life in the slow lane

I’ve been training at a gym in Moorestown for about two years. Last Spring, I started working with a client who was only available at 8:30am on Tuesday and Thursday. The commute to make it to the gym for an 8:30am appointment is much different than the commute to make it to the gym for a 9:00am appointment. I found myself sitting in a ridiculous amount of traffic on those days. A drive that should take 12 minutes was taking closer to 30 minutes. It wasn’t the lost time which concerned me the most, it was the people I had to encounter during that time. Everyone was in a hurry...aggressive drivers, weaving in and out of traffic, tailgaters, impatience...it left me feeling on edge. That wasn’t how I wanted to start my day.

So I opted for life in the slow lane.

In the mornings, it can actually take less time to ride my bike to Moorestown and I get a workout. It’s win/win situation, except for the fact that I still have vehicles to contend with. The first time I nearly got hit was by an older woman who was making a right hand turn into a doctor’s office. She did not see me and started her turn. I yelled, but she didn’t hear me. Thankfully, her turning skills weren’t that sharp. I had enough time to react and hop the curb into the parking lot. She seemed startled when she saw me. The following week, I was riding in a residential neighborhood. A woman pulled out from a side street with the intention of crossing the road that I was on to get into her driveway. She didn’t see me...me with my bright green kit and matching helmet, yellow back pack and flashing lights...that was a close one! I am thankful for the stopping power of disc brakes. 

Since then it’s been a mixed bag...wanting to go around a car that's making a left hand turn...rolling through a stop sign...attempting to make a left hand turn in front of me. I’ve been lucky enough to avoid getting doored on Kings Highway, but it’s only just a matter of time.

What I’ve determined is that riding my bike to work is no less stressful than driving. In fact, it's even more stressful. In theory, life in the slow lane is a good idea...if only the rest of the world would slow down so I could enjoy it.