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Any
tips for New Yorkers who have just started bike commuting?
Pretend you’re invisible. Think of cars and buses as
big, awkward animals that don’t mean any harm but have
limited brainpower and eyesight. Watch out for car doors
heedlessly opening – I don’t know if there are statistics
on what causes accidents involving bicycles, but getting
doored is the main thing I worry about. Be nice to
pedestrians. They are not the enemy. If you startle one, make
eye contact and apologize profusely. Take your time – it’s
safer, and you won’t get all sweaty. Your ears are your
radar dishes; they help you “see” what’s out of your
field of vision. So: no iPods, please, and for God’s sake no
cellphones.
-- Hendrik Hertzberg, interviewed in Transportation
Alternatives
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