BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

I was a pretty mediocre driver a couple years ago. Doing it every day conditioned me to not think about what I was doing, and as a result I was impatient and distract-able. Now that I do it less, I'm somewhat better. The funny thing is how some bike-ish artifacts crept into my driving... I accelerate more slowly, drive slower uphill and start coasting then slowing really early when there's a red ahead. It just feels more natural.

I suck at biking.

I'm much more patient driving. I think about how amazing it is to be able to go around 70 mph on a whim in the first place (as opposed to bicycling or walking) and suddenly the extra minute or so that I might take by cruising along in the right hand lane doesn't seem to matter.

After long bike rides I'm always amazed at how easy driving is. You just get in, press the pedal, and go. Come to a hill, just press harder. In the winter, no problem, you stay warm. You don't even need to wear special clothes. It's like a little house!

When I bike on a weekend night, I 'pretend' every driver is thoroughly intoxicated - like 'take them to the emergency room!' and maybe even trying to get me. This is only slightly unrealistic. I suppose sometimes, some drivers, like in cop cars, say, might even be sober, sure. I'll not take that chance when I'm riding midnight Saturday. There are alcoholic policemen, yes? There is a state of mind that goes with this. It's not like I'm worried when I ride. I'm just calmly confident that the drivers would not be able to walk and probably not be able to stand. Every driver. I stay where they can't hit me because I know they might try. So if I haven't driven for a while, my mind set driving home on Saturday night can be near-panic.