I was taking a stroll through one of Jasper’s many beautiful parks on August 18. I was on my way back from shooting the soccer camp, which looked like it was a lot of fun, I might add. I had struggled with the urge to join the kids and their very enthusiastic coaches even though I don’t even like soccer.

I cut through a grassy area with a well-worn path diagonally crossing it. As I neared the end a woman on a bike came barrelling towards me, not turning out of my path as I continued along. She continued her bee-line towards me, and with about a foot to spare before the collision, I winced, and she jerked the handlebars of her bike to the left, avoiding me by inches. Apparently I had been in her way. 

A similar incident happened to me while crossing Hazel Ave. the other day. A man on a bike blew through the stop sign and through the intersection across Patricia St. as I was crossing it and narrowly missed me. He seemed awfully upset that I had chosen to cross – even though it was my right of way as a pedestrian on the crosswalk. 

At the same intersection a few days earlier, one guy on a bike wasn’t paying attention and nearly slammed into me as he continued through the intersection without stopping for traffic, dodging turning vehicles as he went. He was nearly thrown off the bike when he had to turn sharply to avoid me.

These aren’t the only near collisions I’ve had with people on bikes as I walk along Jasper’s very pedestrian-friendly streets since I arrived. 

The Fitzhugh received a press release about bike safety a while back following two accidents in Red Deer. One occurred when a cyclist merged in front of a semi-truck without looking. The second was when a woman ran a red light on a bike and was hit by an oncoming vehicle.

I’ve been thinking about the mass-chaos that would ensue on Jasper’s streets if motorists decided to drive like cyclists.

I’ve seen people on bikes run red lights, fail to stop at stop signs, fail to stop for pedestrians, merge without signalling, turn without signalling and more. As a cyclist, you are considered a motorist, and pedestrians have the right of way at crosswalks. You are required to signal, and you do have to stop at stop signs. Vehicles don’t have to give cyclists the right of way either, unless the rider has dismounted and is walking his or her bike. This is all according to the RCMP’s press release. 

I love exploring Jasper on foot, and I don’t expect my sloth-like reflexes to get quicker anytime soon. Please be kind to pedestrians, we don’t have the comfort of a steering wheel or speed. 

By the way, I love Jasper’s bike culture. I am endlessly jealous of all the old-style bikes around town, and have taken a particular fondness to one white bike with painted roses near Earls all the time. Whoever you are, you have the coolest bike in Jasper. Actually I can’t say that. The rose bike has big competition with the black and leopard print bike parked near the Something Else Restaurant. Bike fashion is so important, you know.

DISCLAIMER: The Last Word is an opinion column, it is meant to provoke thought and debate. As such, any opinions written here are the writers own and do not reflect the viewpoint of any other Fitzhugh staff member or the directors of the Jasper Media Group Inc.