Cycling makes me sad! :(
well, not really, i love cycling... it's what i have to deal with when cycling is what makes me sad.
does anyone ever feel really bummed when they go out for a ride, or when they read all of the articles on this website? you know, the ones that talk about how every other city, third world or not, from bogota colombia to new york city being better than us with promoting and protecting bikes and bike lanes. it makes me sad...
and everytime i almost die from being 'doored' (whatever the term for that is)... and the people about it are real jerks, too. it upsets me so much! and when i get honked at when trying to pass another cyclist because i'm taking up the lane... it's really upsetting how there's so0o much out there to get you down..
If you want to improve these things, I suggest getting involved with one of Toronto's cycling advocacy groups, or even just keep an ear to the ground on this site, and support the cycling advocacy events whenever they come up.
I think that there will be a vote on expanding the scope of the bike facilities to be added on the 22nd, so you could always email your councillor about that (and complain about the progress on the bike plan).
Hi Ecologik - Riding my bike makes me happy to be sure. But, like you, i get really depressed on my daily commute. Esp now that there are fewer cyclists out there I've noticed drivers become oblivious/more jerk-y again. Sad sad sad.
I try to not get into altercations with drivers but it is so hard to resist telling someone off when they nearly kill you. my 'favourite' these days is people who are trying to cross from a side st (think harbord) and they see you, yet as soon as you are in front of them they start to edge out at you (usually in a big honking truck/suv thing). I yelled at one guy today 'what is wrong with you - why can't you wait for just one &^ing second while I pass by?' he, of course, got angry and yelled back...sometimes they even say things like "i stopped for you" all indignant like, i mean since it is such an obvious FAVOUR they are doing for me personally by um, following the rules of the road, and, like, not killing me! losers!
it is also psychologically hard since cyclists do have a bad rap/rep. sometimes drivers get really angry at me when I stop at lights and signs and they start yelling at me to go thru. I say, no, you have the right of way, or something like that, and they just get steamed at my refusal... this happened the other night and I finally went ahead and guess what? scenario 1 above happened -- he gunned it at me when I finally heeded his demand that I cross thru first !!! that is when SAD turns to ANGER for me.
but Ben is right - use your energies and emotions to do something positive and it will help you feel better. there are lots of things you can get involved with in the cycling community.
you can email me if you like and we can talk more about what you might like to do!
tammy@spacing.ca
I can't speak for the third world, but I lived in NYC for the last seven years and believe me, it's much better for cycling here in Toronto ... support for cycling is perhaps the only area, in fact, in which Toronto is not second rate compared to just about any other major city. Although we are light-years behind many European cities I'm sure, and the culture and politics here are as car-mad as anywhere, cycling is part of the life of this city in a way that is simply not the case in most other cities. Other places may have some cycling infrastructure, but it goes unused. (Most of New York's new bike lanes are primarily used for double parking and deliveries, from what I could tell, which pretty effectively thwarts the few beleaguered cyclists who try to use them.) Toronto has the cyclists, and that's what makes the difference.