Cycling with Safety

By Angela Oviedo

We're on the same narrow path. You're heading towards me at full-speed. There are people on either side of us. There seems to be no way this will end well.

From 10 feet away, we do the "which way will you go?" tango, until I freeze like a deer caught in headlights.
As I encounter what I assume will be death, I think of something optimistic, like "looks like I won't have to worry about that reading I forgot to do for my next class!"

You're close enough to hit me so I move over as much as I can, causing me to crash into the person on my other side. You barely make it through the narrow space I provided you without causing chaos.

I must admit: sometimes it's not always the biker's fault. Sometimes pedestrians are too engrossed in whatever is so captivating on the screen of their phones that they don't look at what lies ahead.

In those situations, their risk may become their newly sprained ankle, broken arm or blood-gushing injury. Forgive their inattentiveness and wish them a speedy recovery.

I just want to make it to class without having to dodge for my life.

Contact Angeles Oviedo at aoviedo@scu.edu or call (408) 554-4849.