New Mexico is an incredibly beautiful state with mountains, gorgeous vistas, and plenty of sunshine. No wonder there are lots of bicyclists who want to enjoy the scenery. Albuquerque has built many miles of bike lanes, trying to encourage a healthy lifestyle. Sadly, there are far too many “ghost bikes” throughout the community. These are white bikes that are placed where a bicycle rider has been hit and killed by a motorist. The ghost bikes honor the bicyclist, while also serving as a somber reminder of the dangers of having cars and bikes on the same road. Clearly, a person riding a bike doesn’t have a chance against a car.
Descansos are crosses that appear along the roadside throughout New Mexico. They honor the place where a person was killed, usually in a car accident. These crosses are often ornately decorated, and they are a rich reflection of the Spanish heritage of New Mexico. While traveling across the U.S., I learned the crosses are also used by other cultures, as I found some among Amish communities in Pennsylvania.
So, what do “ghost bikes” and descansos have in common? The tradition of using descansos seems to be several hundred years old. The ghost bikes are much more recent. Yet, they both honor the loss of loved ones. The photo was taken along a roadside in Albuquerque during the Christmas holidays. You can see there is a decorated ghost bike, a cross (descanso), and luminarias, which are another New Mexican tradition for the holidays.
It is important that we lead healthy lifestyles, and that includes getting physical exercise and enjoying the outdoors. We need to remember that cars can be deadly to bicyclists and also to people in other cars. We need to celebrate each day, and be grateful for our friends and family.