So it now appears to be official.
Summer occurred in Prince George for about a week back in April, then we went back to a mix of spring and fall for the next five months, and this week, winter arrived.
The days are getting shorter, and darkness arrives earlier each day, but that doesn’t stop some of the people on the streets of Prince George.
Sunday evening, I was coming west up 15th Avenue just after 10, which means it was quite dark. About two blocks apart from each other, I saw dark blobs which were moving.
In each case, it was someone with a bicycle, with no reflective material and up on the sidewalk. Not the most intelligent mode of travel, I have to admit.
At least one of them wasn’t riding the bike, but was pushing it along the sidewalk, which was at least legal, even if the lack of reflective material still made it quite unsafe.
I thought that would be the least safe form of travel I would see for a while, but less than 24 hours later, I saw something which I think tops them.
I was again on 15th Avenue, but this time eastbound in the early morning, with very little visibility. I saw a moving blob on the side of the road.
As I got closer, I realized it was somebody in the bike lane, riding a scooter. Not a motorized scooter, just a scooter. No headgear, no reflective material, no way to protect themselves if there was a problem.
As I say, I think this topped the two bike riders from Sunday, because the scooter was actually on the road. Yes, it was in the bike lane, but I’m not sure how legal it is to be riding a scooter on the road to start with.
I also saw something Monday which raises the question of how safe the bike lanes are in some forms of weather.
I was driving west on Fifth Avenue in the downpour which struck the city, and saw a puddle beside the curb on the north side of the street which was actually washing up onto the sidewalk to start with.
When a car went by, even if they were driving slowly, the entire sidewalk was underwater.
I was wondering where someone riding a bike was supposed to ride in that case. There is no way they could be expected to ride in the bike lane, which was totally underwater. For them to avoid the worst of the puddle, they would have had to be riding out near the median lines, which is obviously not the safest route.
The good news was the cyclists were smart enough apparently to be inside.
It was just us motorists and a few unfortunate pedestrians who had to contend with the puddles.