Whistler

(Sadly, there was a photograph associated with this blog entry.  When transferring it from one site that was shutting down to this site, the photo was lost.  I am unable to locate it among my possessions.)

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One of the first dogs I ever encountered on the mail route I’ve been delivering for over the last 15 years was named Whistler.  As I pulled up to place the mail in the curbside mailbox, this yellow lab came charging toward the mailbox at full speed.  Wonderful.  Brand new on the route, and I’ve already found a territorial dog.

He arrived at the mailbox in mere seconds, and then hit the brakes – coming to an almost instantaneous stop next to the mailbox.  It was then that I noticed two important details; Whistler was wearing a shock collar (for the Invisible Fence) so he had an ingrained concept of boundaries, and secondly (and most important to Whistler) was that he had a tennis ball in his mouth.

Whistler was not in “attack mode”.  He was in, “I’ve found a sucker to throw my ball” mode.  And he was right… in no time at all he had me trained to throw the ball for him whenever I showed up. 

This became a game for both of us; I’d show up at the mailbox and so would Whistler.  I’d throw the ball toward the back of the house (their yard sloped downhill from the street) and Whistler would run at full-tilt to retrieve the ball and make it back to the box before I was done getting the mail sorted and off to the next stop.  Whistler always got two throws of the ball because of his speed.  On heavy mail days he usually got three tosses of the ball.

This went on for a few years, and then one day one of Whistler’s humans was out in the yard, waiting by the mailbox.  When I got there, they told me that Whistler had cancer and wasn’t going to be around much longer.  They also asked if I’d do them a favor and pose for a photo with him.  They were compiling a photo album for their kids, tentatively called “A Day in the Life of Whistler”, where they were going to document his daily goings-on.  My routine stop there was apparently on Whistler’s “to-do” list, so it was only natural that it should be part of the documentary.

The photo that appears above is a copy that was given to me from that day’s “photo-shoot”.  It’s also a pleasant reminder of the dog who helped to make a game out of delivering the mail to that one address on my route.  Even though Whistler has been gone for years, I still pull up to that one mailbox expecting to see him standing there with his ball, waiting for the game to begin.

Putting The Shoe on the Other Foot

It’s the age-old battle – drivers vs. bicyclists.  Drivers have to use a little more caution when going around cyclists, sometimes even having to slow down or wait until it’s safe to pass.  God knows it’s hard to get that momentum back once you’ve lost it… you have to exhibit some kind of super-human strength by, well… placing your right foot on the accelerator and pushing down.  Bicyclists can get infuriated with the drivers not moving over a little bit when they are going by, or sometimes cyclists can be plain rude by hogging the lane instead of riding over on the right-hand edge.

Yeah, yeah… I’ve heard it before.  “The cars won’t know you’re there unless you claim the lane.”  Bullshit.  The cars will know you’re there, but if you’re “claiming the lane” they’ll resent you and every other biker out there.  The next time they see the “Share the Road” slogan printed somewhere they’ll try to spit on it.  Hopefully you’re not wearing a custom made cycling jersey with that phrase emblazoned upon it at the time.  

I have no problem sharingthe lane.  I can, and do, ride as far to the right-hand side as I safely can.  When there’s sand or debris in the way I move to the left on an as-needed basis.  It’s not that tough, but motorists still resent bicyclists for being on “their” roads.  (For those of you who really like to read, might I suggest “Roads Were Not Built for Cars”, by Carlton Reid?)  

One thing drivers could benefit from is knowing how vulnerable bicyclists feel when sharing the road.  It might help give them a little more perspective about passing cyclists, giving them a little more space and – God help us all – waiting to go around cyclists when it’s not safe to pass them.  But where could a driver gain such experience without actually having to ride a bike on a city street or country road?

Multi-use trails and paths are the answer!  Park your car, put on your walking shoes and go for a little stroll.  Fresh air will do you some good, and we could all use a little exercise from time-to-time.  One of those trails exists in Boise (where we happen to do a good deal of our riding); it’s known as “The Greenbelt”, and it’s a paved path with a dashed line right down the middle (kind of like a road) to keep people on the proper side and moving in a predictable fashion.

Now you need to reset your brain and engage in a little role-playing.  You who are now walking – pretend that you are a bicyclist.  You will encounter a lot of bicyclists along your walk – pretend that they are cars.  Got it?  Simple enough.  You’ll notice that as you start your walk, you’ll probably walk right down the middle of your “lane”.  It’s comfortable, and walking right along the edge seems a bit silly.  Then “whoosh”!  A bicyclist goes zooming by, startling you and making you a little angry.

Couldn’t that thoughtless ass have gotten over in the other lane, or maybe said something like “on your left” before zooming by?  Remember… you’re now the bike and the bike is now the car.  See how this game is shaping up?

If you’ve got a friend walking with you you’re going to stroll side-by-side.  This will just about take up the whole lane.  If someone wants to go around you, they’re going to have to pass by riding into the other lane, unless of course there’s oncoming traffic.  Then they’re going to have to wait until it’s clear, yell “on your left” and hope that the walkers will assume a single file procession until they can cycle past.  Or there’s the other choice… just blow on through without slowing down and hope there’s enough room for you to make it.  (Remember who’s the bike and who’s the car once again?) 

As a pedestrian, you’re really wishing that all the people on bikes would show a little more courtesy and consideration when going around you.  “They can’t be in that big of a hurry that they can’t show a little decency!” you say to yourself.  “If one of those idiots runs into me, I could really wind up in the hurt-locker.”

Ah, now you’re starting to sound just like a bicyclist on the public roads.  Welcome to the club!  Roads, for the most part, are like a multi-use path:  they’re for everybody to use, and the “big kids” need to look out for the “little ones”.  That means bikers need to watch out for the pedestrians on the paths, and on the roads drivers need to give the bikers a little breathing room.

Okay… what started this rant in the first place?  Well… a couple of days ago we took our tandem out for a ride, and part of that ride was along “The Greenbelt”.  It was a sunny Saturday – one of the first of its kind in quite a while, so everybody was out on “The Greenbelt”.  Pedestrians of every age and bicyclists of every ability.  I’m talking about the ones who go screaming by on the most high-tech bikes available to the public right down to the little kiddies who have just learned to ride since Santa brought them their new bike last Christmas.

We were diligent in not forcing ourselves through any tight situations, or letting people know when we were passing close (because the other lane had oncoming people in it).  We would slow to a snail’s pace until after we had cleared the masses and then ramp up to our normal pace once again.  This lasted for a little over a mile, when I finally had enough of the little kiddies running every which way, and I exited “The Greenbelt” and went back to riding in a more comfortable and, on that day at least, a safer environment:  the city streets!