Society - Eye for Eye until we're all blind

So I've had this blog up for a month now and I'm only now publishing the 3rd entry. I'm rather disappointed in this, as I've actually been writing entries consistently throughout but just can't seem to get them into a state that I'm happy with. Each piece begins to meander from the original point and try as I might I just can't get it back on track. So I figure, what the hell I'm just full stream of conscious and see where the words fall.

As I write this I'm sitting outside my office enjoying my morning cup of coffee having just ridden the 10 kilometres to work and there are dozens of stray thoughts circling my brain. The ride is good, it gets me focused and calm so that I can complete the day with a smile on my face. Even the constant and continuous poor driving I witness on the ride doesn't diminish the therapeutic qualities of the ride. If anything, the rage of those around me makes me feel better because I already feel good and don't see the point in letting it get to me.

This morning though I have all those thoughts in my head, I'm still pretty much focused but they niggle at me. A big one is: Who gave these people a license and by what means are they allowed to keep it? It's there because this morning I was almost taken off my bike by someone not paying attention. Not an unusual occurrence, but one that aggravates me. I was in my bike lane (a novel idea that gives me one metre from the curb to cycle in) at the traffic lights. There are two options for traffic at these lights – turn left (into traffic) or right (across traffic). The bike lane has a turning line marked across the intersection for turning right which is what I planned to follow. The traffic lights also have a turn left symbol for motorists (if I press the bicycle button at the lights this turn symbol stays red to allow me to cross safely). I pressed the button, and the light remained red but the motorist turning left ignored it and almost slammed straight into me. Luckily I have enough sense not to launch immediately on a green light or I'd be paste now.

So, why would this motorist break the rules and almost run me down? Is it perhaps that they didn't see me? If they didn't that's ok, but running a red light is not. Maybe this motorist hates cyclists. I do get that. A lot of motorists hate cyclists. Sometimes with a good reason. But should they brand all cyclists as bad because of a few experiences? They shouldn't but they do. Like all prejudice it can be irrational and encompass others that are similar but not the original. For example, I do not dress in spandex when I ride and these are predominately the cyclists that people do not like on their roads. I dress like a normal person. I do not ride like the spandex clad cyclists raising their arse in the air to gain aero-dynamism. I do not weave in and out of traffic, I stay in the bicycle lane or on the yellow curb line.

The last time I vocalised this occurrence to someone in the lunch room they flat out told me that I wouldn't get any sympathy regarding this because they hate cyclists. Mind you, the person couldn't actually articulate why they hated cyclists, but it was clear there would be no changing their opinion.

It's funny, as I get to this point I'm reminded of what a friend of mine, who drives and cycles, says about motorists: Most people can't drive, they're just steering wheel attendants.

It makes me wonder, are we all as bad as the other? Judging the mass on our few experiences? And in the end, does it really matter? Probably not. We are what we are, and most of us will not even endeavour to alter our opinion, but they'll spend a great amount of time trying to alter yours.

Thanks for reading. Some real content next time, I hope.