First | Previous | Next
This comic is the hardest one I’ve ever drawn. I had panel three in mind with I started this trilogy, but I couldn’t make myself finish this last comic. Poor Zahir and Neville! They’ve been riding on this dangerous street for four months.
For many years as a young adult, I didn’t have a car. I rode my bike or took the bus everywhere. I had my share of drivers forcing me off the road and having to weave around obstructions. Sometimes I caused problems. A cop pulled me once to give me a warning when I zipped through a red light at the bottom a big hill. I could see that it was safe, but that was through the immortal lenses of youth.
Almost ten years ago, a texting driver hit my pickup truck as I was turning into a friend’s driveway. She lives out in the country, so the speed limit was already pretty high. A ditch runs along the road, somehow causing my truck to do a complete roll, with me and a big dish of salad inside. I still suffer from the concussion I got from hitting my head on the bashed-in roof. My friend was hosting a potluck for our Community Supported Agriculture group, so I was quickly surrounded by friends. They tell me I kept offering them my very tossed salad as we waited for the ambulance to arrive.
As I get older and especially after my truck accident, I wouldn’t dream of riding my bike on the Raleigh streets. Knocked down or missing bollards hint at how many drivers enter the bike lanes. In the fall, leaves pile up for months, becoming slippery and perhaps hiding potholes or branches.
Sustainable communities need safe, physically separated paths for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorized vehicles.
Individuals need to drive with attention and care. Please don’t drive while impaired by texting, drinking, or being a jerk. And don’t cycle impaired either.