Bike at your own risk

Recently I re-discovered the joy and convenience of biking. We got one of those seats for the back of my bike. I have a burley and I worship it, but its just not super safe here due to the tacos (traffic. is that not the best word for traffic??). Anyway. So now Curly girl and I cruise to school, the park and the store super fast. It is awesome. It takes me less time to get anywhere and I can ride my bike to the gym too. WINNING. Since I have no car and am afraid to take the bus this opens up a whole new way of life for me. But biking comes with unexpected risks. The cars are not the problem. They are respectful of my space and right of way. Below is the list of people who are unknowingly trying to kill me.

1. Teenage girls/boys. They walk in lines that stretch the length of the sidewalk and then some. They are too busy gabbing about each other and about what so and so said at school, like omg (or the spanish equivalent), to watch out for me. I usually have to off-rode it or risk my life and go into the street temporarily to pass them. They dont even look up from whatsapping long enough to notice that I almost got smashed by a bus.

2. Business men on lunch. They might be worse than the teenagers and their whatsapping. They leisurely walk and stroll (wine with lunch is a thing here so the strolling happens all over the sidewalk) and are not aware of me at all. If Curly girl is with me I start talking loudly so they hear me coming, sometimes they get out of the way faster.

3. People walking with headphones. They cannot hear me as I yell, perdon permisso behind them so they usually jump as they see my shadow passing them. Instead of jumping out of the way they usually jump in my way. This is problematic.

4. Cab drivers. Yes, technically not a sidewalk problem. However, they love to hang out in intersections and block my way to cross the street while the little green man or little green bicycle is telling me that it is my turn to cross. They dont move until the green man is flashing which means that I can take my life in my hands and risk it changing to red man (dead man) or wait the light cycle out again. Thanks, cabbie.

5. My daughter. My own flesh and blood. Just this morning she threw her gloves off her hands in the intersection just as the green man was flashing green and my bike has no kickstand. I had to ride like hell, lean my bike against the light pole sprint back and grab the gloves before they got run over. Thanks, kiddo. She thought it was funny. She also likes to rock side to side. She apparently thinks I am stronger and have a better sense of balance than I actually do.