I am a resident of Jamaica Plain and a taxpayer for the city of Boston, Massachusetts, and the federal government of the United States. I am a U.S. citizen, born and raised in JP and Roxbury. I am also a pedestrian who doesn’t drive or ride a bike. I walk and take the T. Everywhere.
So when I am picking up my kids after work from Stony Brook, I am using a double stroller. That thing can’t fit on the sidewalk on Amory Street. I might as well be pushing it on the street with the cars. So I compromise and use the bike path.
I know there are signs that say this is a bike path. But everyone uses this path. Cyclists, runners, joggers, walkers, strollers and even dogs.
So when I was walking recently on the bike path on Amory Street, Green Street in sight, I saw a cyclist almost run a couple over. The cyclist called out, “Watch out! This is a bike path.” I countered, “This is everyone’s path.” And walked away before I pushed that cyclist off her bike.
That cyclist’s comment stayed with me as I got my kids home and started and finished dinner, and it finally consumed my mind in bed. I looked up bike safety laws for the City of Boston. It clearly says, “Pedestrians have right of way.” I’m not trying to lump all cyclists with that one woman, but just as there are law-breaking drivers, the same goes for cyclists. And God help me, I thought of Adam Sandler’s character in “Big Daddy,” where he threw sticks at cyclists to make them crash.
Of course I won’t do that, but if a cyclist runs me over I will make them sorry. If a cyclist tries to run my children over, and says, “Watch out! It’s a bike path,” I will finally get my driver’s license, hunt that cyclist down, and hit them with my thousand-pound car.
Bottom line: If cyclists can share the road with cars, they can share the bike path with pedestrians (and strollers and dogs).
Yanira Kilgore
Jamaica Plain
View Comments (12)
You're right Yanira, first-degree murder sounds like the perfect solution to making sure you can walk on the bike path!
Do you push your stroller on the street (designated for cars) and expect cars to drive carefully around you? I sure hope not! What makes you think you should be entitled to do so on a designated bike path (other than there are other people not following the rules either)?
Sorry, pedestrians do not have a right to a designated bike path, especially when there are designated pedestrian routes in parallel. There are far too many people walking, especially side-by-side, on the bike paths. Cyclists should not have to ride at half their regular speed so as to avoid them. This defeats the whole purpose of having a bike path, as they could go faster on the roads. Especially pushing a baby stroller on this path is irresponsible and unsafe. If your stroller is too big for a sidewalk I suggest a smaller stroller.
Geez I wish the Gazette would not publish threats against any group. And yes the SWC kind of blows and makes the street feel a lot safer.
Yanira, that is a pretty effective plan (1. Get license. 2. Buy car. 3. Use car to hit cyclists.), if a bit expensive, and I am especially impressed that you intend so scrupulously to follow the motor vehicle licensing requirements while carrying out your homicidal scheme!
Seriously, though, that experience would anger me as well. In my 23 years of regularly riding on the SW Corridor, I have never once thought it was poorly designed. Instead I have always thought: "This is awesome." With the seemingly exponential increase in cyclists over the past ten years, though, there are certainly more rude cyclists riding dangerously and this is where I would place the blame for any increased conflicts.
Fellow cyclists: this is Boston. As you may have noticed, pedestrians here -- who always have the right of way -- tend to move in unpredictable ways. Ride in the marked lane, slow down near peds, announce your presence in a friendly way, make eye contact, and watch out for the kids, and everyone will be safe and happy. If you need to go fast, just hop onto the street. Let's make the Southwest Corridor Path the Super Courteous Path!
Best,
Jerry O'Connor
Jerry, why should pedestrians be able to force cyclists off a designated bike path onto the street, when there are clearly marked paths or sidewalks specifically for pedestrians?
"If cyclists can share the road with cars, they can share the bike path with pedestrians " Thats funny. Because the bike path was made so cyclists wouldn't have to share the road with cars, because its dangerous. You being in the bike path with a double stroller is just as dangerous to cyclists, as they might have to enter traffic to avoid hitting you. Sidewalks were made for a reason, and cyclists arent supposed to cycle on sidewalks. Its your choice to use the bike lane and put yourself, children, and cyclists in danger, dont blame people trying to use the space provided for them for their safety.
Where can one begin with this editorial? Words are not enough. This is most likely coming from a well educated person too and that makes this worse. Her sense of entitlement is unreal. Sigh!
I really don't like the way the Gazette headlined this letter. The letter writer encountered a notorious crank who routinely yells at and swerves toward people. (I've observed her do both on numerous occasions.) She no more represents "cyclists" than one driver who engages in antisocial and dangerous behavior represents all motorists.
This woman sounds like a horrible person.
the REAL problem is that the SW corridor is poorly designed - DCR (and the city of Boston) never considered that people would be using these paths for bike commuting (especially at current volumes) - so of course there are going to be conflicts as biking increases. Walkers and bikers shouldn't have to be fighting over space here - there's plenty of room - we just need better paths... so instead of threatening to seriously hurt (or murder??) someone, let's work together to make sure that DCR understands they're an important piece of the puzzle in stitching together our network of active commuting modes - and the SW corridor needs some serious attention immediately so someone like yourself doesn't end up doing something rash. This is a mess DCR created.