@30daysofbiking 10.69 miles to
Little Venice.
This was my day 8 # 30daysofbiking but for a fellow cyclist it
was their last. What a shocking loss of
life. There has to be an effective way
of stopping this tragedy.
I am putting a poem I wrote here.
Ode to
the Road by Lucy Frith
Lights at amber,
the driver's ready
The car is
in gear, he holds it steady
On two
wheels at the Advanced Stop Line
Commuting
cyclists bide their time
They hear
the engine revving at full throttle
Let's hope
they keep both their balance and their
bottle
Balance and bad
weather, wet roads and drizzly rain
These are constant hazards
needing riders to ascertain.
Strong winds, deep
puddles, wet paint and misty visors
Along with the possibility
of pedestrians surprises
Whether with or without
engines, two wheeled machines alike
Should prompt a conscious
and frequent thought "Please Think Bike".
Broken
glass and sharp stones brings the puncture fairy
Losing air
in tyres when on the move is very scary
Oooh!
There's a pothole more like a cave
"Thanks
for the space mate" as I give the car a wave
Swerving
outwards the gap was quite sufficient
"Thank
you driver for being so proficient"
Drivers of
large vehicles, lorries and the like
Never seem
to see the viewpoint of the road from a bike
High up in
their cabins these drivers should know
What is
all around them - but with blind spots that's not so
And no
amount of mirrors, cameras or hindsight
Will show
two-wheeled travellers tucked alongside tight.
They remain big, dangerous
and far too close for comfort
The three feet rule should
be extended not extinguished - there's a thought
But their turning curve is a learning curve to
all of us near it
They have
to pull out one way to turn and avoid the pavement
So on two
wheels keep your distance, well back or far ahead
The
devastating results of neither - well, enough said.
Pedestrians
on pavements in their own distracted state
Eyeing
shop windows, lists and reviewing what they ate
Immersed
in talk and texts and tasks and things they think they need
Without a
clue of those using the road all travelling at speed
Head down,
eyes wide shut they are so busy talking
Not a
thought to the effect and danger of their impromptu walking.
The road
is enticing but not to be predicted
Please
share it well and stop bad things being inflicted
Whether on
wheels or on foot it is something that
we share
Whatever
mode you use, do look around you, be aware
Enjoy each
trip, look out for others with kindness and with care
Because it
is full of loved ones absolutely everywhere.
(c) Lucy
Frith April 2013
