Spring Fever Has Gone To Your Head

Now that the weather is warmer, except today the day before Spring officially “arrives,” the cyclists and runners (joggers) are out expressing their personal ideas of elitism.

Yesterday was warm in the morning. I was driving to work a little after 0900 (that’s 9:00 o’clock a.m. your time) when I encountered a cyclist who appeared out of nowhere. Being an olderly guy, my reflexes are no longer “cat like” and that feller should be blessed that he is not a squished former cyclist. His response was that I was in the wrong for almost hitting him though he was the one who didn’t stop at the intersection where there is clearly a sign informing him that he is supposed to stop.

This morning, a cool drizzle was misting when, next to Wake Forest University, a young lady wearing her sweatshirt with the hoodie pulled over her face and running at a quick pace ran directly in front of me on my side and another vehicle coming from the opposite direction. We both had to slam on our brakes to avoid squishing her. She did not stop, flinch or waiver in anyway—she kept her pace as though her life was still going in that direction at that pace, oblivious to the world around her. Sometimes, I wonder what they teach at that university.

I appreciate bikers more every day, at least they have motors that make noise and they (well, most of them because we’ve all seen the few idiots who drive at high speed between cars) have a healthier respect for what happens when a larger, harder object hits a smaller softer object.

I’ve noticed a certain arrogance about most cyclist and many runners. An arrogance that they are a little more special than the rest of us and the rules and laws of the road don’t appear to apply to them. They should watch the news more and see that here in North Carolina, a lot of them get runned over because them or the driver of the vehicle were careless (or an ass).

Just as when school is in session, the time changes or school is out, we drivers are all told to be more careful because children may not be focused and without thinking, run out into the street. And, it happens but not as much as adults on bicycles or runners.

So, I reverberate, be careful drivers… be careful drivers… be careful drivers.  And I add: cyclist and runners, your correct when you tell us the roads also belong to you; you must follow the rules the same as the rest of us; and you must get your head out of whatever orifice you have it in and pay attention and stay alive.

Jay 🙂