The article “The Road Often Traveled: Staying Alert on Familiar Ground” by Bud Miller was originally published on the “RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel” magazine website on 4/01/2012.
My commute is 40-45 miles one way, which is about an hour on a good day. I’m fortunate in that the ride is varied in terms of terrain and traffic, with a mix of country roads, highways, and some city riding. I’ve ridden it so many times that I’ve taken to naming different parts of the ride to help me focus and stay alert when the conditions require it.
The first part I call “Deer Park.” It’s ten miles of twisty two-lane country road with no shoulder and few homes – and it’s crawling with deer. I was hit by one a few years back, which in and of itself is enough to keep me focused. Over the years, I’ve learned where the deer cross each day, and to be extra careful during the rut (mating season).
I refer to the second section as “Indy” (after the race). It’s a ten-mile stretch of four-lane highway bypass with tons of merging traffic. It starts with two lanes and then splits into four. A few miles later the four lanes merge back into two and the speed limit drops from 65 to 45, ending at a stoplight. So it’s a bit of drag strip during the morning commute.
“Bagel Alley” is a two-lane road with strip malls, gas stations and convenience stores on both sides. In the morning it’s a blur of merging and left turning traffic. Everyone is trying to gas up and get their morning coffee and still make it to work on time. I believe one of the doughnut shops is the morning meeting place for P.A.T.S. (Pennsylvanians for the Abolition of Turn Signals) because I almost never see them used. Apparently they all call or text each other as they arrive too, because it seems like every car on the road is driven by someone operating a cell phone, which is still legal here in Pennsylvania.
It might seem silly, but naming the parts of the ride reminds me that certain sections of my commute have particular concerns. This helps focus my attention as I approach each one, and I think that has kept me safer, and somewhat entertained over the years. If you ride the same route enough times your focus tends to slip. This is just one way I try to prevent that from happening.