Pedestrians And Bicyclists Should Just Stay In The Park

Pedestrians and bicyclists should get off the road and stay in the park. According to one jokester, that is.

I do believe we need some rules of the road for drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians. Of course people break those rules, but there need to be some guidelines to keep people in their own lane so to speak. Beyond that we need more courtesy for all people, and that includes drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists.

I am not a fan of bicyclists or pedestrians who pull in front of drivers, or who are not aware of their environment, but there is another segment of the population who irk me a bit more. It is the drivers who say they are joking, but who say things like:

"Pedestrians and bicyclists should stay in the park."

So as much as you may say you are joking when you make comments like that, there seems to be a bit of truth to the joke. I often hear drivers complain about how they do not like bicyclists clogging up the street. As if only drivers have the right to be there.

I have even heard drivers say things about how they want elderly people to cross the street faster. I am the worst driver in the world, but the one thing that bothered me when I was learning how to drive was my driving instructor complaining an elderly lady was not crossing the street fast enough. I have had people honk at me for not crossing fast enough, and call me the b word if I do not make it across the street in one second. This might be a minority of people you say, but it seems the inclination to road rage increases when people get behind the wheel.  Bicyclists and pedestrians have to leave earlier to get to their location, but people in cars seem to think the laws of time do not always apply to them. Okay so you left late, but that does not mean you get to scare the bejeebees out of someone crossing on the walking light by taking your right hand turn as they are crossing.

Being a jokester and poking at a person who shares an alternative mode of transportation does not make you cool. To me it just sounds like the standard commentary of people who think that anyone who does not want to drive is an outcast.

Then again, the need to poke at someone says a lot more about you than anyone else. The most witty people with the best sense of humor do not usually have to prod others. They are not constantly making cheap shot jokes. It is not an endearing quality, but I realize the people who need to do that must be looking for some sort of validation.

The way people drive can be improved by simply displaying a bit of common courtesy. A lot of people do not want to drive for a good reason, and we do not contain our activities for simply going to the park.

I actually would rather go hiking on a nature trail when I do have free time, and not spend it in a park.

Do You Hate Driving? Then Hop On A Bicycle!

I have never liked driving, and it gets old to hear people comment on how everyone in Southern California needs to drive.  Perhaps the majority of people do drive here in the south land, but that does not mean I have travel this way.  For years I have enjoyed walking around, but a few months ago I decided to get a bike because it does cut down on my travel time.

Riding a bicycle is not as fast a driving a car, but you only need to go a three miles each way, a bicycle is a wonderful way to commute.  Also I love riding my bicycle for about eighty percent of my travel because it helps me get exercise without scheduling a workout session.  Riding a bike up a slight incline for three miles is a great workout, and you feel rewarded on the way back because you are mostly coasting downwards.  So if you want to save some money on gasoline and car repair, or if you are tired of taking the bus to work every day, why no invest in a bike?

With the BP Oil Spill We All Need to Walk More, and Drive Less

I know for years people have thought I was gung ho and a wet blanket for choosing to walk more and take the bus less, but I hate driving. Even if I did drive I would still walk miles per day because I love doing this for my health, and driving a gas gussler is not my cup of tea. The BP oil spill has shown us how out of control our oil consumption truly is, and how we need to change our habits for the better. Gone are the days when someone can say drill baby drill, and we will not think about the poor sea life off the Gulf of Mexico.

Climate change deniers have been decrying Al Gore saying his book and DVD An Inconvenient Truth is not based on science, and that clean energy jobs are a joke. Sorry, but I think Al Gore is right on the money about this one, and switching to clean energy jobs would not only help our environment, but would help the American economy as well. Currently our reliance on oil only helps the richest corporations, and richer Americans. We need to switch things up a bit by buying hybrid cars, manufacturing cars that only run on solar power, and really investigating ways we can walk more and drive less. This is our only planet, and we cannot continue to pollute it into oblivion. I truly hope the BP oil spill has opened a few eyes about this.