RANT 'N' RAVE
Burning Rubber
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Illustration by Dot |
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When was the last time you narrowly
averted a collision with a bicycle on a Tokyo sidewalk? About 20 minutes ago is probably
your answer.
I'll need to verify this statistic, but I believe a pedestrian on a Tokyo sidewalk is hit
by a bicycle every 6.2 seconds. Let's examine the issue:
Why do so many people in Japan ride their bicycles on the sidewalk? Not only is it
dangerous to the rider and the innocent pedestrian but it is also likely to be slower than
walking the same route. And, as a "rolling pedestrian," you still have to wait
on the walk signal, so I ask you, where's the benefit?
Most of these "cyclists" (I use this word very, very loosely) possess extremely
suspect riding skills. The scariest part is when you see one of these urban guerrillas
after they pass you on the sidewalk - how unsteady they are going forward and how close
they come to hitting every single pedestrian they approach.
But I shouldn't be so hard on these "cyclists." Recently I saw a woman riding
her bike in a long dress carrying her small dog in the rain with an umbrella. THAT is a
pretty neat trick. I wonder how long she was able to ride before she crashed? Let me tell
you, there's nothing worse than having a skinned knee and a wet, barking dog.
This week in Yokohama I saw a woman on a bike approach a group of pedestrians from behind.
They did not see her and could not hear her because - oh my God - she was bell-less, and
of course would never utter a sound for them to move. She basically pedaled in place (the
closest thing there is to treading water on land), violently jerking her handle bars back
and forth to stay upright, waiting for one of the men with a sixth sense to notice her.
Finally the smell of burning rubber from her front tire scraping back and forth on the
sidewalk to stay upright at one tenth of a mile an hour alerted them to her presence and
they cleared a path.
I can't believe this stationary riding is good for the cyclist either. Stopping, starting,
weaving, shaking, braking, left lean, right lean and the apologizing - it really has to
wear on you.
Yet observing this phenomenon has taught me a valuable lesson for urban cycling in Tokyo.
If you want to get somewhere fast, use the street and the sidewalk. Ride the roads for
speed and when you hit red lights use the sidewalks to your tactical advantage until you
can get back on the road. This way can actually be faster than a car.
So, if you are a stationary cyclist, add some variety to your life and try the road. Your
tires and many a traumatized pedestrian will thank you for it.
Many thanks to reader Craig Briggs for this Rant.
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