I was born and raised in the Bay Area and I've ridden over most of it for the last 30 years. I started back before it got popular like it is now. Yeah, it's still not that popular. But you should have seen it back then during the dark-ages of down-tube shifters. It was like I was the only one riding through the hills. I could still ride through Woodside, and over highway 92 to highway 1.
Last Sunday I didn't have a lot of time so I was just doing a quick loop over to the Marin Headlands and back to San Francisco. This is a short 25 mile trip, just enough to get some exercise. I start off from my house in the Haight and head toward the park. I'm waiting at the light (the one with 'death monsters ahead') before crossing over Fell Street. The light turns green and I start across. Coming the other direction is an SUV making a right-hand turn. He sees me, and then rushes to make the turn. I know this trick and stop. Right behind him is another SUV making the same turn, of course blindly since he couldn't see me through the other SUV. If I didn't stop, I'd probably be dead. He acted like he never did see me.
I go towards the bridge through the Presidio. It is a beautiful day and lots of tourists are out. They are actually in a pack today, slowly climbing the hill, mostly on foot pushing the bikes. I go into the traffic lane passing them up and then turn on the path to the bridge, 5 MPH, and use the chance to drink some water. It's pretty hot and I don't want to run into a tourist like I did two weeks back.
I make the turn onto the bridge behind a family of four. They are going slowly and I take the chance to swing by on the left. The daughter, in the lead, maybe 15 or 16 years old, swings out to the left, in front of me and I hit the brakes. If I was going faster or there was any danger, I say something before passing, like "coming by". In this case, not necessary. She never did know what she did, and I pass by at the next chance.
The bridge opens up in front of me after I've passed up the many tourists that cling to the ends of the bridge. Many people rent bikes now in the City and enjoy their day riding. Lots of families.
As I get to the far end of the bridge I see a police car stopped on the bridge and the police officer has jumped the barrier and is heading toward some bikers huddled next to the cement barrier. Right there is a open area, and then a narrow passage onto the bridge itself. The barrier is about 3 feet high, and the drop down is about 200 feet.
At the bridge exit, a couple is slowly riding on the right. I'm wary. As I start to pass on the left the husband makes a left turn without looking. I lock up the brakes for a short skid. Nothing like the sound of a skidding bike to say 'hi there!'. The wife looks over at me and apologizes. Stopped now I say 'no problem' and wave them on.
It is a beautiful day out anyway, and I quickly get to the top of the little hill, with a great view looking over the ocean, the bay and the bridge. The day is clear, not windy just yet, and I sit down and enjoy the view. A group of bikers comes up and they make calls to the others in the group to find out where everyone is. One of their group was hit by a tandem bike down on the bridge and was badly scraped up. The police were helping him out. Tandems are almost always rentals.
After 10 minutes I leave. This is a steep drop and one of the best views in the area. Speed limit is 15, but my speedometer stopped working years ago. I'm pretty careful ever since I had that blowout a few years back. Down passed Black Sand Beach and Fort Baker, the one-way road winds toward Point Bonita and Rodeo Beach.
This is the far point of the loop and now for the return trip back up the hill. Although I'm on a road bike, I prefer the dirt trail, just after the stables, that goes back to the top. Hardly anyone takes this trail. On a thin-tire bike, it's an interesting ride, with lots of ruts and rocks. Parts of the trail are completely overgrown with weeds now, like no one is doing maintenance anymore. This one part has a big rut down the middle, it's always been there, and paths on the left and right. I'm going up on the right side when a mountain biker comes down on my side, giving me just enough time to jump off and into the bushes. He says 'hi there' and doesn't seem to notice he's on the wrong side and almost ran into me.
I'm only half way through, but you get the idea. It's just how it is. Every week I see at least one person crash on the bridge, and I feel lucky if only one car never sees me as they almost run me over.
But if anyone dressed in pink wants to walk across the bridge to protest the war, that is forbidden. That's too dangerous.
Bicycles have operating instructions. Many a book has been written. Magazines on biking are easy to find. One would think people are supposed to know how to ride them safely and not hurt themselves or other people? Should we add regulations, with bike licenses and tests to guarantee it somehow? Or are they just too dangerous and should be outlawed entirely? The solution for me is that I know how to ride, and I know that there are people out there that don't.
Our Constitution came with operating instructions. The Founders all made it clear that the only way for our republic to survive was informed civic participation. Eternal vigilance was required, not optional. Have we followed the instructions and is it the Constitution's fault if we didn't follow them?