Often, while biking to and from school, I begin to ruminate about situations that irk me. Sometimes it’s the actions of other local cyclists, the idiocy of infrastructure choices, or the general lack of upkeep from the city, sometimes it is completely unrelated and I’m reliving embarrassing moments or things I said. Mostly I get frustrated about what could be improved in the space I occupy.

Pet peeve #1

What goes on in millennials heads when they bike with their kids? I’m talking about the lack of helmets from some of them. Growing up, biking with my dad, my brother and I were taught that helmets were required. I think I stuck to this harder than my brother did because once I snitched on him to my father for riding without a helmet. I think kids learn safety from adults, and it’s hypocritical to tell your 5 year old they have to wear a helmet and then not wear one yourself. It teaches them that when they grow up they don’t have to wear a helmet anymore. It’s also kind of dumb for in the case of a crash, if you are concussed and have a head injury, you are then unable to check on your child. I get anxiety if I accidentally leave without my helmet, so maybe I just don’t understand how it’s considered “cool” to ride without one.

Pet peeve #2

This one goes out to the traffic lights on Memorial Drive. For the past year I’ve been biking down Memorial as my commute, and there are traffic lights with little bikes in the light, indicating they are intended for cyclists to follow. Most of the time when I am stopped, waiting for the rotation to give me a green light, I am passed by cyclists and people on rented scooters blowing through the red. I understand the light cycle is annoying and doesn’t give us much time, but it’s still there for us to follow, as in not a suggestion. Just like how traffic lights are not a suggestion for cars. So far the only people I see stopping at these lights are women on bikes, so maybe someone should look at the stats of women cyclists who follow laws vs male cyclists who don’t? Kidding. Probably. Ultimately they spent the money for those lights to sit there covered for a full year before we could see them working, they spent the time programming bike-specific lights into the light cycle, maybe we should utilize the lights? Ultimately the problem is the road was designed for cars, and bike infrastructure was added later, maybe a better solution would’ve been to add a copious number of yield to bikes signs at each crossroad, rather than a traffic light at each. It would’ve been cheaper too I bet.

Pet peeve #3

I’ve begun to really dislike the cyclists cross with pedestrians sign at the Memorial x Cherokee intersection. Specifically the fact that in order for the crossing signal to turn on, you have to get off your bike and walk to press the button on the side walk. If the city planned better, they would’ve made the pedestrian signal automatic. I’ve started to cross as soon as the Memorial light turns red, and not to be dramatic, risking my life if a car turning left doesn’t see me and doesn’t yield cause the pedestrian crossing light isn’t on.

Alright, that’s enough yammering from me today.

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