What happens to people when they get behind the wheel of a car? On Wednesday I was cycling along when a white van (naturally) squeezed past me when it wasn’t safe to do so. The driver and I had a bit of an altercation (But why did he stop? I thought he was in a big hurry) and it got a little scary so I escaped across the park.
Every morning I watch my daughter cross the road from the house to go to school. If you were driving a car, and you saw a child crossing the road, why wouldn’t you think her health and life was important enough for you to slow down a little? Sometimes I think they speed up instead, but surely I’m imagining it?
After Wednesday’s near miss, today I thought I’d wear my high-vis vest to cycle across Brighton to visit someone in the hospital. That way the drivers would surely take more notice of me. On the way home, three drivers pulled out at me and just stopped in time. What about my high-vis vest?! What’s wrong with these people?
My initial response was to give up cycling and just use the car. But then, they win. And I am pretty convinced that they don’t win. In the end, maybe after the age of cycling, we’ll all be walking.
Alex Mabbs 