Cycling with kill or maim you.

With all these obscene rises in gas prices, I lament the sorry state of public transportation in Tallahassee. I lament how spread out Tallahassee is and the fact that I can't just walk down the street to the grocery store like I could in New Zealand. I was living in the nation's capital, a few hundred thousand more inhabitants than Tallahassee, yet much more compact and each suburb/neighborhood had their own mini center with some restaurants, businesses and at least a convenience store if not a grocery store. I loved the fact I could walk to the post office, cafe, grocery store, antique shop, Indian restaurant, multiple bus stops, and more in under five minutes. How spoiled I was. I even hoofed from my mini town, Kilbirnie, over the hill (very big hill) to the neighboring suburb known as Newtown where I attended classes at the hospital. I get to tell my children that I walked to school and it was uphill both ways. No snow though, and a bummer at that.

But back to Tallahassee and how cycling will kill or maim you. I have a job relatively close to my home. Theoretically, I could ride my bike to work and save on gas and get a nice workout. If I was in New Zealand, I would do it in a heart beat, or even take the bus. But here in Tallahassee, that's not exactly an option. I've been scarred as a child on the roads of Tallahassee. My dad and I used to go for all sorts of bike rides, down the St. Mark's trail, our old neighborhood - Indian Head Acres, and around FSU. I will never forget riding my bike down Pensacola and people honking their horns at us, and shouting obscenities out the window. Lord knows I was on the edge of the road, hugging that white line and wishing I was somewhere else without all these big, heavy, fast cars whizzing past.

For that reason and the general state of Tallahassee's roads and drivers, I am too scared to bike to work or anywhere else for that matter. I won't even bike around my own neighborhood since Lakeshore Drive cuts through it and people drive that road like it's a rollercoaster ride. Not to mention today's Democrat has an article in the Local section about the 'Ghost riders'. It's basically a rundown of car-bike accidents that leave the bikers seriously injured, flying through the air or dead. And not just any run of the mill bikers, no sir. These are people who work with bikes for a living or have been commuting to work on bikes for ages. Not exactly people out for a Sunday stroll. So I'm thinking my chances of safety are pretty poor. I'd much rather ride on the sidewalk that is reserved for pedestrians, but there are places where the sidewalk ends and without warning switches to the other side of the road or just ceases to exist.

I've never supported bikers sharing the road because in order to pass them safely, you've often got to spend some time in the on-coming traffic lane. If it's rush hour, that's out of the question and then you have two choices. Back up traffic behind a bike going who knows how slow or pass the biker within an inch of their life. Sharing the roads is not fair to cyclists or drivers. Every major thorough fare should have a sidewalk, bike lane and car lane. Essentially, neighborhoods don't need bike lanes because you shouldn't be going above 30-25 mph anyway.

I just know that you won't find me out on my bike on Tallahassee thorough fares anytime soon. Not only is it dangerous, but it is hot outside. I'd wheeze my way up to work in a cloud of perspiration and sun stroke only to discover I've got a spray of dirt up my back from a puddle I must have sped through on my way over. I'm tempted to try the bus system, but my impression is that you don't use it if you have to be somewhere on time. Geez louise, what a mess. Maybe I'll talk with my boss about my experimentation with the bus so she'll know I'm at least en route, if not an hour early for no apparent reason.