Loss of Civility
So I was fixing a flat on the sidewalk by the side of the road yesterday when somebody actually tried to back into the space and run me over while I was working on the bike. Now he absolutely had to see me sitting there, it was pretty obvious.
But it got me thinking just how much the world has changed recently. Not a single person walking or driving by stopped to ask if I was OK. I could have been run over, injured, bike down and sprawled all over the sidewalk but no one even bothered giving me a single look. A couple of guys even laughed at me while walking by saying look at this fool trying to fix his own bike, as if I had a choice. The guy who almost backed into me was the last straw.
Now I’ve always been pretty self-sufficient, carry spares and tools and am able to fix most things on the road.
I don’t expect anyone to ever offer to help me, all I ask is you not harrass me or run me over. Just leave me alone and I’m fine. But like I said, the callousness and loss of civility of a lot of people these days is still shocking.