Education First?

I can’t let this one go. I’d been thinking about a topic close to my heart, then this happened and I can’t remember what the original topic was, so I’d better stick with this before this goes the same way.

I have just got home after a ride out in the sticks. I need a shower, but you don’t really need to know that, nor that a pool of sweat is forming under my chair at this very moment. It’s still winter, but I reckon it’s about 30 degrees out there (that’s 86 if you are of an American persuasion). Usually, I’d deal with the hygiene first, but not this time.

I came around a bend and spotted a cyclist ahead. It was clearly a local, pootling along, legs akimbo on a bike too small. I would soon catch up. It was a young lad, probably early teens. Over his shoulder was a bag with the EF logo.

Now, this is a brand known to me as they took to sponsoring a major cycling team a couple of years ago. I thought it rather nice that a young lad out in the sticks, was riding his bike. Seemed appropriate. I’d bet that he was on his way to a class. Probably an English class, if the bag was in any way relevant. I thought, or assumed, it was rather nice that his folks had opted to invest in: (a) a bike (ergo he was not being transported on the back of a scooter), and (b) language lessons.

Here’s where it starts to go wrong. As I approached, and perhaps with 100 metres before I drew alongside, he simply drifted across to the other side of the road (without looking) and continued to ride there in spite of a large oncoming lorry, albeit a large oncoming lorry a few hundred metres ahead at that point. He smiled and waved as I passed, ignoring my gesture to switch sides again. I didn’t dare to look back. This kind of thing is so common, I guess his chances were quite good, all things considered, but frankly, he’d have better chances on the correct side.

It is a constant source of frustration for me, out here. Let’s assume this lad is being given every opportunity his family can afford. The expense of extra-curricular activities weighs heavily on many families because they don’t want their children to be at a disadvantage. Learning English is a priority. Wonderful. I simply wish that everyone would invest some cash in researching what happened to the common sense gene.

Why? Because it ain’t been seen around here in many a year.

You know what, I could have taken that shower first. Should have. I fear my own common sense is under threat.