by moth
Sunday, May. 30, 2004 at 2:47 PM
Biking on the freeway can be fun until CHP come along and tell you that you can't do that. Now what's the problem officer? My civil rights include me riding my bike for transportation, oh, sorry, forgot this was a police state..
While on a recent road trip via bicycle with B.O.B. one wheel trailer, the ever watchful CHP pulled in front of me on the 101and motioned me to stop.
The conversation begun as a rapid fire interrogation from two CHP officers with nothing better to do that fine sunny day but waste taxpayer dollars harrassing a lone bicyclist..
"Why are you riding your bike on the freeway? Did you see the sign that said no bicycles? What if you get killed? Where are you from? Where are you going?"
My reply was "Am getting off at the next exit, no, i was not aware of any sign that stated i could not ride on the freeway."
Apperantly i was somehow supposed to know about a county road that semi-paralleled the freeway, though this was my first time on this route and there was no "bike route" sign that indicated i should exit on this county road..
Since the CHP is suddenly so concerned about my well-being (and where i'm from, and where i'm going, etc..), perhaps they can help by recommending bike route exit signs be posted by Cal-Trans that parallel freeways so travelers know where to go..
As far as me getting killed, the 101 is most likely the safest route so far, though i almost got killed on a two lane county road when an oversize pickup truck with motor home attempted to pass me on a steep downhill slope. Since i was going fast downhill, he decided he had to be faster, so he gunned the engine and almost collided into an oncoming vehicle, forcing me off the shoulder into gravel (try that going fast, really fun to get skin scraped up while skidding) so i didn't get clipped by the motor home..
Safety is the responsibility of the people driving, learn to share the road with bikes or live with the lifetime knowledge that you committed manslaughter/homocide because you couldn't wait one fucking minute..
Riding bicycle is fun for me and also my only means of transportation. When traveling longer distances, the freeways are the most direct route to my destination. Safety is relative to people driving, wether county road or freeway. Therefore i will continue to ride my bicycle on the freeways..
The freeways are not the property of CHP nor the SUVs, we all have the civil rights to access freeways on our bicycles. bicycles are an alternative form of transportation that don't contribute to petroleum dependency besides the tubes and tires that are petroleum byproducts. Other than that, we sure don't waste as much gasoline as the SUVs that speed by on their way to oil war oblivion..
The CABO - California Cyclist Freeway Access website has more info on freeway cycling..
www.cabobike.org/touring/freeway.htm