Facebook memories reminded me that 13 years ago today, when I got to my car that was parked at the Millbrae BART Station in Northern California, I found a note and tape it to my windshield. The note said, “Do people requiring handicapped parking really ride bicycles on weekends?” I happened to have my bike rack on my car, because I was doing an event the next day. So, yes, people requiring handicap parking do ride bicycles on the weekends. I was so shocked that someone had actually taken time out of their day (and had tape and notecards in their car) to write such a snarky comment. And it was really the first, and only time, I’d ever been harassed about my disability.
At the time, I had just recently taken up biking, still very much a novice. I was also still very self conscious about my prosthetic, except for when I was riding. When I was riding, I felt strong, powerful and bit invincible. And over the years as I became a stronger cyclist, I started to care less and less about people seeing or even staring at my prosthetic. Also being a part of an athletic community that embraced all levels of abilities was pretty helpful too. 🙂
There’s definitely more to explore with the story here, but my 20 minutes are up, and I’m ready for some shuteye. I’ll end with a positive pic of me at hour two of four on a bike trainer at a fundraising event for the Challenged Athletes Foundation in 2012. Good times.
It's Me vs. Me 