Candidate’s Diary: Week 20 (Sept. 14-20)

With my new “palm card” hot off the press, I’ve kicked my canvassing into high gear. One thing’s for sure: I am going to be in excellent shape after spending 4-6 hours a day for the next 6 weeks going door-to-door, talking to residents and asking for their votes. Unfortunately I managed to lose my favorite straw hat while door-knocking last week, so I am getting more sun than I should, but I don’t have time to shop for another one.

One recent porch convo stuck in my mind. An old friend flagged me down as I was ringing her neighbor’s bell (no one was home, which means I’ll have to keep circling back over the next few weeks). As I climbed her porch steps my friend greeted me with arms folded and a steely look. “I think you may be a bike person,” she said without smiling. The way she  said it, I knew being a “bike person” was no compliment. Then she explained that last week she had almost been hit twice by cyclists speeding through Harvard Square in the wrong direction. I assured her, no one is for irresponsible cyclists.

The conversation made me wonder how the world got divided into “bike people” and “car people”? I am both. I’m also a pedestrian. I walk very fast (owing to long legs and eight years in Manhattan), but I cycle and drive very slowly (owing to pedalling a heavy cargo bike and an abundance of caution). When I choose to ride a bike, which is more and more often these days, I want the equivalent consideration and protection that people using cars and sidewalks enjoy without anyone questioning whether they deserve it. There are many irresponsible drivers who put others at risk — and not all pedestrians are considerate of others either— but do we label distracted drivers and jaywalking pedestrians the enemy and say they don’t deserve safe roads and sidewalks because of a few bad apples? I am a “bike person” in the respect that when I ride a bike I am not inclined to take needless risks, either by riding recklessly or by traveling on streets that are designed exclusively for cars.

So call me a “bike person,” if you must, but please share the road with me when I’m on my bike, and I’ll respect your right to drive responsibly. And when I choose to drive I’ll show the same respect for those on two wheels or on foot. Peace.

Last Friday I organized a PARK(ing) Day installation for my neighborhood organization (the Fresh Pond Residents Alliance). This is the fourth year the city has sponsored PARK(ing) Day, and allowed groups to re-purpose parking spaces to show how they can be used for other uses than car storage. Located in front of the Tobin-Vassal Lane Upper School, our space provided an outdoor living room complete with seating, a rug, potted plants and two columns with plaster busts. One of the busts held a speech bubble that asked, “What makes great neighborhood?” We invited passersby to respond to the prompt and got answers ranging from “friendly people,” “lots of places to bike,” and “libraries” to “places to meet” and “you can kep chikns (sic).” Speaking of keeping chickens, we will discuss the draft urban agriculture ordinance at the next FPRA meeting on October 1 at 7 pm at the Tobin School on Vassal Lane.

The Fresh Pond Residents Alliance PARK(ing) Day exhibit.