Seeing things from another’s point of view
Following my post about human connection last week, which clearly resonated with many people, I’ve been thinking about seeing things from someone else’s point of view. Not surprisingly, I’ve chosen cycling as a metaphor for life:
Impatient drivers – we understand if drivers give a little beep on the horn to say they’re there though cyclists are almost always aware when a car is approaching from behind (not easy with electric cars, which can make you jump!) so take action accordingly. That might be to single out, when riding two up, if that will make it easier for the car to pass, or it might be to continue because the car wouldn’t be able to pass us even if we did single out – and if we singled out, we’d be harder to pass because we’d be a long tail rather than a short, car-sized block. Most drivers understand this and are patient, acknowledging our efforts to get out of their way but some rev their engines, beep their horns, get dangerously close to the cyclists at the back or try to pass anyway! Waiting might cost them 2 or 3 minutes but this sort of poor behaviour can be very stressful for the cyclists involved. At work, patience is rewarded: an impatient boss makes you feel so stressed that you can’t think, a patient boss encourages ideas and contributions by waiting and giving space and headroom.
Close passes – whether they don’t know how it feels on a bike to have a car pass close by or whether they don’t care, I don’t know but some drivers make very close passes. The Highway Code says 1.5m at least but to use the other side of the road when it’s available, making it safer for everyone, but some drivers pass close, frightening cyclists and risking hurting one. I wonder how they would feel if they did knock someone off? They’d have to live with that, all for the sake of what – “showing them a lesson”, “being in a hurry” or not knowing better. It’s like a work colleague forcing his ideas on someone because he thinks he knows best – the result is a disgruntled worker who feels disempowered.
Drivers who shout abuse, usually telling cyclists to get off the road – “you don’t pay road tax”, “get on the pavement”, “ride in single file”, oh we get all sorts! I always think to myself, “just Google it”. These sorts of things come from pure ignorance. Most cyclists are also drivers so we do pay ‘road tax’ and when we’re on our bikes, we’re not damaging the environment driving around in our metal boxes, plus we’re not damaging the road because our bikes weigh 7kg rather than a ton. The Highway Code says that cyclists can and at times should ride two up, it’s easier and safer for everyone, drivers included. People at work who have gaps in their knowledge can be trained and brought up to speed (no pun intended) because if they’re not they can be dangerous and cost the business dearly.
We all share the road, we all share the workplace – mutual courtesy and respect costs nothing and makes everyone happy. It shouldn’t be remarkable when a motorist is courteous yet we talk about it because it’s so appreciated. I believe that, before taking a driving test, everyone should ride a bike or a motorbike and experience how it feels to be on the other side. As Atticus Finch told Scout in “To Kill a Mockingbird”, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view . . . until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”
Kindness is all. Mutual support is all.
Cycling in a neat formation, two by two, means you’re the size of a car so it’s easier for motorists to overtake you.
