Very Sad-Local rider down

[velogirl]

Sorry if I seem passionate about this (I guess that makes two of us, right, JoBob?). Maybe I feel stronger about this because I was there. I've witnessed dozens of bike crashes over the years (racing, ya know), but never, ever anything like this. I knew from the day of the accident that it would be fatal. And it broke my heart because one minute Pat was a young, healthy man -- an athlete and a teacher -- a son and a partner. And the next minute the world had changed forever. Yup, I'm an emotional sap, but I want to been reminded that we're "real."

Anyways, the point of my post is that sometimes folks post articles like this not just as a message (safety), but also to honor/remember someone. Pat was like us (a bike rider). He lived in the same area, rode the same roads, and probably even knew some of the same people you do. Sometimes you just want to remember that and share the connection -- the human bond we have.

This is a crazy-fast world. We isolate ourselves in so many ways -- in our cars, homes, offices. I saw Dita's post as a way to reach out and connect us. Maybe I've just been living alone too long, but I appreciate it when someone makes the world a bit smaller and more human/personal.

If Dita hadn't written "be careful on the roads," implying a safety message, if she'd just posted the link, would you feel the same way about it?

Maybe Dita posted it because it made her feel better to post it. Maybe seeing the post made me (or someone else) feel better about the situation. Sometimes, we just need to be human.