Ride Report and Rant (sans expletives)

I've ridden in the last few days and it has been okay--kind of cold on Wednsday, but there was an awesome sunrise. I met this guy named Alex on Mountain Ave and rode with him for awhile. His ride is 17 miles and he rides it 3 days a week. I was cold but he seemed nice and warm because he had on more layers. This morning I had on more layers and my ride was much more pleasant.

Well, there's an unknow cyclist up in UMC. He got hit Tuesday at Mountain and Roger. I know this intersection well. Last night on the way home I went through that intersection and I could see where the police had painted marks and arrows on the pavement.

Apparently at this 4 Way Stop, a lady ran the stop sign and just turned left and ran over the guy. He's still unconscience and had no ID, so they don't know who he is. They suspect that he's an out-of-town visitor, maybe a guy out here training in Tucson because of the nice weather.

There's also this student named Tina that I see around and say hi too. She's a triathlet and soon to be medical student. A few days ago the same thing happened to her--a guy turned left, and instead of running her over, she slammed into his truck. Her collar bone shattered. At least the guy stopped and helped her out and got her to the Hospital.

So I am being extra careful these days, mes amis, and I'm wearing the Road ID Steve got me as a Christmas present. If I do get run over, the ID had phone numbers and tells emergency guys that I don't have allergic reactions to stuff etc etc.

I helped this girl out at the reference desk with some of her research this morning--statistics from CDC or someplace like that. Anyway, looking at the number of how people get killed, we are much more likely to get killed in a car wreck--like 30,000 more times--than to get killed riding a bike.

But Tucson is kind of messed up--like this guy said in the paper in the editorial: lived in Tucson for four decades and seen that Tucson has never had a plan for growth, its run by developers and car dealerships--and do you think they give a Rat's Ass about streets and hwys and us getting to our jobs? Gentle Readers, as long as they can get our asses in one of their custom homes that's about all they care about.

Its not easy to get around parts of the city, and Mountain Ave, which is the premire bike commute street in Tucson with its eleoquently designed bike friendly 30 mph (for cars) Avenue of Love--O no! Its the speed zone for the slackers who work at UMC and go to UofA that are running late, trying to beat the traffic, and trying to get there. Everybody speeds, nobody stops at the lights or 4 way stops. I usually have to physically put my arm out and yell "Stop!" And they act surprised to see me. If they even see me at all.

On a happy note--the last few days I drove, it sucked so bad. When I drove to the park, then biked--where I missed all the backed up traffic--I actually got home 10 minutes earlier. It was still light outside and I had time to take Callie to the park to play ball.

Owt