Biking On Comm Ave!

Biking in boston is definitely a different experience than what I'm use to. First and foremost, you have to constantly be watching out for cars. Cars just zoom by; it's actually a very annoying fact. I'm particularly annoyed when they are speeding on Commonwealth Ave (Comm. Ave) and/or beeping. It is a college campus, there's going to be students slowing you down and if you're in a rush, take storrow drive or some other street. I haven't witnessed someone getting hit by a car but somebody did get hit recently on campus, Comm. Ave to be specific. I remember  I was biking toward Warren Towers and when I heard sirens and yielded to a police car, I thought ignorantly, what know, as if police cars put on sirens for no reason. I felt really bad afterwards. Supposedly, there was enough blood from the accident to stain the road to the point that they had to cover it up with sand of some sort. I know, scary stuff. That incident put things into perspective. Since sirens are so common in Boston, I sometimes forget that each and everyone of those sirens could mean the difference between life and death. Hopefully, most of the sirens are to false alarms.

On a brighter note, they are redoing the roads on Comm. Ave, so I will have nice roads to bike on when going from one class to the next. Comm. Ave is interesting to bike on. See, Comm Ave. is like a Cosine graph (I know, it's a really mathematical comparison, but it's true.) You have to struggle up the hills but once you're up, you sail down effortlessly until you reach the next hill. Weather also effects the bike ride. Riding uphill against the wind is so difficult. The wind also blows my hair into my face but that hasn't been a problem since I bought a helmet (I can't believe my RA convinced me to get one). Rain is also bad, not so much the getting wet part but the part where dirty rain water is splashed on you. I find myself trying to bike as close to the sidewalk as possible, sometimes even on the sidewalk, to prevent getting splashed by cars, holding my legs parallel to the ground, and slowing down when going through a puddle, and sometimes not biking altogether when it rains. Snow will probably impact the ride but I haven't experienced that yet. The good thing about living at Warren Towers is that when snow does hit, my bike will be safe in the garage. =]

Biking I feel is so much nicer than walking, driving, taking the t, flying (as in a passenger on a plane. Flying a plane is a different story), and other methods of transportation. I grew up with a bike and am SO glad I get to bike a lot more in college. I also get into awesome predicaments on a bike (Oh T). ; ] So if you own a bike, use it! And if you don't own one; get one, even if it's a used one at a yard sale, and start experiencing the freedom of a bike!