Behind Blue Eyes

As I may have mentioned several times before, I was born and raised in the inner city. I walk, run and cycle my way around the place. In recent months I have become a lot more safety conscious. I have realised that some of the antics I used to get up to on the bike were not so clever. I have invested in a hat and a yellow jacket. I have also become more atuned to quite how badly some people some people cycle. I was never one for pushing through red lights or cycling on the pavement but I did used to partake in a bit of weaving, going down the middle of the road and that sort of thing.

I don’t get angry or exasperated by other people being more dangerous than my new, more responsibly ways. But I do get annoyed when irresponsible cyclists put other cyclists and pedestrians at risk. Those who charge through red lights and across pedestrian crossings without being aware of other people around them really get my goat. On my way into work there is a busy road junction which always has people crossing at rush hour. Do the cyclists care? Do they hell. They barge through, making the walkers dart out of the way. I have been known to shout things like “it’s a red light!”, as if it makes any difference.

I don’t mind people who want to hurt or kill themselves, why would I? But I do object to those who put other people in danger. Call me old-fashioned, if you will. There is nothing I can do about it, so I have a new slogan for the road: live and let die.