I remember taking my first exploratory steps on the campus of UC Davis. I was troubled. I was overwhelmed. I was sweating. But this was due to neither the fear of failure as a college student nor the scorching heat of Davis on a typical June day. I feared for my physical well being as I crossed the campus street. The oftentimes deceptively smooth traffic flow truly is a flow. Traffic may slow down and a bike may wind around you, but it rarely stops. I humbly learned to cross the street anew as my pride took a backseat.
Accidents occur suddenly and more often on campus, in my experience, than on any street or highway. As a freshman, I wondered if I was simply meant to dash across before I collided with bikes coming at me at 15 miles an hour. Insecure, I stalked the commanding presence of large crowds and brave souls that dared to cross in the hourly rush. Otherwise, I threw caution to the wind and anxiously loped across the street in the widest void of bikes for which I could wait.
Success varied from day to day. I have been shoved aside by a speeding bicyclist twice. I have met solid masses of hurtling bikes that left me stranded in the middle of the road. I have awkwardly waited for huge gaps in traffic until I crossed, and sometimes a kind or confused bicyclist slowed to a crawl for me.
Once off the curb, one must simply keep walking. I have learned this much in three years. It is as much a mental as it is a physical feat to cross the street. There is calculating distance and speed, and having the nerve to plunge into the flow.
Hello. This is Dominique Dao. UC Davis is a dangerous place. Actually, today I was walking to the Memorial Union Bus Terminal area and I was around Wellman Hall. As a junior, I feel confident walking around campus. Or at least on the sidewalk. But today someone turned in to park their bike and I had seen her. I decided to wait and give her some space to pass but she might not have had the best control of her bike. She almost ran into me if I did not jump back. So yes it is a dangerous campus we have. Haha. But she was kind enough to sort of say something like get out of the way.
ReplyDelete-Dominique Dao (DoughboyStyle)
I had heard a lot about the bike traffic from some friends before even being on the campus. Even though I prepared myself, I still hadn’t been ready for the amount of bikes rushing around in between passing periods. Like you, I was definitely overwhelmed. It took me a while to get used to the bike circles, which I pay close attention to as I ride through to avoid any crashes. I’ve had several close calls, but managed to ride away without any scrapes each time. Some of my friends, however, have not been so fortunate. I’ve heard stories of flying over handlebars and skidding on the cement. One of my friends even got severe whiplash as a result of a biking incident. Biking around campus is unquestionably something to get used to. In a way, I feel bad for the incoming freshmen, but we’ve all had to go through it.
ReplyDelete-Jennifer M
I had never seen so many bicyclist at once until I came to UC Davis. I understand exaclty how you felt because had the same fear. I learned to overcome it though within a week or two. But my friend took about two months to finnally use her bike to get around. I really like your blog!! It's written well, with good flow, and stays within topic.
ReplyDelete