Crazy observations.

Before I launch into the topic for today, what do you think of the new graphic?? I'd love some feedback so let me know!

Now, I wanted to talk about an observation I've made recently. When I first started running, if I woke up at dark thirty and went out running, I hardly ever encountered ANYONE else running or cycling around here at that hour. Lately, when I wake at same dark thirty and head out, there are literally TONS of people on the streets. Biking, walking, running...I wave and smile and nod at an awful lot of people these days when I'm out logging my miles. I am not sure if the fitness boom just suddenly swept through or what, but I've talked to others who have noticed the same thing. This city has become active!! Of course, I think that's a fantastic thing, and it's wonderful to see so many people out there. However, I've also noticed a corresponding upsurge in something else that is not as fabulous: unsafe drivers.

I don't know if it's the rise in cell phone usage, an increase in stress levels, or just a statistical increase due to more people being out and about, but it seems to be a freakish (and frightening) coincidence: more people out exercising and more people driving in totally scary ways. Though plenty of times in the past I have been accosted by car drivers honking at me when I was legally in the crosswalk, cars swerving in an unexpected manner, and generally shocking me with their driving behaviors, I don't think I have ever seen as many crazy things done by drivers as I have seen in the past month. On one long run yesterday, I had to screech to a complete halt twice when cars suddenly turned in front of me with no turn signal. I jumped backwards at a crosswalk when a car stopped, saw that I had already begun to cross, the driver made eye contact with me and decided to go anyway. I watched as a cyclist ahead of me had to leap off onto the grass because a driver swerved into the bike lane. (Luckily, the car missed the bike and the rider, but it was scary!) I saw a group of three walkers legally begin to cross at a lighted intersection and get honked at and sworn at by someone making a right on red.

I'm not advocating that walkers, runners and cyclists should bear no responsibility for their safety. Obviously, we ALL have to be careful out there, and for all of the runners and others who are out there moving in safe and legal ways, there are sure to be some that don't. There are some that have their headphones turned up too loud and don't hear honks and yells when they really need to. Some don't follow proper traffic laws. Some don't pay enough attention to what's going on around them. That's as bad a kind of crazy as drivers who are unsafe.

You hear it on the news all the time. Any scenario that involves a cyclist, runner or pedestrian versus a car usually does not end well. The CA DMV regulations state that while vehicles should yield the right-of-way to pedestrians, that does not relieve the pedestrian of the duty of exercising due care and THAT does not relieve the driver of the duty of exercising due care. So basically, it says that everyone should be careful of one another. Whether you're running, riding, walking, skateboarding or otherwise ambulating outside of a car, be careful. Use the crosswalks properly, make eye contact with drivers, and turn down the music. If you're driving a car, don't text, read, or let your attention waiver from the road, do use turn signals, and check the crosswalks.  I hope my city continues to become more and more active. And more and more careful.