Where is the respect for bicycle riders?The other day a friend and I decided we would go for a bike ride over to the Cold Stone Creamery. Not the brightest idea in the world I must admit, but nevertheless it should not have been such a threat to our lives.

Our adventure started out as a practical mode of transportation but quickly turned into a ride of terror. No one was mean to us; we did not feel we were at a safe distance from the traffic.

After we had gone past the available sidewalk, a garbage truck honked at us thinking that it did not have enough room, so we swerved off to the side. Do not get me wrong: we had not been in the street, just on the edge of it.

We were riding along huge streets that are made specifically for cars without even a thought given to other modes of transportation. This is apparent from the unfriendly vibe that the drivers emit as they whiz past while you are trying to keep going straight so that you do not get run over. Our highway system is not designed with bike riders in mind and for those of us who do not have cars, it is difficult to get around.

There is some argument as to which way you are really supposed to ride a bicycle, with the flow of traffic or against it. We were just trying to get there alive, so we rode some on each side, depending on which looked like it would allow a little more space.

There are some very large hills on the way there and I think I was probably the most terrified when we were riding up one in the six-inch wide space below the curb – it is very difficult to try to ride up a hill in deep grass that drops off, our other option.

This problem can be easily solved with the continuation of sidewalks, even in front of the little suburban inlets that are scattered along New Garden Road. Is this really too much to ask?

Because we live in a society now where you basically need a car to get anywhere, the roadways should be made more biker-friendly.