Winter Park bicyclist killed by fire truck
I think the Sentinel could have done more to highlight the serious issue of pedestrian/ bicyclist safety in Central Florida.
I am not saying that the firetruck is 100% at fault but Orlando drivers rarely care about or pay attention to pedestrians or bicyclists. I am sure that the driver feels horrible for what happened.
Sadly, I have been honked at, run off the road, and even hit by a car on my bike.
Drivers don't realize they are supposed to share the road. Until I started bicycling, I was pretty ignorant to this as well and used to get very frustrated with people biking on the road when I drove.
It surprises me that the accident happened where it did because Winter Park tends to be more bicycle friendly and I have biked up and down Lakemont many times.
I was taking the bus home from UCF last night on Link 13 which goes by the ER and we had to go a different route because of the accident. I immediately searched "Winter Park" and "accident" on my phone and found a news report about a bicyclist being killed. The news really hit home with me.
I travel to work and grad school at UCF via LYNX, biking and walking and everyday I fear for my life because people see nondrivers as an inconvenience who are in the way. I have had many close calls because everyone is in such a rush. I sometimes just want to yell "slow the heck down!"
When I was hit by a car on my bike, the woman got out of her car and before even talking to me, she inspected her car for damage. She did not apologize and told me that I should have not been in the road. Unfortunately, the stretch of Corinne/Virginia that goes through Audobon Park does not have a bike path so I have to bike in the street with cars. I called the police to report the incident but they kept getting held up with other emergencies and after waiting 45 minutes for a police officer to come, I gave up and went to an appointment that I was already late for due to the accident.
The driver didn't understand that she was supposed to share the road and when she tried to pass me, her passenger side mirror hit me. I honestly don't think she was paying attention and didn't see me.
It amazed me how she seemed to lose her of sense of humanity behind the wheel. She forgot that her mass of metal, glass and rubber was no match for my flesh and bones on a little bike. That is the sad part about suburbia, everyone is isolated and disconnected. We hide from the world and each other and having a sense of community through our cars. We can easily go from place to place without ever interacting with anyone along the way.
When I ride the bus or walk or bike, I am amongst people. I am present in the space I am navigating. I see varying life situations, I see suffering, I see people who are different from me and it keeps me in tune with reality unlike the apathetic and systematic, suburban cycle of socioeconomic and cultural avoidance promulgated by a automobile-centric society of commuting. This consumer self-centeredness seems to define the lifestyles of so many Central Floridians and other Americans around the country.
The bible story of the Good Samaritan comes to mind when I think about the current situation of our country and the disconnect between the haves and have nots. It seems like everyone is crossing to the other side of the road and passing people by or tragically running right over them in some cases.
This has to change or we will continue to have tragedies such as last night's accident happen. Central Floridians need to be more mindful of pedestrian and bicyclist rights. Local government also needs to stop making it so convenient for cars to rule the roost and get away with it.
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