February 5, 2013
by Bikeyface
Kids
Sometimes when I take the lane I get honked at. But this week I discovered the exact opposite of that:
Seems kids know more about sharing.
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You obviously conjure up the “Mary Poppins Effect” for them. Usually when a school us passes me, they all scream “Lance!!!” at me.
Hopefully you might even inspire some of those kids to join you on the bike.
And you should see the looks on schoolbus faces when they see this thing go past them:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7516215@N03/8113314663/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7516215@N03/7190884856/
Actually, it brings a smile to most people who see it, and drivers yield to us like we’re royalty.
Usually when this happens to me, they wonder why there’s a guy keeping up with the bus while it’s doing 40 mph 😛
I wonder what drum-biking behind a school bus would be like.
There’s only one way to find out.
Would definitely catch some attention.
I never saw someone drumming while riding but I did see a guy commuting on Hampshire Street in Cambridge with drums in the right position to do so. Could you be that drummer? It looked like fun.
Too true about kids – hopefully the next generation will be more accepting of bicycles on the road.
There are actually a lot of categories in life in which kids are smarter than adults.
Love this. =)
drafting the school bus, woo hoo!
My ragedar blips whenever I go by a schoolbus (typically on Dorchester Ave.) – I expect some rambunctious and wise-a$$ middle school kids to imprecate me or dump something out the window on me, so I usually pass the bus and get way ahead. But from the wee ones I have gotten the wave. In either instance I fear that a bike is, to them, some kind of curious anomaly.
As kids on a long trip we’d sprawl in the way back of my parents station wagon (no seats or belts back there, then) and wave like mad to the cars behind us. The reactions were mostly positive but I’ll never forget one family that regarded us with nearly identical smirks of disdain.
Also, see the short clip of Danny Kaye riding a bike while singing “Everything is tickety-boo” from the film “Merry Andrew” – there’s a scene in it of bicyclist-busriders interaction apropos Bikeyface’s experience. Here’s the youtube link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzVCahrtaWI
Awww… There’s a daycare that I pass on my way home. When the weather is nice and they let the kids out to play they always come running up to the fence yelling “hi!” and “where are you going?” and “look! She’s riding a bike!” Cracks me up every time. 🙂
I got a great wave from a couple of kids the other day from my usual source of terror–a New York City taxi. Made my day.
The kids in my neighborhood have told me they love my bike, partly because I have lights and other doodads on it. I use it as an opportunity to tell them that they need lights to be seen by cars, but it always puts a smile on my face.
I have a friend who’s kid is big into cycling (and he is only 13) and if he was on the school bus he would want to get out and cycle with the guy!
-Aaron, recently watched leadville bike race