In a 3-mile stretch in Arlington , police have filed 18 reports over the past year — more than the previous two years combined — that have ranged from bike-on-bike accidents to a woman who received unwanted sexual advances one afternoon while push ing her baby daughter in a stroller. Some men have been spotted running naked, others urinating in the bushes.In one instance several years ago, a bicyclist kicked a Jack Russell terrier and yelled at the dog’s owner, “Get the [expletive] over to the right!” as he passed by. Police tracked down the bicyclist and, after he apologized to the dog owner, did not press charges.
“It’s a good thing that it’s used so much,” said David Watson, executive director of the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition. “But in some ways I guess you can call it a victim of its own success.”
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2 responses so far ↓
1 Drew // Jul 2, 2007 at 2:31 pm
Thanks for the link… I’m just sorry that a story from my neck of the woods had to be a negative one. At least the problem isn’t going unnoticed. I think that more people are using the bike trails because our previously quiet side streets are becoming more and more treacherous. It is like living in an R rated video game out there– and the “R” is for violence. The unfortunate side effect is that many people seem to be carrying the combative attitudes of Massachusetts’ highways and roads onto the bike trails and paths. One could make the argument that a few bad apples are spoiling it for the rest of us, but people (especially here in the northeast) just seem to be getting nastier and nastier.
During my one trip to the west coast (Northern California and Oregon) I was amazed at the respect people had for cyclists and pedestrians alike. You didn’t need to be in a crosswalk or on a marked bike lane to get that respect either. Here, at least on Cape Cod, you are taking your life into your hands if you walk across the street anywhere there isn’t a marked crosswalk. Drivers will actually speed up to keep you from crossing in front of them, as though the two seconds it would take them to allow you to cross would ruin their day. The same drivers have no problem idling away for 10 minutes at a drive-thru window, but make a 10 second stop for a pedestrian? Never!
Unfortunately, our bike paths are becoming miniature highways, with many of the same stresses, dangers and attitudes that most of us are trying to escape by riding, walking or roller-blading. Oops… Have I been ranting? Sorry, that must be a Massachusetts thing too!
2 Eric // Jul 2, 2007 at 2:37 pm
I realized after a week or two of bike commuting that there’s just no sense it getting all frustrated at people no matter how stupid they are. If there’s a close call, I just smile and wave once out of danger. If I have a tight squeeze at a light between cars and the curb I smile - and if the window is open politely I say hi. I figure if I am the first bicycle contact with drivers, I will affect how they see all other cyclists. If they see it’s just a guy trying to get home, not some smug uptight freakazoid on two wheels, they might just give some extra consideration the next time the see a cyclist. Arriving alive is the ultimate goal. If there’s a close call, and I am okay, then I’m doing great!
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