Been riding

I've been riding the (push) bike a bit. You see more things than you do in a car and I tend to wonder: "was I like that/did I do that when I was 20?" Sometimes I wonder "am I turning into an old fogey?". I also wonder how long we can do this to ourselves before the environment gives up and collapses.

I have seen/felt:

1. The wind, fresh air and sun (and wondered if car-dwellers realise they are missing out?)
2. The coolness of the forest (we have some tall trees here and when you ride through them the temperature drops 2-3 very noticeable degrees and you wonder about nearly treeless suburbia and all the air con running to cool what could be cooled naturally)
3. The smell of foul exhausts - we really haven't fixed this one, have we? Drivers may be unaware, but walk or ride along a road and take a look and a whiff of what still spews out the exhaust - it can't be improving our environment, can it?
   
4. The idiots on the roads
• the P-plater in the massive V8 tank who overtook me at full throttle doing at least 90 in a kid-filled 50 zone - why?
• the same P-plater who spun and almost smoked the inside real wheel on a tight left hander - showing off to the 6 and 7 year olds playing nearby what his foot can do with an accelerator?
• the Mitsubishi sedan that had rolled (or was just poorly parked?) across 2 driveways, sideways, the unfortunate thing being the brick retaining wall in between - and the front wheels high in the air
• another V8 driver who chose again to do around 90 in a 70 zone and come within a metre of me and another rider (riding legally on the shoulder, single file). Yes, my friend, you are a weak coward, an intimidating bully and a complete loser - or just completely unaware of what you are doing and a danger - in any case - to us all