Warning to all cyclists! 

Day before Thanksgiving I was leaving the Marigold Centre on my bike. An older man with a disabled person’s license drove past me so close I could have touched his car. He proceeded to veer closer and closer into the bike lane. At one point, we would have hit me, except I swerved around to his other side. As I sped by him, I shouted through his open window: “You nearly hit me!”

Next minute, we were both making a right turn onto Industrial. I made a close turn, keeping to the curb. He made a close turn, veering into the bike lane. Being on high alert, I did not fall on impact, but caught myself. He then screamed at me to get out of his way before speeding off. His passenger must have been the disabled one: a white-haired, centarian woman.

I have lived on the East Coast, where I biked my whole life in cities that have no bike lines, no biking population to boast of, and no “happiest city in the world, bike friendly, dog friendly” designation to advertise. I have never had so many dangerous incidents with hostile, aggressive drivers as I’ve had here in SLO. This is neither bike friendly nor bike safe. I started wearing a helmet because of so many clueless and raging maniacs speeding their killing machines here about Happytown.

-- Alyssa Rose - happy and carfree!

-- Alyssa Rose - San Luis Obispo

-- Alyssa Rose - happy and carfree!

-- Alyssa Rose - happy and carfree!