Today was stressful, and sure to cause both a breakout and a few new gray hairs, because I'm completely gross and can't seem to leave one phase of my life behind before embracing all the downsides of the next. So I never got around to writing Part Two of my turd trauma. I had a lot of errands to run, but apparently so did every person in Northern Idaho. Too. Many. People. Which is a strange way for me to feel after spending almost 25 years of my life in New Jersey. But when everyone is used to dealing with crowds, everyone knows how to navigate and stay out of the way. That doesn't happen here. Nobody gets out of the way. No one hurries. Everyone walks slowly. It's unbearable at times.
But I have to get something off my chest. Bikes piss me off. Not all bikes. Actually not even bikes. Bike riders. Most of you suck. You need to grow a pair and start riding in the bike lanes instead of on the sidewalk. That's right, I said it. Stop acting like I'm in your way when I'm walking on the sidewalk. See, the activity is implicit in the name. You walk on a sidewalk. Things with wheels belong in the street. Unless you're in a wheelchair, in which case, I'm sorry. Use as much sidewalk as you need.
Contrarily, I saw one bike rider the other day that I wanted to high five in the worst way. I saw this guy riding a bike that, at first glance, appeared to be way too small for him. He was lower to the ground than one would be on a normal bike, yet he was leaning very far forward to reach the handlebars. That's when I noticed his seat was missing - he was sitting on the basket platform over the back tire. Most people would throw in the towel and find an alternate mode of transportation until a proper ass-platform could be acquired, but you, sir, soldiered on. Way to be.
"But when everyone is used to dealing with crowds, everyone knows how to navigate and stay out of the way. That doesn't happen here. Nobody gets out of the way. No one hurries. Everyone walks slowly. It's unbearable at times."
ReplyDeleteAs another NJ-to-Northwest transplant, I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU MEAN. And it drives me crazy too. The same goes for driving in traffic. The traffic here wouldn't be that bad if so many drivers didn't freeze up because they don't know what to do. Or get super impatient because they're not used to traffic. Or be from Washington and drive as aggressively as everyone thinks people from NJ drive.
And then the bikes come in, too. I share your sentiments on that, but my pet peeve is bicyclists on main roads where there's no bike lane. There's even a map of the city that tells you where it's safe to ride a bike, on non-busy roads parallel to the main roads.
I hate bike riders here. And actually, I hate here too. I've from Alberta, which is all western-y. And people there don't linger in the grocery store aisle, ram their cart into you, and just generally get in the way. People here are not only slow, they're rude and inconsiderate (and kinda dumb).
ReplyDeleteThe other thing I've noticed is that some people walk side by side on the sidewalk. Sometimes there's no place for me to go, I used to move out of the way. But I'm tired of sorority girls in skimpy clothes, or those sweater get-ups with black tights and ugly boots, displacing me. So I started to not move. And they don't move. It's their fault if they want to play bumper cars with a 6'2 former rugby player. I've thought about it doing it to bike riders because I've been successful with the tiny, inconsiderate, babbling women. I think I could end up mangled though.
Cristalle
Sarah, yes, it's the worst! People can say what they will about people from NJ/the east in general being rude, abrupt, always in a hurry, etc. At least we know how to get things done quickly and efficiently. And you have a good point about bikes on streets where they don't belong - good for them for reducing their carbon footprint, but don't make drivers cross the center line and have an accident because you have to ride your bike on the damn highway!
ReplyDeleteCristalle, totally with you on the sidewalk thing. It's so rude and annoying, I vote you just start taking them out. Maybe not the bikes though, although if you ended up with a cast and/or crutches you'd probably a) inspire sympathy so people would get out of your way, or b) you could kick them with your heavy plaster appendage or take out their knees with a crutch.
Another thing is getting stuck behind slow walkers, especially when two or more slow walkers are taking up the whole sidewalk. If they are old, it doesn't count, but able-bodied young people have no business walking at 'mall pace' on public sidewalks. Seriously. The worst.
It might be dorky that I'm coming back to comment AGAIN, but I thought of your blog and this post yesterday, when I was walking (in a hurry!) to catch a bus and an old woman came out from a side street in front of me with her two grandkids. They started to ride their bikes on the (NOT BUSY) street, and she barked at them to get on the sidewalk. I wanted to say, "No! You are teaching them WRONG!"
ReplyDeleteHaha, not dorky. You should have pushed the kids over if they tried to ride on the sidewalk. The grandma might be an authority figure to them, but kids will listen to PAIN. Gotta teach 'em while they're young.
ReplyDeleteYeah but why you mad though.
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