This will be a little of a spin off than the usual comic stuff, but it's just something I'd like to write about~
as some of you might know, I've recently picked up Cycling again, stopped doing it ever my old bike in the high school days never actually tried to pick it up again...
(also due to the fact that it's not really a healthy lifestyle to spend my youth just working and playing PS3 and just drawing)
either way it was a good decision, I begun to really love the feeling of cycling all over again, along with joining different groups and cycling all over the place, meeting new friends and listening to them talking about bicycles though I have absolutely no idea what they are talking about...
but one thing I've noticed was that there is recently a rise in the number of Cyclist in Malaysia, thus it's beginning to be a common thing to see bicycles on the roads right now.. which is understandable due to the fact of the rising petrol prices, and also to avoid the massive jams.
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and sadly, I do know that KL roads was never built for Bicycles to have their own lanes on the main road like other countries (Japan / China / Taiwan/ etc) thus it is also not really a safe thing for bicycles to be on the road, even though people are now starting to fight to "bicycle rights" and to want to "share the roads" with them cars, I think that is a good option to have~
but sadly I'm starting to notice a conflict on both man-powered, and motor-powered vehicle on the road now... where the cars are being very aggressive and almost running over some cyclist, at best just tripping a few of them off balance, or maybe even making an offensive comment and gesture as they pass by.. but is it totally the car's fault? Well probably in some areas... but we can't say that it's totally their fault, since I too have seen a number of cyclist that treated the road as their grandfather's property, cycling in the middle of the right lane, purposely stopping in the middle of the road and raising their hands to stop traffic for no other reason (even motorbikes don't do that) or even too, making some gestures and comments towards the other motored vehicles. I mean if I was in the car, I too would want to run them over..
But in the end I think we all need to come to a point where we need to have mutual respect towards each other on the road, since we all do have a common goal, to use the road to get us from point A to B
For the Bicycles: do play close attention to traffic, a priority of the lane should be given to the motored vehicles first, so do keep to the close left of the lane that they might the room to pass. Follow the rules of the road too as a car would (signals when turning, and stopping at the red light). And remember, no matter how expensive and solid your bicycle might be, a car can easily destroy both your bike and ego with just a light tap on his accelerator. Cycle the way as you would want other cyclist to do when you are driving.
For the Cars: realizing the power that you are holding in your hands, do also be alert and notice the little details on the road, it might not always be a bike, but rather a lamppost or even a hamster. You don't always have to speed or horn loudly to prove your point, since it sounds x5000 times louder to the cyclist, and it might scare them to throw them off balance (especially if they are nervous new-comers) Drive the way as you would want to see other driver acting on the road.
Now that that's over with, I would like to talk of the importance of safety when cycling...
"HUH!? Is there a need for that!?"
as you might ask... but yes there are a couple of things that we need to take notice of if you would like to come back home and live to die another day...
and yes I am talking about the Bicycle Helmet... I know that not many of us would want to wear it due to many reasons, but one main thing would be as a fashion statement, since a bike helmet does mess with your hair and the wind flowing through it..
(then again all those TIGHT clothing does make a strong fashion statement by itself)
and I too would be anti-helmet due to how uncomfortable it is, but just as long as we are on the road, accidents could happen, that's why I can't stress enough on how important the need is to keep a bicycle helmet on when you're riding!!
it might not be much, and you might still get a couple of cuts and bruises when you fall, (believe me it hurts real bad) but it's more important to keep your head safe from the worse case scenario
because the road can be unforgiving and brutal at times, that's why we call it an "Accident" because nobody can predict what would happen next to them, or someone else.
I've read and heard on a couple of stories on accidents on the road, and a majority of much critical cases were all unexpected moments, especially to the individual that decides to not wear a helmet.. and really, it doesn't matter how skillful and experienced you might be, we all need to keep our helmet on, because... well, safety first
it might take just one accident to really change our lives, and I mean just "one"
... either way as we're still living on the earth, and as long as humans aren't replaced by hamsters yet, let's learn to live in peace with one another, by beginning to respect each other through a mutual agreement, beginning on the road~
cycle safe :)
then again I've always wondered, how would it be like if you were to run over your friend...?
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