schallerc’s Recent Comments

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  "That's very IRRESPONSIBLE, IDIOT!"

  "That's very IRRESPONSIBLE, IDIOT!"  Was shouted at me as I pedaled the kids (in the trailer) past a busy intersection in Suburbsville, USA on a beautiful late-September afternoon.  I had the traffic light on my side and was first in line to traverse a hairy 50 yard section of road until a 3 foot "bike lane" gave me a little room to breathe.  I had played that crossing almost the entire ride, as do many riders when considering their routes, but there was no other way to get to the library from the route we had selected.

  The driver of the smashed up Toyota shouting at me wasn't an evil person, against all those who bike. Maybe he lost a child to an accident.  Pull over, confront me face-to-face, drop the "IDIOT" comment and I'll listen to you, now I'm just mad at you.  

  The lesson learned; I won't ride that route with kids ever again, but I'm not a bad parent. I love my kids, that's why I'm trying to instill the values of biking as a viable mode of transportation.  This is second time in my fresh parenting life the a stranger has called me out on parenting choices that wouldn't received a second thought 20 years ago.  I'm starting to get tired of the constant risk analysis today's society has forced us to consider before we enjoy any activity with our kids. I drive them in cars, take them on planes, and let them eat grapes don't all those things have a higher probabilistic likihood of causing a fatality?  And if they are in fact statistically more likely, aren't those things being "IRRESPONSIBLE, IDIOT!"?On My bike and kids posted 2 years, 1 month ago 12 Responses