I make no promises about the content of this blog. I'll try and minimize the use of this blog as a personal place for Nearly Famous Fred to b!tch and moan about anything that's bothering him, but again, I make no promises. If you're offended by cursing, or a thinly disguised reference to a curse, (see b!tch in the previous sentence), then this probably isn't the blog for you. I have been known to use some somewhat colorful language. My 12 year old son and our CPS case worker can confirm this.
With those extreeemly thin promises as a back-drop, I'd like to go ahead and b!tch and complain about something. (Sorry, I tried my best. Really.)
If you're a cyclist in the Dallas/Ft Worth area, heartoafter referred to as DFW, you are undoubtedly familiar with BikeDFW.org . They are a cycling advocacy group dedicated to "increase the use, accessibility, and safety of bicycling in North Texas". A nobel pursuit if every there was one.
I would like to bring to your attention, the following article that I found on the BikeDFW website today. Please click here to read the article.
I know. I was as shocked as you are. Cyclist misbehaving on our beloved Collin County roads? I find it hard to imagine a world were such a thing is possible. But apparently, it's true. (For those of you who are unfamiliar with my writing, such as it is, I currently hold a 3rd Degree Black Belt in Sarcasm.)
For those of you who just refuse to believe that this is true, as a resident of Collin County and a cyclist for the last 11 years, I have a few observations and statements to pass along to you:
1) Dear PBA...while your fake Tour de France pelaton is very impressive, we all know it's not really the Tour de France. I for one, would be more impressed if, instead of riding a large group of 20 to 50 riders all over the road, you just rode in a nice double pace line, and singled up and allowed the automobile traffic to pass you. You will get bonus points if you can avoid shouting or flipping off the drivers of the cars as they go by.
2) The next time I see someone in a McKinney Velo kit stop at a stop sign, or stop at a red light and actually wait for it to turn green, it will be the first time.
3) While I have never claimed to be the brightest bulb in the package, even I can see that there is nothing good to be gained by blocking traffic while on one of my bike rides. The absolutely best thing that is going to happen is that I am going to pi$$ off a motorist. And as I frequent the Collin County roads quite often, odds are that I'm likely to cross paths with said motorist again. Even as dim-witted as my 12 year old will tell you I am, (enthusiastically tell you), even I can see that there is nothing good to be gained by that.
Don't get me wrong, I ride these Collin County roads frequently, so I know exactly who we're dealing with. While most of the people who live in these area's are very tolerant of cyclist, it would seem that there are some people living out there on the back roads, who are working from a very shallow gene pool. I've had more than one beer bottle fly by my head.
But if we're going to continue to enjoy riding on these roads, we've got to learn to get along. Even if some of the motorist make it difficult, we've got to hold up our end of the deal and ride legally. If we don't the rest of Collin County could wind up like Anna, TX.
If your wondering why, as a Collin County cyclist, you're not familiar with Anna, there's a very simple reason. In 2006, Anna passes a city ordinance, effectively banning cyclist from the main road through the middle of town. It seems the good folk of Anna got tired of cycling groups rolling through the middle of town blocking traffic. They can be unreasonable that way.
If it can happen in Anna, it can happen in a lot of other places. The Collin County Sheriff's Department has given us all a warning. Right now, they're just writing tickets. If attitudes from the cyclist don't change, I don't want to find out what the next step might be.
This has been a Nearly Famous Freditorial.
Peace out.....Nearly Famous Fred
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