Fata Morgana
The heat and harsh conditions down here lead to hallucinatory situations. Somethings you see are real and unbelievable, some are the reverse. I saw a fat man riding a Walmart bike the wrong way down the road while smoking a cigarette. At least he was wearing a helmet. I have chased mailboxes and road signs thinking there was a rider up. Once we had to abandon the road because the youngster with us had sharp enough eyes to spot the double wide trailer heading towards us down a single wide road. Yes my friends you see odd things on the road here in the way way south.
You might see a tarantula crossing the road or a lake that is just heat shimmer. Bouncing farm implements behind a trailer are some of my favorites. More often you see cyclists going the wrong way against traffic or on roads no bike should ever attempt in traffic most dangerous. Unbelievable groups taking more road than a bicycle has a right to while oblivious to our all too fragile mortality.
Two cyclist have died here in the Valley this year. One was a little girl hit by a speeder in front of her home. The other was possibly a young adult, the details of the accident never made the news. The invisible elephant, another apparition the undeniable reality that no one sees. This week a rider was hit by a car while riding in Granjeno. Details are slim, the accident was posted on the Team McAllen website but other than the rider being hit, bruised and scraped, no particulars were offered.
I ride alone a lot. I have no choice, I do not drive a car and I need to get around. I see plenty of mirages and lots of bizarre reality. Last year I was hit once by a car with no real damage and had one very very near miss. Car/Bike collisions can happen on deserted streets with lots of room just as easy as on a crowded highway. We all need to remember to be aware of where we are on the road. Use your ears and listen for cars. When someone calls car back, move over, quickly. The fantasy is that we have rights to part of the road. The reality is if a car doesn’t agree you could be dead.
Pay attention.
Don’t ride with headphones or earbuds.
Look behind you once in a while.
And remember, a flat tire is easier to fix than a flat line.
You might see a tarantula crossing the road or a lake that is just heat shimmer. Bouncing farm implements behind a trailer are some of my favorites. More often you see cyclists going the wrong way against traffic or on roads no bike should ever attempt in traffic most dangerous. Unbelievable groups taking more road than a bicycle has a right to while oblivious to our all too fragile mortality.
Two cyclist have died here in the Valley this year. One was a little girl hit by a speeder in front of her home. The other was possibly a young adult, the details of the accident never made the news. The invisible elephant, another apparition the undeniable reality that no one sees. This week a rider was hit by a car while riding in Granjeno. Details are slim, the accident was posted on the Team McAllen website but other than the rider being hit, bruised and scraped, no particulars were offered.
I ride alone a lot. I have no choice, I do not drive a car and I need to get around. I see plenty of mirages and lots of bizarre reality. Last year I was hit once by a car with no real damage and had one very very near miss. Car/Bike collisions can happen on deserted streets with lots of room just as easy as on a crowded highway. We all need to remember to be aware of where we are on the road. Use your ears and listen for cars. When someone calls car back, move over, quickly. The fantasy is that we have rights to part of the road. The reality is if a car doesn’t agree you could be dead.
Pay attention.
Don’t ride with headphones or earbuds.
Look behind you once in a while.
And remember, a flat tire is easier to fix than a flat line.
posted by Speedo at 10:13 AM
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