October 21, 2005
By Lucille Davie
THREE years ago I went on a cycling trip through the south of France, cycling 200 kilometres through hilltop villages, fields of sunflowers and lavender.
The entry to one large town was down a long, steep, curvy road, which I weaved down very slowly. When I got to the bottom of the hill I glanced over my shoulder and there was a long line of cars behind me, waiting patiently for me to get to level ground before overtaking.
There was certainly no patience on the roads yesterday when I obeyed the call for a car-free day.
I only had four kilometres to ride to work - up Empire Road, along the leafy section around Parktown Boys High School, up to Clarendon Place on the western edge of Hillbrow, then left and left again in Boundary Road on the edge of Parktown.
Empire Road was a gentle slog; it was hot, the traffic was bumper to bumper, there was a large vehicle blocking the pavement, where I mostly rode. Crossing the busy Empire Road and Jan Smuts Avenue intersection was not as bad as I thought it would be. A huge pool of rainwater was obstructing traffic, which meant a slower movement of cars through one side.
Then it was on to the leafy ride around the high school. I opted for the pavement as the road was a squeeze at two lanes, and one or two cars had already zipped past me a bit too close for my comfort.
I edged back on to the road at Pieter Roos Park, the traffic having eased by then. The ride up and over Boundary Road was fine, with the watchmen at the office gate greeting me cheerfully as I popped around the boom gate.
Now, at this point, I must pay tribute to my office neighbours. For some odd reason they have a bathroom in their office, including a shower. A visit to them the day before my epic ride had confirmed that I was free to use their shower.
So shower accoutrement as well as clothes, shoes, accessories and make-up had been packed into a backpack for my ride before I set out. It did feel odd standing in the middle of an office showering, but it also felt good to get the four kilometres of sweat and fumes scrubbed away.
I looked forward to the return trip with some eagerness - I was taking a different route home, as Empire Road, I thought, would be even busier with motorists hurrying home.
I panted up St Andrew's Road and on the corner of York Road was in for a nice surprise. Two guys were standing idly at the pedestrian crossing, waiting for the lights to change. One said to me in a friendly way as I rode past, "Thank you for observing Car Free Day." I was so taken aback at being acknowledged for my efforts that all I could puff out was, "Thank you."
I topped the hill, watching the flow of traffic behind me with quick glances over my shoulder, as I crossed a lane. I approached the lights on the corner of Queens Road with some trepidation as the cars were shooting across the intersection with speed. I had right of way but didn't feel that they would stop for me.
At the last moment two cars stopped, with arms waving and expletives flying. My arm went up too and in the exchange of expletives it was clear they were annoyed at me for holding them up at the intersection, with the lights probably now red. But if they had stopped for me, I would not have slowed down.
From there, I hopped on to the pavement past Mike's Kitchen, a pleasant ride under the flowering jacarandas. I turned into Jan Smuts Avenue, planning to cycle down Loch Avenue, but still felt a little shaky after my expletive encounter, so nipped into the quiet Seymour Avenue, making my way past the mansions of Parktown, and down Gale Street. It was an enjoyable ride.
Again I crossed Empire Road with no problem, but found that it was a good idea to take off just as the robot changed, getting a small start on the cars alongside me.
Verdict: the thank you exchange was a sweet gesture but wasn't enough to wipe out the close encounter at Queens Road.
Would I do it again? No. Joburg drivers are not patient enough, not tuned into slower-moving, two-wheeled vehicles, and don't seem to care if they ride over a person who is trying to reduce congestion on the roads.
On my short trip I noticed only one other cyclist on the road - he might have left his car at home, or he might do the trip by bike every day. It seemed to me that there was the same number of vehicles on the roads as always.
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