Wednesday, June 24, 2009

An unsual scene


In Ocala, it's hard to get around on a bicycle because of the lack of bike lanes and the continuous flow of traffic. It's very dangerous. But one person did it. This is an unusual photo for our town. The bike is parked outside of the bookstore, Barnes & Noble, which just recently moved from this site to the Heathbrook Marketplace, a beautiful new outdoor mall.

26 comments:

Kcalpesh said...

That does sound unusual! Here in Mumbai, I got to say a lot of people use bicycles despite the huge amount of traffic and no bike lanes. I feel the concept of bike lanes here would be really good!

In your picture the reflection on the glass shows a lot of cars and thus a very suitable title. I think since the shop was closed, the biker must have found that space perfect for parking... :-)

gogouci said...

Great looking bike, tires look barely used. I like the color too. I'm amazed at how cyclist get around here in Salem too. I'm not adventurous enough to fight for my right of way on the roads.

James said...

And it's not even locked up. My last bike was stolen from a bike rack at a shopping mall in 1980. Someone cut the lock. I hope the owner of this bike has better luck.

Shaun said...

Usual for us. Would it be more unusual that it doesnt seem to be locked?

Olivier said...

comme beaucoup de villes, malheureusement conduire des vélos, c'est dangereux, les voitures ne font pas attention.
as many cities, unfortunately to drive bikes, it is dangerous, cars do not pay attention.

alice said...

Maybe unusual but your eye caught the colors, as usual ;-))

VP said...

Nice bike, here it will last few minutes unless chained twice to some very strong post.

Merisi said...

Beautiful bike, its maganta color a perfect foil to the warm sand color of the wall and the celadon window frame.

Bikes are ubiquitous around Vienna, a city which has and still is investing heavily in safe(r) bike-paths.

Frank de Jol said...

In such event, this brave man running on the bike.
;-)

Jane Hards Photography said...

Bikes and photography go hand in hand. Like to see more bike users, less accidents, better for the environment.

Buenos Aires Photoblog said...

I know what you mean! Bicyling in Buenos Aires is very dangerous, too. Hope that will change over the next years.

B SQUARED said...

Hard to believe riding a bike has gotten so dangerous.

Lois said...

It's just the opposite here in Tallahassee. Bike lanes are everywhere and bicycles are always parked outside any building you go in. The only problem is on the canopy roads where there are no bike lanes or even a shoulder, but the bicylists insist on riding there anyway!

Lowell said...

@ Buenos Aires - It can change. But it takes a concerted effort on the part of the authorities...and too often too many of them are too busy lining their own pockets to worry about the people who elected them...

And yes, I'm getting more cynical in my old age!

Judy said...

Riding a bike can be a dangerous activity but here we are getting more bike friendly....slowly, very slowly.

Halcyon said...

It looks like a young person's bike. They're probably not as aware of the dangers of biking in traffic yet as more seasoned bikers are. :)

Lynda Lehmann said...

Nice balance in this composition-- well-composed--and a nice juxtaposition of the bike to the window and sign. I also like the car reflections in the glass!

Thanks for visiting me and leaving a comment...

Mary Helen said...

Lots of bikes here in Forks...we should look into getting a bike trail. I miss Barnes & Noble book stores. I used to spend a lot of time in the one in Sliverdale Wa before we moved to Forks, where we don't have one....

Cezar and Léia said...

This is a real intellectual bike!
Great shot!
Léia ;-)

crocrodyl said...

There is also lack of bike lanes in our town but people use bikes and ride on pavements - which is sometimes dangerous to pedestrians:)

Lee Spangler said...

Riding bikes in traffic suck.. Oregon and Portland put a lot of emphasis on bicycle commuting. Nonetheless it can be nerve racking. Lots of big metal against a bicyclist is a mess.

Lowell said...

Hi Asta...Back a few years ago there was a movie about a young man who rode as a courier in NYC...I think he went to bigger and better things but I remember the scenes of him riding through NY traffic were spine-tingling!

Frank said...

And here I thought you'd say it was unusual because it wasn't stolen yet. How bad our thoughts. When I lived a while in NYC everyone would diassemble their bikes and load the pieces into the building after each ride. Crazy! Chain and lock cutters got so good they couldn't be trusted.

Small City Scenes said...

Super shot Not only could I spend hours in Barnes & Noble but i have a purple bike too. MB

tapirgal said...

Green and purple with a lovely purple frame around the photo. I'm glad they made it there safely and you got the pic! Very nice!!!

Tussy said...

I like bike, i like the color of it too :)

"Photographers deal in things which are continually vanishing and when they have vanished there is no contrivance on earth which can make them come back again." — Henri Cartier-Bresson