The Bad Parenting Trail or Introductory Bike Trail?

Today was the last day to get a long bike ride in before my next tri Labor day weekend so I hit the trail near our house about 9:00. The weather has just changed to the low 90s so the trail was packed. Packed with children who's parents apparently forgot they were parents, packed with bikers who apparently have never been on a bike trail before, and packed with running groups, walking groups, and any other type of group that likes to occupy the trail in a 4 person lateral fashion. These people obviously didn't take high school physics or else they would understand that if a bike moving ~18 mph hits a run away toddler, woman on cell phone, or an unleashed dog it will not be pretty for anyone involved. Needless to say it wasn't exactly a good workout but it was definitely good training in abrupt stopping, sharp turning, and lots loud yelling.

Let's see what was the most annoying occurrence of the ride?

1. Was it the boy who comes flying out of the dog park on a motorized scooter right in front of me while I'm yelling that I'm on his right, who proceeds to go right and I have to bail into the grass? All the while his mother stood with a dog and yelled at him that was why she didn't want him to have a scooter because he can't seem to pay attention.

2. The 90 year old woman who was riding on the right who when I politely informed I was going to pass her on the left said, "no, that's where I'm going" and then she turned left from the right side of the trail, right in front of me causing me to abruptly stop to avoid hitting her only to be yelled at by her nearly dead husband who was then coming up behind me and was mad that I stopped.

3. The biker who was riding the opposite direction from me and I signal that I'm going left. He then turns right at the same time and then yells, "WATCH OUT" to which I replied, "I signaled I was going left". He then informed me he thought that meant for him to go the direction I was pointing. Uh, ok?

I think it's time I write a nasty letter to the City of Plano to ask them to post signs that say "Beware of Bikers". It is a bike trail but seeing how everyone seems utterly shocked when they see a biker or god forbid a bike moving fast I think it's time we put up a little signage to state the obvious. Or better yet, why don't they rename the trail the "Bad Parenting Trail" or the "Introductory Bike Trail" at least then it would be informative. I know "Chisom Trail" and "Bluebonnet Trail" sounds so nice and Texan but it's just really not doing the trick.