As an ex-bike messenger in downtown Houston, riding a bike through the University is a piece of cake. I can rightfully represent those who choose to make a living by riding. After all, why walk when you can ride?
Riders are intelligent, athletic and graceful. They can move swiftly across vast distances in a matter of seconds and stop on a dime if needed. Because of its small size, speed and agility, a bike is the perfect combination of man and machine to cover great distances throughout UH. They move so quickly and silently that they might as well have wings.
Although they follow the same rules as automobiles, they are not motorized vehicles. Believe it or not, riders are the true kings of the road when it comes to giving the right of way; both pedestrians and automobiles must legally yield to the rider.
It is students like John Austin who make riding a dangerous endeavor. Austin shouldn’t fear riders; it is the rider who should watch out for people like him, the student who is unaware of his surroundings. By the time you are passed by one, the rider who is mounted higher and has sharper vision has already spotted you 100 yards away and calculated your speed and position.
If you think not yielding to a rider is rebellious and the right thing to do, then you’ve never met a true bike rider. The bike messengers in downtown Houston are a great and interesting subculture, and I proudly say they are some of the most rebellious and toughest men – and women – I’ve met. They don’t take crap from anyone who doesn’t respect their space. I admire their intellect and their logic in getting things done correctly.
These hard workers accomplish thousands of tasks and errands with the help of a bike. They know how to cut through bureaucratic red tape at the local courthouses and take pride in their job. Things get done with speed and integrity; one minute they could be handing a package to a judge of a high-profile federal courthouse, the next minute they are standing at Minute Maid Park holding World Series tickets for a Shell executive. Rain or shine, they perform their dangerous jobs all day by dodging pedestrians, cars and police, all while riding bikes. They do the right thing.
Yes, they occasionally run a few red lights. OK, in actuality they always run red lights. But they’re smart about it when they do it, and no one in downtown complains as they do here. They know when to use common sense around pedestrians, especially when the Metro rail sneaks by. The downtown office folks do not mind them at all because riders and pedestrians respect each other.
The Houston Police Department doesn’t bother them because they’re harassing the naked homeless guy and because they’re too slow and sometimes it’s too hot for them to run. One girl rider would occasionally yell over her shoulder, "You’ll never catch me copper! You see?"
But they did fear and respect one type of cop… the ones on bikes. They are just as mean, just as agile and just as fast. But there is a respectable camaraderie between the two, because they are both riders.
Most importantly, God forbid you take a messenger’s bike. Every rider with a radio will hunt you down in minutes. The bike messengers in downtown Houston ride in peace.
Be it a blue high-speed Shasta-supporting officer and her sidekick or a redshirt cougar freshman, get out of the way when you see someone on a bike. Not just at UH or in downtown Houston, but anywhere you go. It would just be rude and insulting if you didn’t give the right of way. Learn to share the pavement like they do in downtown, because if you don’t, a rider might not be nice about it, forget to stop and run you over. Ride friendly, the Texas way.
Nunez, a mechanical engineering junior, can be reached via [email protected]
