Tuesday, July 27, 2004
riding bikes
i wrote before that china is a country in motion. this is best exemplified by the bicyclists. they are always moving, forward. they don't ever look behind them. [not that the cars do either...nobody looks behind them, everything is a steady parade foward]. in america, i have a rear-view mirror on my bicycle--i want to know, no, i *need* to know what is coming up behind me. but not here. the bicyclists never bother looking behind them when they turn, merge, or pull over, mainly because they know the cars and other bikes are looking out for them. here, it is the responsibility of the vehicle in the rear to allow the person in front of them [regardless of that person's slooooow speed] to continue moving in exactly the path they chose...
you might think this would feel unsafe. maybe the first time i rode my bike--home from the store--i was wishing i had a mirror. not so anymore. i love it that what concerns me is what is in front of me, which is often more than enough to keep my mind occupied: buses in the bus/bike lane, taxis pulling into our protected lane for pick-ups and drop-offs, myriad pedestrians, other bikers, men pulling huge carts stacked with cardboard and other recyclables....the list is endless. but riding here is fun--like being in a video game when i am always moving forward and i had smooth sailing unless i begin to consider what is coming behind me. that means trouble, because the car that might have otherwise passed narrowly behind me, but also without breaking stride, also must brake, if i brake......so, as long as i continue to move forward, along with the rest of the chinese, i can be assured that they will look out for me from behind and all i have to do is look out for what is coming in front of me........
you might think this would feel unsafe. maybe the first time i rode my bike--home from the store--i was wishing i had a mirror. not so anymore. i love it that what concerns me is what is in front of me, which is often more than enough to keep my mind occupied: buses in the bus/bike lane, taxis pulling into our protected lane for pick-ups and drop-offs, myriad pedestrians, other bikers, men pulling huge carts stacked with cardboard and other recyclables....the list is endless. but riding here is fun--like being in a video game when i am always moving forward and i had smooth sailing unless i begin to consider what is coming behind me. that means trouble, because the car that might have otherwise passed narrowly behind me, but also without breaking stride, also must brake, if i brake......so, as long as i continue to move forward, along with the rest of the chinese, i can be assured that they will look out for me from behind and all i have to do is look out for what is coming in front of me........
