Cyclists often need a safe space in our cities.
And we’re not just talking about a place where people can be cushioned from mainstream stereotypes and discrimination, either; you know, the kind of safe space that makes it difficult to even tell a joke anymore.
No, they need a physical safe space that separates them from psychos in speeding metal boxes, like this guy.
Too often, motorists are completely unaware just how close they come to making contact with cyclists. This forced Warren Huska of Toronto to get creative in finding a solution.
“People get really insulated inside a vehicle,” Huska said in an interview with the Toronto Star. “They don’t really know where the edges of their vehicle are.”
The solution? A pool noodle.
Strapped to the back end of his bike and protruding outwards toward the road, the noodle reminds drivers about the metre of space cyclists are permitted in their periphery.
Photo: Randy Risling / Toronto Star
“Suddenly all the cars are changing lanes to go around me,” Huska tells the Star, calling the noodle’s success ‘almost magical’.
The noodle’s flexibility also allows cyclists to easily pass Huska as they can easily dismiss the floppy flotation device with a simple hand motion. Sure, there are cooler ways to bike, but that’s none of Huska’s concern.
“I’m unconcerned about looking good,” he says. “I’m concerned about my safety most.”
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