Bicyclists and Pedestrians

I live in a pedestrian town. It's a univeristy town, hence the pedestrians. And bicyclists. Loads of them. It's an ongoing, miniscule version of RAGBRAI (look it up) around here. Fine. Not a problem. It's healthy and it's got to save money on gas. I'm just too lazy to do it myself. And fat. I prefer to think of it as height challenged, but whatever. Living nearly 15 miles from campus doesn't help either. Anyway, here are some myths about Iowa, pedestrians, and cyclists.

#1: Iowa is NOT flat! It isn't full of mountains, but it isn't flat. Nope. Lots of hills. Oodles of hills. Especially on campus. Or any road leading to campus.

#2: Simply being a pedestrian or cyclist does not guarantee your safety. It may grant you the right of way, but there are still responsibilities that go with this. Such as not crossing the road on a redlight or that little 'stop' hand thing. Also, do not walk into moving vehicles. This is a sure way to take an ambulance trip. One of the first things I learned about crossing the street was to look both ways. Do not wait until a car is moving right in front of you then ride or walk right into it. That is assinine. The only real excuse for this is blindness, documented blindness. Drivers around here get used to seeing people and bikes all over the place. We honestly try to watch out for you, I swear. However, follow the laws and use some common sense. Be prepared to stop at uncontrolled intersections, obey traffic signals, and for Goddess's sake, keep your eyes open! The streets around town are heavily trafficked. People driving are in just as much of a hurry as you, and have plenty of things to watch out for. You, being sentient creatures, unlike stop signs or parked vehicles, can take action to protect yourselves.

#3: I also understand that not every person who walks on or near campus lives on campus. There are many side streets and walks that are not exactly hubs of activity. I also recognize that neon yellow or green isn't always fashionable at the local bar. However, if you need to walk or ride in the dark on a place that is not well lit, you need to assume that you are invisible. This is a false belief that will get you another trip in an ambulance. If I cannot see you or some part of you, I will assume you are not there until I have either caught you in my headlights or run into you. By the time I see you in my headlights it may be too late, and I will still run into you.

I am not perfect. I admit there have been times I didn't look as closely as I should have. I have been lucky enough to avoid an accident so far. But, I am not the only lucky one. Each person who was nearly hit by me should also thank their guardian angels or whoever, because one of these days, they may not be so lucky. And it might not be me in my sedan. It might end up being one of the thousand or so semi trucks that go through the area every day. That could be an ambulance trip to the hospital...without any lights or sirens.