Respect the Blinky

As many of you already know, my bike IS my transportation 95% of the time. This means often riding at night. That's pretty much all the setup you need for this post.

After the USD/SDSU Volleyball game (shameful plug - USD wins 3-1 !!), I was on my way home, riding safely with my reflectors off my Timbuk 2 Messenger Bag -- aka "the man purse" or murse if you will -- and my front and rear blinky lights. It was a beautiful night and I was just enjoying the ride.

I admit I was cruising right along, but wasn't focused too heavily on anything when a car turned in front of me from a stop sign. It was no major thing, they had plenty of space and I was never in danger so I didn't think about it. Within a half block, I see them tap the brakes once, then again, and then pull over to the side of the road. As already stated, I wasn't too focused so I didn't think too much of it until I passed them and then they started to pull out behind me again. It was then the I realized that the car must have mistaken my blinky light for the police. It was the only explanation that I could come up with. Due to my lack of overall focus I don't know if they may have not completely stopped at the stop sign and thought they were busted or what, but I enjoyed a good laugh about it.

They didn't pass me for the two blocks until I turned towards my house and then drove merrily on their way. After posting a shorter version of this on Facebook, somebody stated that a "Respect the Blinky" t shirt campaign is in order. It could happen. Lord knows we need more people to use them in Vermillion. With the beauty of having many people on bicycles in this town, comes the issue of no lights with those riding at night. A campaign may just have to happen. All you designer types mock something up and send it to me.

A Father's Advice

"Always expect the other vehicle to do the stupidest thing possible and you will always be safe." - Cecil W. Brady, Jr.

My Dad didn't always have much in the way of worldly advice, however I do remember a few dirty jokes, and a few 'songs' that shouldn't be repeated. Ever. However, the advice above has always been with me. I can't tell you the number of times that it has saved me an accident both in a vehicle and on the bicycle.

One place that I've always felt pretty safe is stop lights. If there is a place that I have always scanned with my peripheral vision quickly and merrily went on my way, it's a stop light. Enter yesterday at noon.

I was on my way to the Dakota Dome for my cycling workout. There is a new stop light by the Law School (Rose St.) that is a nice addition, because at noon it can be a bear getting across Cherry St. and it's not as busy a light from the North/South as Dakota St. -- hence, it's a great light for bicycles.

As I dropped off the side walk between the Business School and the Law School the light changed. That gives me all of about ten seconds to get across the street before it changes. I put the hammer down as the countdown commenced: 10....9.....8....7....6....5....Awesome! Going to make it with plenty of time! As I focused on the countdown and I was zipping across Cherry St., out of the corner of my eye I see a Blue Minivan type vehicle - newer style - coming WAY too fast. Yep, it's not stopping. I'm going to get thumped. I swerved as far to the left as I could (thank goodness no car was coming towards me) as the driver FINALLY noticed me and locked it up.

I would LOVE to report to you the license plate that I've become so famous for calling out, but I was so close to the van all I could see was a guy in his uniform (Army? ROTC?) and beret in the passenger seat. Far too close to SEE the license plate. I got a quick glance back at the driver and it appeared that he was on a cell phone (SHOCKING!) but I couldn't confirm that as I was too busy being amazed that I didn't get hit.

I should have stopped, but my adrenaline was on high and I just pedaled on. I did look back and hold my arm out in a "What the heck was you thinking?" motion. The van was still stopped in the middle of the intersection briefly before deciding that being in the MIDDLE of the intersection wasn't the place to be and he went on. There is a part of me that hopes this near accident encourages this person to cut down their distractions when they drive. It just may save a life. It may be mine.

Dad, I miss you but I'm not coming to join you just yet. Thanks for some of the best advice I ever received and it now will be applied at stop lights as well.

The Head-Phone-Wearing Biking Generation

Although I don't remember using my MP3 player while biking this year, I have in the past. Do I have an issue with listening to music while riding: Depends. Other than commuting around town, I wear a mirror off my sunglasses and I constantly check my mirror. If you are a mirror user and are faithful about checking it, you have my blessing. If you don't, put the head phones away. Period.

Living in a college town, obviously many people riding around town are younger. I've noticed many headphones on. I have not been forthcoming with my angst about non-mirror-using-headphone-wearers up to this point (except maybe internal) because I've had no issues. That ended today.

On my way home I was busting right along as I was going to go for a short bike ride with CDV so he could test ride his potential new steed (I'll let him post about that). During my slightly quicker than normal pace, I happened upon a young lass that was on her cruiser with her iPod firmly implanted in her ear. I politely dinged my bell twice as I went to pass. When I passed, one of two things became apparent:

1. She had her music up too loud and I scared the crap out of her.
2. She suddenly felt the need to express quite loudly her reaffirmation to her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The sad part is that I really didn't feel that bad about it. I mean, I didn't even say "amen" to her praising of the Lord. I've scared a few walking across campus, and to them I used to feel a little bad, until I got the bell. If the music is too loud to hear the bell, tough, turn it down.

Have any of you seen an increasing trend of "distracted" bicycling with music player/iPods as of late? Anybody else get annoyed with it?

