bike problemz

I originally wrote this relatively lengthy post on resolutions and what not but realized it was pointless. I don't like setting long-term goals (yes a year is a long time) and I am always just sorely disappointed because I never get them done. So instead, I'm going to write a bit of a rant, unrelated to the new year.

Bicyclist problems!

So the summer before last (2010) I bought a bicycle. I needed it to get to work at 4am and to get home after work at 11:30pm. It was the only form of transportation, since I don't have my license (side note: i'm workin' on it!). I didn't ride much more outside of that; still caught the bus to school and what not. But I started to like being outside and active. And apart of me just wanted to get into shape. So I got into the habit of riding my bike everywhere, forcibly at first, but after a while my body sort of craved it. If I don't go out and bike after some extended period of time, my legs become restless. So now I just feel like I have to ride around nearly every single day. On average, I bike roughly 15 miles a day, mostly uphill. And lately I've been biking even more than that in an attempt to get into even better shape.

But biking has totally made me aware of how dangerous it is to be a cyclist on the road. I can't tell you how many times I've almost been killed, how many times I've been knocked off my bike because of negligent drivers, and how many pedestrians I've nearly hit because they're too busy doing something other than paying attention to where they're walking. I mean, I wear my lights. I signal when changing lanes. I ride in the shoulder if I know I'm going too slow. I stop at stop lights. I slow down at crosswalks. I do everything I can to be as courteous to the bigger, faster machines around me. But even with all that I still feel like I'm going to die 90% of the time I'm biking on the road.

Here are things I've noticed:
-Drivers don't check for oncoming traffic before opening their doors while parked on the side.
-Drivers don't use turning signals when changing lanes or making turns.
-Drivers will speed up and slam on brakes (which is really really awful because I can't brake as fast as a car can, especially when going downhill).
-The need to honk or yell when I'm not going the speed limit (I'm in the shoulder for a reason).
-People who suddenly pull out without checking for people in the bike lane.
-People who decide to run, skateboard, or just walk in the bike lane.
-Drivers forget there is a bike lane and swerve into it while driving.

The weird thing is that most drivers that are incredibly aggressive will yell at me to get on the sidewalk. But do you realize how dangerous that can be, not to mention difficult. Pedestrians feel they have the right of way all the time. They refuse to move to one side of the sidewalk, most times walking directly in the middle. They also don't even pay attention while they're walking. Most people are listening to music way too loud, or are on their phones texting or browsing the web, so really it's like a bad obstacle course with moving targets. Plus, I have to ride far slower on a sidewalk because people will just walk in front of you at any time! No one watches or looks around or is aware of their surroundings, especially in Waikiki. So I'm on constant alert and it's always so tense.

Anyway, I'm reflecting because today I was riding down Ala Moana Boulevard, right around the Ihilani. Every car in the farthest right hand lane (headed towards Diamond Head) is making a right turn, into the hotel parking area/yacht area. So I have to get into the lane just to the left to ride past all these turning cars. I ride up, signal to get back into the right hand lane, but realize there is a bus parked up ahead. So I continued riding in the lane I was in, past the bus, then I signaled again and got into the right. Now I'm at the stop light right across from Wailana. And there is a cab driver to my left. And he's yelling at me. I can't hear him because of all the traffic around us, so I raise my hands up and shrug and shout "I can't hear you!" So he crawls over to the passenger seat, sticks his head out the window and shouts, "You shouldn't be riding on the road! Get off the road! You too slow! You make danger for me!" Mind you, he had clients in the back seat who looked at me with confusion. I don't understand why he felt the necessity to yell that at me, as I didn't do anything to disrupt traffic (and I should also mention, that I was going just under 20mph because I was able to keep up with the cars around me). But then he continued to yell at me until the light turned about how I am putting everyone else in danger by biking so slow. I just don't get the aggression. It just seems so unnecessary.

Anyway. Ultimately, I think people should have a biking license, that people need to be trained on how to properly ride on the road. And I kind of wish that everyone that drives also had a chance to ride a bike during mid-afternoon traffic in Waikiki, then maybe they'd understand how shitty it already is.