Consideration is a Two-way Trail

It's another beautiful day in Milford, OH.  The boys and I decided to go for a walk/bike ride on the Loveland Bike Trail.  I can't believe it's taken us this long to try it!  So, before we hit the trail, I explained the rules.




1.  You have to ride on the right side of the trail.
2.  Don't come to a sudden stop.
3.  Stay on the trail.

They were doing very well.  Kieran still rides a balance bike, because he's only three.  He's also not the best at steering, especially when he's in an exciting new place.  We really didn't see many people in the beginning, so we just took our time and stopped to look at chipmunks, trees and leaves.  After about 15 minutes, Kieran started to get tired.  He wanted to walk, rather than ride his bike.  Hmmm.  I didn't really plan on carrying his bike.  So, we stopped at a picnic table for a little while and then Kieran was ready to ride.  We started back, in the direction of our car.  We stayed on the right side of the path.  Then, I heard a man behind us say, 'Coming up on your left.'  I said, 'ok' and told Kieran to stay on the right side.  He must have gotten confused because he immediately started to turn into the other lane.  I ran to stop him, just as the man on roller blades came skidding to a stop.  I grabbed Kieran out of the way and apologized to the man.  I said, 'I'm so sorry.  He's still learning his left from his right.'

The guy was not happy.  He kept going saying, 'That's very dangerous!'

I said, 'We're all doing our best.  Thank you for your patience.'
He kept saying more things as he skated away.  Again, I thanked him for his patience.  Very loudly.

I was absolutely livid.  The funny part was that, when Soren heard me yell, he also yelled, 'Thank you for your patience!'  That was hilarious.  We saw a few more people on the trail before we got back to our car.  They were all very nice and we all stayed on the right side.  By the time we made it back, we had been walking/riding for 45 minutes.  Pretty good, for our first time!  Soren and I would have been happy to go a lot further, but we have to be considerate of Kieran's needs, too. He was doing his best.

So, why am I still angry with the roller blade guy?  I think it's because of this:  He expected me to be considerate of the fact that he wanted to go fast, which I was trying to do.  However, he wasn't willing to be considerate of a three-year-old who is learning something for the very first time.  Consideration really has to go both ways.  We can't expect people to be considerate of us, if we aren't willing to be considerate of others.  I realize it was annoying to have to go around us.  I also realize Kieran caused a problem when he steered into the other lane.  However, I apologized and Kieran wasn't trying to be a jerk.  He just made a mistake.  One would think that, after receiving an apology, a gentleman would say, 'No problem.  Have a good day.'  Or, 'That's ok, it's great to see a mom doing a healthy, active thing with her sons!'  Or, 'You gotta listen to your mom and stay to the right, buddy.'  Any of those would have been gentlemanly answers.  Even saying nothing would have been better than rudely arguing with me.  The bike trail is for everyone to use.  Walkers, runners, roller bladers, bikers, etc.  All levels and abilities are welcome.  I guess that guy just didn't get that message.  He though it was just for him.

I'm glad that I didn't say what I truly wanted to say to him.  I'm glad I just said, 'Thank you for your patience,' even if it was a tad sarcastic.  It was definitely a teachable moment.  I told Soren and Kieran that we can't expect people to look out for us.  We have to look out for ourselves.  We have to follow the rules and even look out for people who might not be following the rules.  That's how we stay safe.