Rainy Day Bloviating – Cyclists, Runners and Walkers: I’m so flexible, I’m flimsy. After submitting my last RDB article there was lull in the wet weather, so my pal and I took off on a long walk. In the last RDB article I committed to follow-up articles about RVing and had all good intentions to pursue that commitment in the next article – I must delay submitting the first RVing article. “So, what?”, you say. Do you have any idea what I just did in the previous statements? If not, stop and think about it. Now that I have your attention, let me proceed. I made a commitment, “Say what mean, do what you say”, I can’t do the latter part right away, and no apology is warranted. I know writing these articles are inconsequential, but suppose they weren’t. Suppose someone was depending upon the timely delivery of the commitment. I notified you about a delay, you have become informed, have no need to get angry and should have ample time to adjust dependencies. I will apologize for any offense taken, but I am just providing a little food for thought while doing a little character building. Back to the long walk. We had a positive event happen when we encountered a runner and cyclist on the walk. I wanted to share it with you because it should be a no-brainer and the actions could be taken almost immediately. Have you ever been walking alone, with a dog, or how about another person? Have you ever had a cyclist, runner, or skateboarder come up behind you unnoticed and wanting to pass? It is a startling emotional moment when they unintentionally sneak up behind you and you suddenly become aware of something behind you. All bets are off for a few microseconds while natural reflexes kick-in before the brain delivers a solution. Someone could be seriously injured (I hope it’s the other guy). In my opinion, it is an unwritten, default responsibility of cyclists and/or runners to provide some type of timely warning of their approach. I was a distance runner until a few years ago. It seemed like the norm for myself and other runners was to speak loudly enough to be heard “Coming by on the left (or right), thank you”. I haven’t heard anything like that recently, just silence. We cannot count the times that we have suddenly come upon a cyclist or runner while driving in one of our vehicles. They were there all the time, we just didn’t see them until we were almost on top of them. Thankfully, we have not collided with any of them, but we did have a few near misses. In each case, it seems that the clothing they wore was dark in nature and blended with the terrain. In contrast, cyclists and runner wearing bright florescent color outerwear and other warning devices become visible in the far distance. Florescent vests, belts, and strobe lights are a must during hours of darkness. I share this information with you, not to insult you, but to make you aware of a few things to keep you and others safe. Cycling, running, and walking (yes, walking) are common things for many RV’ers. Protecting yourself and making others aware of your presence is quite a protection mechanism that should be used on a military base, as well as, off-base. I made reference to bright clothing in my review, dated 1-8 Oct, 2015, of Parris Island, SC. Semper Fi
