyclist’s and drivers if the playing field was leveled. By making the cyclist have to under go training, and prove their competence through a licensing system, this would reduce frustration and injury on both sides. In an ideal world, cyclist and drivers should be able to co-operate in a peaceful coexistence. Most of the time they do. Yet, we still have communities based on the car, and the bicycle can’t service all our needs as the car does. But, we should encourage it’s usage for all the obvious positive reasons.…..
Return of the Zombie Pedestrians!
Oi! The world isn’t like the Matrix! I can hit you even if you pretend I’m not there!
If having to negotiate drivers from hell, and god’s own riders of the storm, lets throw the zombie squad on two legs! Yes, everyday sane and normal people get up and head out to work, but in their haste decide to leave behind their front lobe of their brain! What fun! Look at the normal looking man walk into the street, head straight ahead chanting ‘hear no evil, see no hear’ as those troublesome metal beasts bear down on him at great speed. But don’t worry kids, as long as you don’t look at them, they’re really not there!
And here’s a great game to play at night. When it’s really, really, dark put on your darkest clothing you can find. And then…just step out into the middle of the road! It’s so fun, to hear the lovely sounds of screaming brakes and the oh so colorful language of those bad drivers attempting to brake as they see you so suddenly! Especially fun near spooky woods and no street lighting.
An old geezer, man attempting to cross the busy street that is Dunbar did just this. Having to brake head as he did a Zombie walk across, I horned him and gestured with arms raised…and again got the finger! Well, next time I’ll respect you’re right to cross the road but I don’t really think that will help if you’re hit hard and dead.
Manners are the Lubrication of Society….
Am I perfect? No, and I confess to being a grumpy old man. I have shouted at people where no doubt I was just as part of the problem. Yet, if we as Canadians are so regarded as being polite, (as a US comedy highlighted, when the central character wanted to make sure she was in a ‘hoser’ bar in New York, she hit someone and they said sorry) then the reality as we negotiate each other in our daily lives isn’t always true.
We are all entitled to free access to our public highways be it as car drivers, cyclist or pedestrians. However, that shouldn’t be a barrier to common sense which takes in to account the physical reality of our shared lives together. Societies work in harmony when we strike a balance at respecting each other’s right to negotiate space, understanding we are individuals that are part of a community, where the physical basis we go about our daily lives isn’t always perfect. Cyclist should have equal access to public roads. But if the road traveled isn’t ideal (for example, being narrow), and safety is the highest priority, then one should really be as near to the curb as possible.
That doesn’t ignore your right, that’s just avoiding possible death.
Someone once stated that ‘…manners are the lubrication of society’. This really holds true as we attempt to make our daily grind more bearable, as millions do the same in dense, concentrated communities. We need to look up, make eye contact, use hand gestures to communicate our intend to each other. I hold the door open, please say thank you. I stop my car, as I wait for you to pass me through limited access on a residential road, I am delaying the progress of my day, so you can get through yours. So don’t fucking speed through, and look straight ahead. Look over, make eye contact, raise a hand in thanks. If I am guilty of anything, hand on heart – I do this religiously. It is an unwritten code of conduct from my native England.
In general, (as this is also the land where they wrote the book on road rage), British drivers understand that to get through their day, they need the thoughtfulness of others to get through theres. At its best, it can be a wonderful flow of give and take. The acknowledgment of each other, with the giving or receiving of small simple gestures along a journey, can renew any jaded heart at the despair of humanity. Grandiose? Maybe. Yet, as a nation here on the west coast of Canada – we are so guilty of being self-centered when we set out from our front doors. It’s me and I don’t regard anyone else. It is the exception if someone does show acknowledgement. I once flashed my lights in appreciation for a fellow motorist letting me through a narrow street. As he past, he asked why I flashed my lights?
Despite the Road Raggers, the God Squad, Zombies and the Self-Centered…..
By opening our eyes a little more to the world around us, putting safety utmost against the reality of the physical environment we exist within, this may well reduce our frustration in our daily commute. Ultimately, simple gestures of intend and appreciation, will make more of us realize, however separate we think we are, we really need each other to get through this thing called life.
In the meantime……
peeaaaaaccccceeeee out sisters.
PS – While searching for images for this blog – I came across this very cool blog on cycling The Urban Country. This entry ‘You’re Welcome Mr. Motorist’ was very interesting and spot on……
http://www.theurbancountry.com/2011/01/youre-welcome-mr-motorist.html
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skinnyscronnybrit.com 