Thursday, February 08, 2007
BICYCLING
I should join these two guys and go back to bicycling on a regular basis as I used to, though it isn't that safe a sport to do in the streets of Manila, which are oftentimes too narrow to be safely shared by both motorists and bicyclists. There are also those motorcycle and scooter operators who disregard even the most basic regulations; weaving through traffic at perilous speeds; hence, posing added risks to unwitting bicyclists.
New York has its share of hazards that threaten bicyclists also; foremost are those Manhattan cab drivers who get a thrill out of speeding by with his side mirror barely missing you by only an inch. Whereas, out in Long Island (where we often went for week-long biking/camping trips), the dangers came not from undisciplined motorists but from huge dogs who would get enraged by passing bicyclists. We had on a couple of occasions encountered such incorrigible canines that chased us for more than a mile.
In the many years of riding a bike, I had experienced two accidents, though minor but nonetheless startling. One occurred while riding back to Manhattan from a day trip to Jones Beach. I was still a skinny kid then weighing no more than 130 pounds riding an incredibly light 10-speed bike. I got caught in the afterwind of this huge trailer truck that zoomed by us. I was literally lifted off the ground along with my bike and got hurled to the sidewalk. I suffered some bruises and now bear a couple of scars from it.
The second time was when I was scared frozen by the sight of a huge python in the middle of the road out in Montauk Point, Long Island. At the speed I was going when turning the bend and then suddenly saw it, I skidded a few feet when I fell off my bike, and ironically landed near this humongous snake, which paid me no mind as it continued to crawl its way to the other side of the road.
Besides the long distance bike trips to Long Island, there was also the annual bike marathon around Central Park sponsored by Pepsi that I looked forward to during the summer. We were given all these goodies for signing up, but we'd only do a couple of laps; spending the rest of the day playing frisbee and tennis instead.
There was also a time when bicycling was being encouraged as the main mode of transportation in Manhattan to ease vehicular traffic and pollution. It was an all out effort which included the designation of bike lanes on almost all main roads and avenues in the city. But the enthusiasm would wane during the winter months. Originally, its proponents envisioned Manhattan to become like Beijing whose commuters greatly favored bicycles. Unfortunately, this project to promote the use of bicycle in Manhattan did not generate enough momentum. It eventually fizzled.
Ironically, at present, due to the continued surge in automobile ownership in China, the sight of mass bicyclists is being replaced by horrendous vehicular traffic. Thus, Beijing became more like Manhattan instead of the other way around. Oh, well; the pains of progress, I guess.
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Labels: bicycling
posted by Señor Enrique at 4:22 PM
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