How Ya Doin'?

This weekend I noticed a more profound statement of the trouble our nation is in than the differences between Republican and Democrat. As many of the readers of this blog know, I am a bicyclist. Yes, I’m one of those fools in tight Lycra shorts and garish jerseys taking up our 12 inches of roadway, and totally freaking out the drivers of this nation. There was a time when one of the unwritten rules of bicycling was that when you see another cyclist coming from the opposite direction you acknowledge them. A nod of the head, a wave, or even a hello was always exchanged. If you were to overtake another cyclist from behind you warned them of your approach and made nice. It didn’t matter how much the bike cost, or if you were wearing the latest bike togs: you were strangers connected by a common bond. You shared the open air and the same 12 inches of roadway, not like the people in cars: encased in their individual worlds. Democrat, Republican, Conservative, Liberal were all terms for those afflicted with 4 wheels.

Now, that simple demonstration of civility is falling by the wayside. Groups of cyclists hammer by without so much as an “on your left”, and very often have coarse words for those they feel should not be in their way. Coming from the opposite direction they act as if they owe you money.

I bring this up because I never worried that this nation was losing the notion of neighborhoods that we had when I was a kid. I didn’t really worry about the language that was appearing on the floor of the U.S. Senate or the sophomoric behavior of the Democrat leadership. I figured that this was just a bad spot that we (the nation) would get over: like the flu. But when I see groups, like us bikers, losing the simple civility of saying good-morning to one another, I have the feeling that we are doomed. Is it too late to stop our nation’s decline? The answer is a resounding NO! Tomorrow morning when you step out to get your paper and see your neighbors getting theirs, say hello. Ask about the family and listen to their answer without trying to one-up them. Say please and thank-you. In general, be civil to everyone you meet even if they ride a bike. Maybe we can set an example for our elected officials AND those other cyclists. Oh, and for the guy with the carload of kids who decided to pass me (read hit) on the right by using the turn lane, have a good week. I’ll be on the same route next Saturday.

Comments? You know where to put ‘em.

C