This fall's mild temperatures have been a boon for my transportation in Olney. Although I've lived here more than a decade, I never dared to bike on Bowie Mill or Cashell Roads (the two major streets outside of my neighborhood) for fear of being hit by a car. Now that Cashell Road has a sidewalk running its entire length (unlike Bowie Mill Road), I feel connected to the outside world without even having to climb into a car.
Errands into town are a pleasant 15-minute bike ride from the corner of Bowie Mill and Cashell Roads to Morningwood Drive, along Morningwood and then out to Route 108 in any spot, depending on my destination. No need to worry about speed cameras, since I pedal at a brisk but leisurely pace (hence the 15 minutes into town). What I enjoy about biking is seeing people, places and scenes up close and at a slow speed (relative to driving). I may spot a vaguely familiar figure jogging in the distance only to realize as I ride closer that yes, I do know the person! Then I'll ride by, greeting the jogger with a friendly "Hey [name of person]! How's it going?" If I yelled this while driving by in a car, I would just seem like an anonymous stalker.
My up close viewpoint has afforded me glimpses into the Olney library construction site (gorgeous and coming along ... and hopefully worth the wait and future bike trips), the post office's mailboxes for cars (convenient!) and even the stalwart sign man in a wheelchair. Everything is magnified to the senses, from the loud vacuum cleaners at Fletcher's car wash to the large, fast and sometimes scary cars at the Georgia Avenue/Route 108 intersection.
Hopefully the fine weather will last a bit longer so I can try the drive-through windows at the bank and CVS pharmacy. Technically, I am "driving" through on a bike, so I hope I'll be allowed to use these lanes. I don't think I'll try hauling home groceries (especially eggs and other perishables) by bike, though.
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