Monday's brief started at five-something p.m., a potentially
busy time on the main roads. Avoiding the main roads, I counted
about two other moving vehicles per mile.
The first was more-or-less immediate. As I set off up the hill,
I have to move out to pass a row of parked cars. The white van
behind me could have cut me up by accelerating into that space
before me, but instead, he patiently slowed down until the
far end of the parked cars.
A little higher up the hill, it goes under a railway bridge,
with a narrowing and a sign giving priority to traffic going
my direction. In fact there's ample room to meet there, so
the red van coming the other way needn't have stopped and
waited at all. But he did. All very cheery.
Further up again, vehicle #3 was a clapped out old hippiemobile
coming in the opposite direction. She too could have passed
the parked car on her side before we met, but held back until
after I'd passed.
It was near the two mile mark, on the next uphill after a flat
stretch, that vehicle #4 was the first not to go out of its way
in some minor manor to show courtesy. There was ample clear
space to pass safely, so he did.
After that I counted vehicles. Number 18, several miles later,
was the first to pass a little closer than strictly comfortable.
Next one (#19) was the first fellow cyclist:-)
To those who notice only the bad (like, some who post here),
try this experiment sometime. Count individual road users of
all types, and class them as good, neutral or bad. You might
be pleasantly surprised!
--
not me guv
I'm able-bodied. Why should I want a car?