This morning I was driving around town completing some errands. After a stop at Starbucks, I was making my way home through scenic residential neighborhoods. As I was rounding a bend, a dump truck was stopped in my lane forcing me into the oncoming lane, which also had a parked vehicle. But as I approached, I almost didn't notice the two cyclists, maybe on a training ride, coming towards me...so I stopped and waved them through before weaving my way through the parked cars. They thanked me as they passed.
I'm glad I stopped...but as I continued on, I wondered if my own husband weren't out on the streets several times a week, would I have stopped? Would I have even seen them? If it had been another driver, would he or she have stopped?
I think Rianman taking up triathlons has been a good thing for a number of reasons and one is that I'm much more aware of cyclists (and runners). I think I always was, but maybe I didn't defer to them as much as I do now.
Rianman isn't big into group rides, despite me begging him to ride with others. Everytime he leaves, I worry. I don't worry so much about him being stupid by running lights or anything, but I worry about all the drivers. The ones that aren't paying attention, that don't defer to cyclists, and those few that actually have disdain for cyclists.
It's hard to tell all the drivers to share the road, but I hope that when I or anyone else stops or slows down for a cyclist, that other drivers are paying attention and they learn to be aware and Share the Road--it's our husbands, wives, moms, dads, children, sisters, and brothers out there.
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