Last night marked Chattanooga's second annual Ride of Silence.
An international, slow-paced silent 12-mile ride, the Ride of Silence recognizes and memorializes all cyclists injured or killed by automobiles or in accidents. Chattanooga first started this ride last year following the March 2009 death of longtime local cycling enthusiast and advocate David Meek. His ghost bike is on Ashland Terrace at the site of the incident.
It's interesting to me, as a formally trained journalist, copy editor and writer, to let the terms "accident," "death by car" and "fatal injuries" roll around my tongue and brain. I'm sure there's some AP style guideline I'm forgetting here, especially when related to cars. Today's coverage in the Chattanooga Times Free Press used language when referring to David Meek's death that included "thrown from his bike and fatally injured." Do we have cycling style guidelines? What about cycling-specific laws and legal guidelines? This is a box left unopened by my Southern cycling wits thus far.
(I'm left with the "death by deadly weapon" phrase rattling around in my head.)
However, the Ride of Silence was a great display of caring, comassionate folks on two wheels. Afterward, Q provided pizza and frosty adult beverages for a group of us at Moccassin Bend Brewing Company. It was a nice mix of cyclists, young and old, experienced and newbie, roadie and commuter. Quint and Colleen are SUCH inspiring cyclists, adults, mentors and PEOPLE. I admire and respect them, and I really look up to them.
When I feel like the locals (ie drivers and lawmakers) get me down, I have these two amazing inspirations to look up to. They continually aim to bring people together, focusing on the positives, not the negatives—with which I constantly struggle.
OK—enough sappy talk. I've recently seen this photographer out and about in Chattanooga, and he took some awesome photos of the ride last night. Yours truly and J even made it in a few!
Check it out! And go ride your bicycle. Tomorrow is National Bike to Work day, though I'm not sure we're celebrating...we celebrate every day.
UPDATE: This post is my first entry from the LGRAB Summer Olympics! Let the games begin!
2 comments:
What wonderful things you say! Love it! Thank you! Both Q and I just enjoy doing our thing and are always happy when people like you and J like to share them with us.
And I love YOUR blog. You have a writing style that I can learn from. It is interesting as we are often blogging about the same things to read the different accounts.
Love ya, Lady Jane!
Thank you for sharing the story of Chattanooga's Ride of Silence. I agree about bike role models - it makes such a difference to have others who can share in the bikey adventure with you.
Thanks for playing the Games!
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