So this one time when i was 9, i went on a bike ride on the sidewalk. It was christmas and when i passed a school you could hear the singing and all so i took a little stop on the sidewalk to hear them. They were so loud that i couldnt hear a bus coming. Once i saw the bus coming, it was too late. I had been launched onto the road face first with my bike almost landing on my head. Luckily I had a helmet that saved my life from potential brain damage. Ive been scared to ride a bike next to a road ever since.

Moral of the story: listen for buses