Every morning, my kid and I #bike to #school, riding side-by-side down a neighborhood connector road with no pedestrian or bicycle facilities. Lots of people in cars drive past us. They give us space and don't yell about not riding single file.
I like to think this is a sign of the beginnings of a culture shift in #ChapelHillNC.
#SafeStreetsForAll #KidsOnBikes #BikeToSchool #SafetyCulture #BikeTooter
My kid and I ride side-by-side deliberately. For one, it's probably the best chance she and I get to chat about her day. That's enough on it's own.
Plus, it makes us more visible, and shows drivers there's a kid present...so hopefully they'll be a little more careful and empathetic.
Also, as a parent, it gives me the sense--false though it may be--that my body will protect hers in the event a driver does not exercise due care.
Finally, it's legal here.
@DrTCombs I taught myself to ride on the road in Carrboro in about 1960 (Pine Street since you ask) and back then neither I or my parents had any inkling of danger. In the next few years my friends & I would tour the local streets by bike, never with an adult supervising. It would be lovely to return to those times.
@DrTCombs I feel like drivers somehow become more attentive when they see I'm riding with my kid than when it's just me. They even yield so we can cross the road while on a local Greenway. I do always go into intersections first and "block" people who want to turn because if they are going to hit someone, it's gonna be me.
@DrTCombs
Thank you for saying this. I have thought about this a lot as a bike commuter over the years. How much trouble and risk could be avoided with simple consideration. I think that these things are deeply intertwined in the at the infrastructure feeds-back-into cyclist and driver behavior so that they can positively reinforce the "culture of safety". The infrastructure can legitimize cyclists and pedestrians as allowed to be there and entitled to consideration.
Obviously it's ridiculous that our safest route to school includes a busy road with no pedestrian or bicycle facilities. This desperately needs to be addressed.
But a #SafeSystem also needs a culture of safety -- including drivers who can recognize when they need to slow down, give space, and have grace.