I follow the shared pedestrian cycle lane down a slope and under a subway that leads into an open space in the middle of the island. In front of me in the cycle lane are a couple who I assume to be married and not a day under the age of 75. They were both riding those little electric mobility scooters blocking the cycle lane completely.
I suppose I could've cycled around them and I eventually did, but not before cycling up behind them and making a comment about "bloody roadhogs". I think I caught them by surprise and they shot a glance in my direction, looking quite startled. Fortunately, my cheeky smile told them enough to know I was being a little mischievous and meant no harm. So I wished them a good morning and they responded in kind before I went around them and picked up the pace to what must have been a lightning 10 to 12 mph.
Just before I reached the corner of the subway and turned out of sight, the woman of the couple shouted "Maniac!"
I nearly fell off my bike I was laughing so hard.
Not only did the exchange bring a smile to a couple of Brummie faces who'd never met before, it also got me thinking. Cycling to work doesn't just help you keep healthy and pollution to a minimum, it sometimes requires a little intercalation with other people. And on the whole, in a positive way. My day got off to a good start with the help of a joke from a stranger. I'm sure that it lifted my mood for the rest of the day and made me bearable for the people unfortunate enough to have to work with me.
Had I been driving I would've been cocooned in my little steel shell, cut off from social interaction beyond the odd (and often rude) gesticulation. By removing that barrier to communication, maybe cycling could also aid our understanding of all the people we share our environment with, even a cycling loon of middle aged blues fan and a couple of infirm OAP's.
In life it's often the small things that make a big difference and by breaking even just a small barrier to communication between strangers, we can start to communicate, start to understand each other.
So get out and start pedalling.
Yup, pedal for peace, it's your civic duty.
Keep Pedallin'
Gary.
November 2006
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