Bicycling in San Francisco

Rode my bicycle yesterday, first time in quite awhile.

Let's be frank; one cannot ride a bicycle on a downtown San Francisco street without the dramatic sense that CARS ARE THE ENEMY. They will kill you and drag your carcass for two blocks without even noticing.

San Francisco is a great place for bicycling, and there are bike paths and places you can get away from the traffic. But riding downtown is truly a death sport. A woman was killed just a few weeks ago on the route I took.

Consider; an incredibly high number of 1) people who commute for hours and just want to get out of town fast, 2) lost tourists, 3) out of towners looking for a street sign not paying attention, 4) drivers on cell phones, and 5) people just in town to party or buy drugs. All of this adds up to dead bicyclists and minor scratches on someone's fender.

I hope that explains why anyone who chooses the second best form of transportation (after walking) is really pissed off at those giant pollution-belching, metal cannisters that others have wrapped their lifestyles around.

There is a better way, but so many have invested alot of car payments into making sure it doesn't happen.