Friday, August 12, 2011

The last time I make this mistake

My wife drove her mom to surgery today and waited there with her. That meant I had to get myself from the west side to UB (Main St. campus) without the car. I could have transferred from bus to train, but I had to drop off a prescription on the way, and pick it up on the way back home. That would have meant two buses and a train each way, or a lot of walking. Instead, I opted to save at least an hour by riding the bicycle. The weather was clear but not too hot. I needed the exercise. What could go wrong?

For starters, the pharmacy is due south of Delaware Park. Going from there to UB, I could have gone West, out of my way around the park, but this wasn't some joy ride. I took the direct route: Delavan to Main (NYSBR517), and it was pleasant for a few miles. There was one youngster driving a car at me in the right lane, but I saw him in the mirror and managed to convince him to change lanes by inching left a bit. The next close call was before Hertel. The car driver beeped and yelled. I pointed at the open lane to our left and yelled back. He grudgingly moved over half a lane, and buzzed a couple of feet from my elbow. After that, I wasn't going to take another chance. I took my keys out of my pocket and held them out in my left hand, at car door level, for the last mile. It did seem like cars became more cautious and respectful. I can't help but believe most drivers worry more about their paint job than my safety.

After work, I decided to take the parkside route home (Beard, Depew, Parkside, Tillinghast, Colvin, Amherst, Nottingham, ...), even if it was out of the way. Again, it was pleasant for a while, although it was harder work because of a headwind. There was one absurd moment: the traffic light at Tillinghast and Colvin won't change green except for motor vehicles and pedestrians, so I had to park my bike in the middle of the street, run over to the pedestrian button, then run back and hop on my bike for the green. When I got to Nottingham and Delaware, I realized the pharmacy was due South on Delaware, and most of it has a bike lane, so I might as well go for it. Not like it's any fun dodging joggers and children on park pathways, or riding in-lane on Elmwood. The Delaware bike lane is a foot narrower than national highway safety guidelines, and although the road is posted at 30 MPH, drivers regularly exceed 45. Even worse, they regularly veer into the bike lane as they approach Forest. Not wanting anyone to squeeze me without noticing, I rode just inside the stripe of the bike lane, and convinced a good many drivers to use the vacant left lane. Almost at Forest, I could see a minivan in my mirror, veering into the entire bike lane, so I changed entirely into the through lane to avoid being struck.

The bike lane ends abruptly at Forest. Even worse, it's a pretty serious uphill (for Buffalo). After about six drivers had passed me using the left lane, number seven pulled up close behind me, beeping and yelling. What can you do when someone intimidates you with such superior firepower? I held my ground, pointed at the left lane, and yelled at them to use it. Of course, they chose to straddle two lanes and buzz me closer. This was less than a block before the pharmacy.

After I picked up my prescription, I was still shaken. I unlocked the bike and kept the keys in my left hand, outstretched at car door level. Two blocks later, on Lafayette, a couple of cars crossed the double yellow line to pass me. Of course, they were still waiting at the red light at the end of the block when I arrived. A voice hailed from one of the queued cars, "Hey *******!" I turned, enraged, "Hey YOU *******!" I thought at first it was the old man driving, but it was his leathery-skinned passenger. [paraphrasing:] "Why don't you ride closer to the edge of the road?" "Because there are all those parked cars, and people open their doors suddenly without looking." "Well, you have to look out for them." "They open them too quick. I'm not going to go head over heels over someone's door!" "Well, I ride a bicycle all over the place, and I ride closer, and it's not a problem." "Well, I'm the only person I know who hasn't been hit by a car door, and that's why, because I don't ride in that space." I forget how it ended. I think the light turned green, I just told him to **** off, and I rode off, keys outstretched. They passed me a block later without incident.

I could draw a lot of morals from this story. Number one should be, if you take my life into your hands by passing too closely, your car's paint job will suffer. Except, I don't want to ever be in that situation again. I'll be driving when I can, bussing when I can't. So how about: each time you intimidate a bicyclist, or take cavalier risks near them, you're driving them to drive. Do you want another 6x12 foot obstacle in the traffic jam? Another consumer of gasoline helping push prices toward $5/gallon? A huger oil-driven trade deficit? Climate change? Sprawl? Cancer? Obesity? Does anyone? And yet, when you discourage the most effective alternative, that's the choice you're making. To that leathery-skinned ******* and the two beeping buffoons: thanks for picking the cancer route. I wish I had a choice.