Jun 17, 2007 | Catch me if you can

I used to think road bikers were the most pretentious, selfish and inconsiderate lot, riding like madmen at viciously dangerous speeds, decked out in their spandex and scaring old and young ladies alike trying to cross the street. No traffic rules could ever tame them (and I heard somewhere that cops won't pursue any flagrant disregard for law on the part of a biker because hey, if they get run over, the biker's going be the one suffering). 'How foolish they are,' I thought, as they sought to bring their strange bikes indoors and took every possible step so as not to have to lock them outdoors. After all, weren't bikes meant for getting from point A to point B? Road bikes looked flimsy, anyways, and their riders even more so, like Tour de France wannabes.

Or so I thought.

Now I see myself in the very shoes of the people I thought looked ridiculous (the reason being my Cannondale, and no less), and it's only recently that I've understood the very things I criticized. It might sound hypocritical, but my excuse is that you can only know certain things after undergoing it yourself. So for the people walking in Central Park on a sunny Sunday afternoon, I can only offer this: I try to bend the stereotype by being considerate (despite my speed) and making sure to have enough leeway for any possible disaster. I'd rather not be considered reckless, but rather competitive, not thrill-seeking, but keen on outdoing myself.

And when it comes to running red lights, let's just say I'm impatient. Just a bit.

Also written on this day..

• 2009: Home Sweet American Culture
• 2008: Getting FancyUpload to Work