Ran over an animal on my bike!
I rode my bike to work at 5 this morning. It is the first time I rode my bike to work all year. Jocelyn needs to be picked up from pre-school at about 3:15, today. It's doubtful that
wisconsinwriter will get out of her interview soon enough to get Jocelyn. So, I decided to get to work by 6:15 so I can work an 8 hour day. My bike has a child seat on it. I put the bike trailer on so I can transport Jocelyn's sleeping mat and backpack home along with her.
While I was clipping along a dark portion of the path along Eastwood, I saw an animal about 3 feet in front walking toward the path - about a half foot to go before being in the path. There was no way I was going to stop in time. Still, you would think that the animal should be able to sense a fast moving object coming in time to stop, right? Well, it lumbered right under my wheels. I looked behind me and saw an animal limping across the path. It was still very dark but I think it must have been an opossum. What other animal is nocturnal and so stupid?
The last time I ran over an animal with a moving vehicle was 22 years ago in the arboretum. I killed this opossum with my car. Once again, I thought the animal would be intelligent enough to stop.
If
wisconsinwriter gets this job, I want to make every effort to not need more that one car for the family. I will purchase a bike with quick release wheels and an pair of studded tires for the bike (winter riding) - rather than purchase another car.
The question is: what does this experience say about my devotion to being an environmentalist?
wisconsinwriter will get out of her interview soon enough to get Jocelyn. So, I decided to get to work by 6:15 so I can work an 8 hour day. My bike has a child seat on it. I put the bike trailer on so I can transport Jocelyn's sleeping mat and backpack home along with her.
While I was clipping along a dark portion of the path along Eastwood, I saw an animal about 3 feet in front walking toward the path - about a half foot to go before being in the path. There was no way I was going to stop in time. Still, you would think that the animal should be able to sense a fast moving object coming in time to stop, right? Well, it lumbered right under my wheels. I looked behind me and saw an animal limping across the path. It was still very dark but I think it must have been an opossum. What other animal is nocturnal and so stupid?
The last time I ran over an animal with a moving vehicle was 22 years ago in the arboretum. I killed this opossum with my car. Once again, I thought the animal would be intelligent enough to stop.
If
wisconsinwriter gets this job, I want to make every effort to not need more that one car for the family. I will purchase a bike with quick release wheels and an pair of studded tires for the bike (winter riding) - rather than purchase another car.
The question is: what does this experience say about my devotion to being an environmentalist?