I Am Traffic

Truthfully, I can't think of anything more boring that watching a helmetcam of my bike ride along Franklin Blvd. Nonetheless, I am intrigued about doing it for any of a number of reasons. Here's an example of one from Holland:




This is one boring, boring video. But I'll tell you, to helmetcam my ride might prove to be very instrumental in a court of law someday, the day I get plowed over by some alpha-male jackoff or some inattentive driver.

I've been thinking about what it would take to gear up for a helmetcam. It probably won't take much to do, but it would be yet another thing to set up each morning as I don my leggings, my sweater, my shell, my gloves, my helmet, my glasses, and my iPod. While it might seem trivial to a non-biker, to gear up each morning takes a lot of time. I have to load my wallet, insulin pump, eye drops, Chapstick, cell phone, bike locker key, work badge, work clothes, yoga shorts, prescription drugs, shoes, underwear, shaving kit, toothbrush, towel, and then anything else like lunch, insulin infusion sets, or paperwork. This alongside checking for water in the water bottle, air in the tyres, lube on the chain, zeroing the odometer, and making any seat, pedal, brake or fender adjustments.

Yep, a helmetcam would be a pain to set up each day, but I think it would go a long, long way to show all the bullshit I have to deal with like this rider:

658304 from Bikesafer on Vimeo.

And, of course, to show in a court of law that I was following the law. I am a courteous, but assertive, bike rider who follows the rules of the road. I know the laws in California and I follow them and I am not shy about asserting my right to the road alongside cars. I would not, and will not, hesitate to assert my position on the roadway; I always take the left turn lane, the center lane, and any lane I deem appropriate to the extent that I can. I know the boundary between the legal right to taking a lane and the moral right to not do so when not needed. That's actually sorta fun for me. I enjoy biking along slow moving and stalled traffic -- I enjoy watching the misery of all those people stuck in it while I pedal alongside them. That's why I ride. I hate being stuck in traffic myself, knowing that I am traffic. I don't often get to beat cars home, but on some days I can, and that is pure adrenaline to this biker.

A helmetcam might be an appropriate use of technology for someone who abhorrs technology. Something to consider...