My commute this morning was a little more interesting than usual. While biking across Menlo Park I watched an obviously impaired driver in an old Subaru attempting something like a three point turn that became more like a 15 point turn. This is on a low speed school zone road, and the other drivers kept well away from this Subaru.
When three fire trucks, paramedic, ambulance, fire command truck, and a police car came roaring past with sirens and lights ablaze, the Subaru driver freaked out and darted out directly in front of the first fire truck. The fireman, fortunately, avoided hitting the little Subaru and continued to his fire emergency.
The police car in this parade held back to let traffic clear out a bit. Subaru driver continued into traffic at about walking speed — which is how I kept up to watch the shenanigans — and the police officer instructed her to pull over. She freaked out again and stopped in the middle of a four way intersection, tying up traffic in all directions. She then put her car into reverse and backed up (still in slow motion) into the cop car. That’s when the cop got on his horn and instructed the driver to put the car in park and put her hands on the wheel. When I finally edged past this driver she appeared to be an elderly woman who seemed to be suffering a stroke. Whatever it was, she looked very confused, poor woman.
I eventually caught up to where the fire trucks all parked. They were responding to a car crash. (What else would it be?)
Some of you Silicon Valley cyclists might know this guy. I saw him ride to the top of Sierra Road in San Jose last week.
Kiplinger Personal Finance added a bike commuter savings calculator to their website for May and links to a 2010 article on biking to work. They point out the financial benefits of biking to work and then give a brief rundown on ‘surviving the commute.’
Should we label cars the way we label cigarettes?
Adweek AdFreak takes on NYC DOTs “Jerk” ads.
iCarly actress Miranda Cosgrove wants a tandem bike for her 18th birthday. If she doesn’t get the car, that is.
Frankenbike: shopping cart cargo bike.
Libertarian economist Ed Glaeser believes cities can and should be denser because they’re efficient uses of land space.
Criminal Minds star Shemar Moore sues driver who smashed into him while Moore rode his bicycle in Los Angeles.
Frightening story but amusing too Fritz. I once witnessed a car suddenly turn left in the south bound lanes on LSD and safely proceed through the north bound lanes just north of Belmont Harbor during Friday rush hour traffic. The car stopped once it hit a tree and I cycled up to it to see the woman with her hands gripping the wheel. The police arrived shortly thereafter and fortunately the bike path was empty when she crossed it… what luck for her and others in her path.
Yes cars and other large motorized vehicles are dangerous to public health and too often incentivize the greatest number of potential cyclists from pedaling their way to economic and physical freedom.
Hey Fritz. I helped out a motorist a few months ago (along with two other cyclists) who was having the same sort of problem. The elderly driver of a Jetta was in Menlo Park on the Alameda and in the middle of an intersection, but having a hard time operating the car. We got her out of the car and resting, while calling the paramedics. She thought she was having a stroke, but fortunately nobody else on the road was hurt, nor any property damaged. Just another interesting day on the ride to work.
=v= Did you helpfully tell the confused, poor woman she was a jerk? That’s what the NYC DoT recommends.
New Yorkers are supposed to be rude, right?