I was outside unlocking my bike when I saw the truck pulling up to the back of the building. “We meet again!” I exclaimed gleefully as I pulled up. The driver climbed out of the van and turned into a normal person as he shed two tonnes of metal and glass.

That was lovely- I saw it like an animal or insect shedding its old skin and being soft and clean for a little while.

I drive in a city where it seems most people aren’t aware of other motorized vehicles, let alone human-powered ones. Unfortunately I don’t speak the local language well enough to have this type of reasoned conversation with the locals, but certainly, I hope I can someday!

Unfortunately, the level of discourse in traffic is pretty low. Speaking to someone after an incident is fairly rare.

Many cyclists (myself frequently included) are too quick to assume that drivers have the worst intentions toward cyclists. In truth though, I find that the larger issue doesn’t stem from the small minority of drivers who openly display their animosity toward cyclists, but from the small minority of drivers who simply don’t see bikes, pedestrians, or even other cars. The same goes for cyclists.