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5 hours agoIf enough people do something wrong, it becomes right.
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Cake day: January 10th, 2026
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As I bicyclist I never feel like I have trouble spotting pedestrians at night, no matter what they’re wearing, even though I have significantly less lights on my bike than a car has. Maybe because I try to stay aware, and slow down if I feel like my speed starts to endanger other people. On the other hand, in the past two years I have almost been driven straight into four times, in the middle of the day:
- I was riding in the bike lane, when a car exiting from a side road forgot to check whether it was clear, and instead continued straight ahead. Car had a yield line.
- I was riding inside a roundabout, when a car tried to enter, almost hitting me.
- I was riding in the same roundabout, when a bus forgot to check for traffic, swinging left (going against the direction of traffic) as if it was a regular intersection, and almost hitting me. This is a tiny roundabout, so this is technically the way a bus is supposed to navigate it, but obviously only once it is empty.
- I was riding down the road (no bike lane) when a huge lorry suddenly turned from the other lane, going straight towards me while yelling. I still have no idea what was going on there.
If someone is distracted or otherwise driving unsafely, it doesn’t matter what you wear. Unfortunately, a lot of people are using their phones while driving, going above the speed limit, not slowing down when conditions are bad or simply not treating driving with the needed respect.
As a girl, a defining moment for me, was when I heard about an exhibition showcasing what rape victims were wearing when they were raped. Some were wearing children’s-sized nightdresses and ugly waterproof clothing. I think a similar exhibition showing what pedestrians and cyclists were wearing, as they were run down, would be an eye-opener for many people. I try to be reasonably careful, both as a woman and as a vulnerable road user, but I have long ago decided not to treat my fellow citizens as potential rapists or murderers.
What personal safety precautions you take when you’re in a vulnerable position, is a personal matter. When your actions endanger other people, it becomes a public matter.
5·5 days agoRight now, by ebike. In the past I have walked, ridden a regular bike or taken the bus. I do about 100 kilometers a week on my ebike, maybe 5 on my regular bike for errands within town, if I don’t just walk, and also occasionally use the bus or train.
Rural or urban, I have always prioritized living somewhere where I can easily get to where I need to be, by using either public or active transport. I will also happily use digital alternatives like online grocery shopping etc. when it makes sense to. I grew up somewhere super rural (for Denmark) and even did part of my high school online, because doing it offline would have required commuting 3-4 hours by bus or 1,5 by car in total, each and every day. Right now I live in a small Danish town with about 10k inhabitants, with busses and trains, and close enough to the countryside that I was able to find a place to keep our two ponies within biking distance.
I’m in my early thirties and don’t even have a driver’s license.
I’m not defending that way of thinking, it just seems to be what often happens.
As an example, it took a lot of work to limit secondhand smoking in my country. I remember in the 90’s when cars and houses were sometimes thick with smoke, even with kids present, and even though people already knew the risks of secondhand smoking. People thought it was bullshit that they weren’t allowed to smoke inside bars and restaurants, on the train or while waiting for public transport. Everyone knew that it was wrong to subject other people to secondhand smoke but to a lot of people it was just the way of life, and therefore right.
I can’t even remember the last time I saw someone smoke in public, and I think most people would consider it unacceptable to smoke around children, but it has taken decades to get to this point.