Cyclists

02.09.2013 15:56 ·  Notes  ·  life

I have been going to Khortytsia a lot lately. I get there on my own - it’s not as far and as long as it looks at first glance, and it keeps me in shape. As the new bridge is still under construction, I have to walk across the old one. However, the junction in front of the bridges has been partially built, and, in some places, even paved with asphalt. But there are no more crosswalks. Neither old nor new. And the only way to get to the Preobrazhensky Bridge is by breaking the traffic rules: crossing a four-lane road at any point.

Of course, you can still take the right side of Tyulenina Street (if you’re facing the island), but there is a pipe that takes up almost the entire footpath on a bridge. So you have to walk very close to it, stepping over the supports every 2–3 metres. I did it twice: trust me, you don’t want to walk on that side.

Another problem is narrow pavements and cyclists. I have nothing against the former or the latter. But when they are combined… In the whole time, I have seen only 2 (two!!!) cyclists obeying the traffic rules, even though they ride in droves in this area. And here you are walking on the pavement (the pavement, I remind you, is narrow, two people can pass each other, but not walk side by side), you don’t cause any trouble, and there it is… a cyclist on a boneshaker is coming towards you or overtaking you from behind. I don’t mind and step back from the pavement in the thicket and let him pass, I’m not a very important person after all. But WTF… is it fear of the road or something else?