A Rant About Bicycles.
Entry posted by xccj
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This was prompted by CF in my last entry, so as I promised I'm going to go off the deep end on this one.
(Considering I wasn't in the deep end already... but I'm diving down some more)
Okay, I like bicycling as much as the next person. It's a great way to get from point A to point B very quickly... especially if its a long distance. It gives you a workout... especially going uphill.
The initial reason I didn't bring my bike with me is because... well, my bike has some defects. Shocks on the front aren't so good, gears are kinda rusty, breaks don't work. Period. I've been reminded about that the hard way a few times. It's not to say I don't like the bike... it's wicked red and I've been in more accidents on it than I can count (once even broke a few bones). Basically, riding that bike has given me plenty of paranoia about driving a car.
But not that I've been a pedestrian on campus for a few months... I loathe the people on bikes.
Sure, bikes move faster than walking. But they don't go up stairs or do well in crowds. Unfortunately, that's what most of the campus pathways are like. You got crowds of people walking on this concrete walkways in between classes, turning corners, climbing stairs, and all the such. That's not accounting for traffic lights and street crossings to get to the building on the edge of the campus. The conditions aren't that bad for an able-minded pedestrian... but bicyclist seem to think the paths are for them too. And they're always in a rush, and woe to the pedestrian that gets in their way. In between classes, you have people zooming around through crowds on their bikes, getting to their urgent appointment or whatever. Thus, to be able to avoid any crashes, the pedestrians have to get out of the way of the bicyclists. After having numerously dodged aside from a bicyclist who seems to think they're the only important person on the path, I have developed a strong disliking for them.
I'm not against all bikers... just the ones who use the pedestrian paths and thus demand room as they zoom by. I respect the bikers who use the bike path and actual roads... sometimes the bicyclists are going as fast as the cars, or faster. But those on the paths around campus who think they own the place... uhg. My fuse is burning short. However, this is not a one sided battle. Pedestrian vs car... it doesn't matter who made the wrong move, the car always wins. But the bikers don't have such an advantage. The reason everybody has to dodge is so the bikers don't crash into them. Sure, it would suck to be the pedestrian who got mauled bike a biker, but bikers can get damaged pretty well too if they're thrown over their handlebars. (Curse thy mailboxes). So if there's a collision, the biker and pedestrian both come off on the bad side of things.
Thus I now have to hold back a strong desire to throw a stick through the tires of the bikes that cut me off, and then watch as the rushed bicyclist hits the ground hard. Woe if he isn't wearing a helmet. (I'm hit my head a fair share of times, but never in a bicycle accident. Wear your helmets, kids!)
So I don't want to bring a bike to school for a few reasons. A: I don't want to deal with a new piece of equipment that I have to look after. If I get a bike, it'll be a new bike, and probably something I'll need to keep in a secure place at all times to make sure it doesn't get stolen. B: The trip between point A and point B might be faster, but I can rush into class with my bike, now can I? So I thus have to lock up my bikes at point B, which takes time. Since I am always running late for some reason or another, I prefer just walking than to deal with that delay. (The quicker I can travel will just mean the later I'd leave, so it would never work out). And C: I don't want to be a hypocrite. I live on campus, my classes are on campus, and I can easily walk to them. I find the obstacles between point A and point B for me are best dealt with as a pedestrian. If I were commuting a mile to the campus everyday, I might have other thoughts, but in my current situation, a bike would just e overkill.
The same argument can be made for skateboarders. My ideal attack for a skateboarder involves clothes-lining him as his zips by. I still don't quite understand what my motivation for such action would be, but I think it would be cool to write about in a story.
If you think I have an overly violent mind... well, you wanna make something of it punk. (Don't call my bluff)
BTW, story wise, my entry to SS Contest 4 is nearly halfway done, but already at about 3500 words. It's looking cool, but it might be too long. Then again, I always use a lot of dialogue, so that'll make it seem even longer. Plus I'm even including moral! Anybody want to further guess the five Matoran I'm using with Takua. Hint: They only represent 4 Koros and there aren't any females.
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