We have all encountered issues when on the road, either walking, running or biking courtesy of other people on the road. As bikers, runners or walkers, we need to stay mindful of people around us. I spend a lot of time on the bike paths of DC and Virginia and see groups of people blocking the path, dogs running on very long leashes and children playing with balls frequently. A friend of mine (also a triathlete) recently commented that people on road bikes zooming at high speeds don’t belong in the same space as ‘normal’ people. Hard to disagree, but there are plenty of other concerns to be had on the road. An acquaintance of mine got hurt zooming down the road when a kid swerved in front of him. He managed to miss the kid, but got hurt pretty badly himself. Sadly, if it’s a shared road, if you are a fast cyclist, this is a risk you are running. As much as it is up to parents to watch out for their kids, there will be moments like this. For walkers and runners: before you change your trajectory or stop, please quickly look over your shoulder to check if there is somebody coming up on you.
We should all wear lights and visible clothes when necessary and watch where we are going. Being invisible is not safe for you or for others on the road. My personal favorite experience on the subject: I was running on the Custis Trail along the Potomac early in the morning before sunrise and using my bike light (I lost my running light just a day before) to see what’s ahead of me. There is a section where you run along the street and face into incoming traffic, so it’s hard to see anything when headlights are the only source of light. There are occasional trees along the street, too – and that’s what caused the issue. There was a construction worker pedaling slowly on a bike (VERY slowly) and not wearing anything visible. He somehow managed to get himself between me and the trees, so he was invisible (and my light was too weak to make difference with oncoming car headlights). I almost had a heart attack when I realized I am about a foot away from running into a guy on a bike! I did dodge him. Why he didn’t pay attention to me will forever remain a mystery. Please don’t be like that construction worker: pay attention and make sure you are visible.
Something I believe we can all get behind: drivers need to pay attention where they are going. If I am wearing a shirt so bright that it pretty much glows, it’s the middle of a sunny day and you get close to running me over on a crosswalk, you are clearly not paying attention. Please do… I am doing everything I can not to be killed, so cooperation will be appreciated. Most often this takes the form of a driver looking at cars coming from their left as they are trying to turn right and just rolling through the crosswalk, frequently one you have been on way before the car showed up.
For cyclist, a big issue is being passed by cars. I have several friends who have been side swiped by cars who were too close. I know that in many countries there are laws regarding acceptable distance between a bike and a car. Unfortunately, that law is ignored so often that might as well not exist. Fun fact: first time a car was pulled over for speeding ever was by a cop chasing him on a bike.
Another issue that has been getting up there: bike shares and electric scooter shares. They have been getting left all over the place! Please try not to block the sidewalks, like guys on the picture above. I took it during my morning walk a block or so from the National Mall. I have heard in a podcast that people in many cities have been getting so frustrated that many bikes and scooters have been vandalized and cities have been passing stricter laws for bike and scooter share. I find it ironic that people who have skin in the game (bike or scooter they can use when they need it) are the ones that are causing harm.
And then there are dogs… Just this week I ran past a woman who seemed confused by me giving her a dirty look and I think she was trying to say something, but I couldn’t hear her over stuff in my headphones. I am sure her dog is perfectly nice, but leashes are required in America and for a good reason. Runners and cyclists get chased by dogs daily. Plenty of dogs tried jumping on me. Story from somebody I know: he was biking through the middle of nowhere and a free roaming dog (common in the Polish country side, at least back then) started chasing him. He was doing pretty well trying to escape until he hit some big bump and fell on his back, his bike on him. Fortunately, it scared the dog off and the damage was limited to (admittedly spectacular) bruises. If you are outside with a dog, you need to be able to control him/her and keep from creating danger. Period.
Oh, and while we are on the subject of dogs: please pick up after them and encourage peeing on the grass or generally somewhere where it won’t create another obstacle others have to dodge. In terms of poop: fortunately, people tend to be good about cleaning up. Sadly, we have geese. I have done plenty of fancy foot work dodging that 😉.
I know this reads more like a vent of a frustrated biker and runner, but I am confident that many of you have shared in these frustrations. That’s why this is part on of a two part post. Next week: laws and rules regarding bike paths, trails and road sharing around the world. If you’d like to share how it’s done where you live – please comment or email me and I will include it in my post. Also, if there are places you are specifically curious about, please reach out and I will do my best to research it for you 😊
You are making an excellent point: people should pay attention to others, when they are out on the streets. I am looking forward to reading about laws for bikers as they seem to encounter (or cause) most problems.