Vermillion Bicycling Hits School Newspaper

USD's newspaper, The Volante, ran an article on traffic rules being important for cyclists. I completely agree, even though I'm guilty of blowing stop signs when nobody is around.

I did find it funny that the Vermillion PD Officer interviewed doesn't know the law on DUI's on bicycles. He was quoted with the following:

"As a matter of fact, you can get pulled over for speeding on a bicycle," he said. "Also, if you ride while you're intoxicated and start impeding traffic, you can actually be arrested for a DUI."

I was never a fan of the "No-DUI-on-bicycle" law going into effect, but it beat the alternative they were trying to pass (striking bicycles as "vehicles" altogether).

As far as getting pulled over for speeding...VPD has a short memory as to what happened the last time they tried to catch me!!!!

Helmet Advocacy is NOT Fear Mongering

Sometimes the things you like the most can also upset you the fastest. There is a blog that I truly enjoy reading from Copenhagen called Copenhagenize The Planet. I absolutely love most of their messages because it usually has to do with their outstanding bike culture (that makes me drool in jealousy) and a message of how bikes can co-exist very peacefully with cars.

How can this possibly upset me? There seems to be an increasing trend where they state that wearing a helmet doesn't do any good at all in an accident (especially with a car). I understand that most people ride casually over there, but accidents still happen. I only need to look back to last week when I was probably doing all of 10mph when I fell over solo and smacked my head off the pavement. I shudder to think what would have happened had I not had my helmet on.

Do I think you should wear a helmet? If you are my friend, then yes I do. I'd like to keep you around a few extra years and I like your chances of NOT having a head injury in case of a crash a whole lot better than if you don't. From the statistics on Bike Helmet Safety Institute site, between 1994-2006 individuals wearing helmets made up 6% of all fatalities on bicycles. Now, I'm not naive enough to say that some of those who were killed NOT wearing helmets wouldn't have been killed WHILE wearing a helmet, but to me they are some pretty telling numbers.

Just a year or two ago in Sioux Falls I remember a Sioux Falls O'Gorman track runner who came off a sidewalk and hit a car at a stop sign, rolled off, hit his head and never came out of his coma. I think back to that one particularly as I really feel that had he had a helmet, this wouldn't have been very severe at all, and I'm more than certain that it wouldn't have been fatal.

Anybody who knows me and has been following my blog knows that I will go on occasional rants about helmet use. I BELIEVE IN HELMETS! As for the Copenhagenize writers, don't wear your helmet. See if I care. But don't sit there and tell me they don't make a difference and that we are "fear mongering" by being advocates. Don't tell me that people will ride bike less if we tell people they should wear a helmet. Most people will do what they damn well please anyway.

I'll leave you with some serious FEAR MONGERING that I found on THIS site:

Wear a Helmet!

10 Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Excuses for Not Wearing a Helmet!

1. They're too heavy!
Not anymore. Today's bicycle helmets only weigh about a half a pound.

2. I don't need one if I don't ride fast.
Get this... Even if you were just sitting on your bike talking to friends and you fell and hit your head, your brain could be seriously damaged--- Ouch!

3. They're too expensive.
Some helmets cost as little as $20, which is a lot less than the thousands of dollars you'd pay for a visit to the emergency room!

4. A helmet will mess up my hair.
Okay, true. But a crash without a helmet can really mess up your head. Your choice: a bad hair day or a bad head life?

5. I'll look like a geek.
Wrong. You'll look like a real bicylists, and car drivers will probably respect you more and give you more room on the road because of it.

6. They're too hot.
Because they're so light and have lots of openings for air to pass through, helmets aren't any hotter than having your head exposed to the sun while riding.

7. I don't need one if I don't ride on busy roads.
Not true. Cars are involved in only 10% of bike-related injuries. Falls are a much bigger problem, and they can happen on any road or path.

8. I never fall off my bike.
Maybe not yet, but everybody falls sometime, and it only takes once to do permanent danage.

9. They're funny looking.
Helmets today come in lots of cool colors and designs. Find one you like so you'll wear it.

10. None of my friends wear one.
Maybe they don't yet know the reasons why a helmet is important. Show them this page and then purchase your helmets together as a group.

Walking Your Dog Via Bike

I was hoping to back this post up with evidence from a quick Google search, but unfortunately I could find very little. In fact, I found evidence of manufacturers who make attachments for bikes to "walk" your dog. I struggle with this from a safety standpoint.

I don't care how well behaved your dog is. If your dog gets spooked, sees an animal that it decides to chase, gets in anyway distracted, it could take you out if you are on a bike. Still, I see all to often here in Vermillion, people who "walk" (for lack of a better term) their dog by bike.

Why does it bother me? Maybe it shouldn't. Maybe nothing will happen. Then again, maybe Darwinism will take over. I know of at least three people who have broken collarbones while "walking" their dog while on bikes and been taken out. It is just one of those "duh" moments in my opinion.

Outside of the inherent laziness of walking your dog this way, am I the only person who sees this happen? Am I the only one who sees this as stupid/dangerous? Has anybody seen these bike attachments for walking your dog in action?