The lady bicycle rider

The other day I was driving downtown and came to an intersection and proposed to make a right turn. I was in the right hand lane at the corner.  Next to me blocking my path was a lady on a bicycle. She was so far out in the lane that she blocked my egress. The light was red so I could have turned right but she was so far out in the lane that I was unable to do that.

We were there for quite a while then she ran the red light and crossed the street.  I thought that this might be a good subject for an essay.

The lady on the bicycle was more interested in herself than anyone else. Had there been a police office there, she would have received a ticket for running a red light.

Just the other day, a young high school girl was killed by a woman who ran a red light at an intersection. I have seen drivers run red lights here in Utah and pedestrians cross when the light is red. This is a symptom of egocentricity, caused by our affluence and disregard for our fellow men. I call it the ‘me first’ syndrome.

Throughout history we find that when people become affluent they become more self-centered and insensitive to those around them.  They become less aware of their surroundings.

The Pharisees in Christ's time were of the opinion that they were the only ones that mattered. Just like the lady on the bicycle, oblivious to anyone around her and to any traffic restrictions. Although there are ordinances in some states that allow bicycle riders to go through red lights, the reasoning is; because they are too impatient to wait 2-3 minutes for the light to turn green.

So we inconvenience others because we do not want to be inconvenienced. I have noticed the same lack of concern in the grocery parking lot. People do not want to be bothered by returning their shopping carts to the place where they picked them up.  Often I have had to move a cart in order to park my car so my vehicle won’t hit it. 

We are so concerned with our own selves and what we are doing, that we pay little attention to those around us and the impact of our actions on others.  Christ taught us to love one another and serve one another.  We can never see another persons needs if we keep admiring ourselves in the mirror.