Friendly Folks

As a regular on Triangle area roads during rush hour, I worry about the future of mankind. People cut each other off, tailgate, blast their horns at the slightest provocation  and generally behave badly toward each other (full disclosure: this description covers me more often than I’d like). If you need a change of pace, hit the greenways.

My bike took me for a ride among the friendly folks on the trail.

I started a ride recently on the Mingo Creek trail and almost immediately saw a fellow swim team parent (our sons have been on the neighborhood team for years). We smiled and waved. Shortly after I saw a walker who warned me that an unleashed pit bull was up ahead. I’ve given similar warnings about animals and I thanked him and turned back toward the Neuse trail. A few minutes later I passed some people on the boardwalk and announced I was coming through. They waved as I passed and I heard one of the adults say thanks for announcing myself. I waved back. After crossing Hodge Road I saw a woman relaxing on her deck as I passed the Princeton Manor subdivision. I waved to her and she waved back. People sure are friendly out on the trails.  And like the bad behavior on the highways, good behavior on the trail is contagious.

I’ve been lucky so far with my bike. I’ve only had one mishap with it, and that was my own fault. To discourage people from taking cars, four-wheelers and other types of vehicles on the trails, there are a number of metal barriers in the center of the trail that stick up. If a car drives over one of them, it will damage the underside. These are usually at entrances to the trails and by bridges, which I’m guessing cant’ support the weight of cars. I was not paying attention one day and ran into one of the those metal obstacles and popped my back tire. I had almost reached I-540, which meant I was almost 11 miles from home. I didn’t have any repair supplies at that time, so I started walking. Several people asked me if I needed help as I walked. I declined politely. I was thinking of getting to the Buffalo Road Park and calling for a ride or just hoofing it all the way. Before I got there, an older rider stopped and offered to help. He saw the tire and said he could patch it. He tried, but the damage was too great. So he pulled a new tube out of his supplies and put it in the tire, using an air cartridge to inflate it. I was profuse in my thanks and gave him $10 to cover part of the cost of the tire. He brushed it off, saying I should help someone else when I got the chance. The tube wasn’t the right kind for my tire, but it worked after a fashion and got me all the way back to the Mingo Creek trail before going flat. Walking home from there was easy. I’ve never forgotten his kindness.

I helped two riders who misread the map
on the Walnut Creek trail sign.

It was hot that day on the trail and I stopped at Anderson Point Park to drink some water before heading south. One person stopped and asked about the Milburnie Dam. I told him he was close and he rode on. I went south past Auburn Knightdale Road, turned back and took the Walnut Creek trail to the softball center. On the way back I stopped where the Walnut Creek trail joined up with the Neuse River trail. Two women were studying the map on the sign. They were talking quietly, then positioned their bikes to take the Walnut Creek trail. One of them asked me if they would reach Poole Road. I told them they were turning onto the Walnut Creek trail and it went west, not north toward Poole Road. They had mistaken the Walnut Creek trail for the Neuse. I showed them their mistake on the map and they were very appreciative. The rest of the ride was pleasant enough. I waved to everyone I passed and most of them waved back. It ended up being just another day with the nice, friendly folks on the trail.