On a recent Saturday morning, my elderly mother and I took a walk around our neighborhood, near Bristol Bay Linear Park, to enjoy the fresh air and soak in some sun. To my dismay, we were almost plowed over by a "herd" of speeding senior citizens on bikes.
The greenbelt pathway has a sharp blind curve in one section. Just as we were strolling along at this point, I literally had to leap out of the path of the first rider. I thought to myself, "Whew, that was too close for comfort." As my mother and I resumed our walk, we had to dodge three or four more speeding riders. We were still on this blind curve, mind you, so it's obvious to me that these people were racing and couldn't have cared less if someone had gotten hurt or worse.
I estimate that 20 or more riders followed. The bikes were low to the ground and were three-wheelers.
While I admire these folks for getting out and having some fun, I certainly do not appreciate their lack of concern for anyone else who might be on the path. Just behind my Mom and me were three little girls on a walk. I feared for their safety as well, and I hoped that they would have the sense to get out of the way of this group, for they had no intention of slowing down.
If my mom or I had been struck by one of these bikes, we would surely have ended up in the hospital, if we even lasted that long, considering the speed of the bikers.
My advice to this group is that they should slow down on a blind curve in a public parkway. I might add that not one single rider slowed, or said, "Oops, sorry." There was one gentleman who was kind enough to say, "Good morning." Thanks go out to this man.
-- Donna Athens, Ventura