Learning to Play in Traffic

Mother always said, "go play in the traffic", or was that don't play in the traffic? Anyway, today I learned how to ride safely on my bike in the traffic. I attended a three hour class in Alameda, given by BikeAlameda, a nifty little non-profit dedicated to promoting bike riding and bike safety, and it was FREE!

Here's what I love about Alameda, every event feels like you're in "Pleasantville" or "Anytown U.S.A". It's all so home-spun and sweet. I don't mean that in a snotty way - it's 100% true though, with their 50's era parades, and street festivals, the Fourth of July parade, and, at this event, home-made brownies for snacks.

The class though, was quite useful. They spent a good amount of time reviewing the rules of the road - what the law states, and what is safe. In the end, it's all common sense, but it is incredibly helpful to have this all spelled out. According to the group of volunteers, this was the largest group they had had in some time. There were around 60 people in attendance who ranged in age from teens to AARP members, and everything inbetween. Many people were there to learn how "not to crash" or not get hit by a car. I was there to learn how to play in the traffic, which I did. That was a classroom class. The next class is practical, learning how to make emergency stops and other defensive maneuvers. I'm all geared up for it! (pun intended)