Outdoor Users

 

I’m a MAMIL, middle aged man in lycra — a person who rides a road bike and looks like he’s in the Tour de France.  One of our supposed traditions is towave to each other when we pass going opposite ways.

The next relevant fact is I hate joggers.  What I hate most is that somebody told them to run against traffic in the bike lane with a zombified look on their face.  Everybody else in the world can move with the flow of traffic.  People who are of such limited intelligence, that they are unable to comply with simple traffic rules, should not be let outside.  

On a recent ride, I spied a young man jogging toward me.  He saw me and moved out of the bike lane.  He locked eyes on me and waved.  

I reflexively waved back.

I thought “God damn . . . A jogger acting intelligently.”  

I had to respect this guy.  This guy humanized himself by waving and acknowledging other outdoor users. I had an overwhelming sense of rightness with the world.  

If we can all view each other as fellow users of the outdoors, we may have more peaceful rides and better lives.