Today's line from The Barista - "you won't be riding that bike tomorrow or Friday mister."
The operator of the black Jeep Cherokee at 49th & Kiwanis would like you to know that "bikers suck." What I wish he would have told me, "don't be distracted by drivers feeding you information through the hole in their steel and glass cages."
I turned to raise my grande non-fat chai to him and promptly fell off. Thereby confirming for him everything he already believes. Don't worry mom, there were no injuries. That I'll admit to.
I never got the chance to confirm with him that it is, in fact, I who suck, not all you folks who can raise a (sometimes even alcoholic) toast without falling off.
Take note - apparently when 81% of the country thinks it's headed on the wrong track people get grumpy. I've heard more from cage holes in this short year than all of last year combined.
Have a beautiful day. I hope you rode to work and you have time to take the long way home.
I completely agree. The higher gas and other prices go, the more people are angry and this makes them act out against people. The other day I was pulling my boys on the Xtracycle and some cagehole yelled at me to get on the sidewalk!
ReplyDeletecage hole - two words.
ReplyDelete;)
I've wondered about this. It'll be interesting to see how things progress as we slip deeper into a recession. Will people embrace the bicycle, or will their resentment increase? Lot's of people will be looking for someone to blame instead of taking action themselves. There are already surveys in our local paper on the subject, and everyone has a different idea whose fault it is. Almost nobody blamed themselves!
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear you fell off! Hopefully the driver didn't see!
Maybe it's a moon phase?!?!? Cactus-Eyed Joe got buzzed this morning on the way into work. Kindly confronted the lady and she told him that he should be on the sidewalk. Nice...
ReplyDeleteDrivers never screw around with me. I don't know why, they just don't. Should they I'd have to get a big u-lock, you know, so it become intimate with a rear view mirror or sent sideways up their "cage hole."
ReplyDeleteSB - you just don't remember - was that three weeks ago on the way to Dunn Brothers?
ReplyDeleteI don't pay attention to the punks. It's one thing to have some punk kid say something almost under his breath because he's scared and to have someone in my face. I'd be more than happy to "get all friendly" with someone who tried to get in my face.
ReplyDeleteSnakebite, surely you don't wear a tank top in the winter. So how to you manage to scare, er, get some respect from drivers when they can't see your muscles and tattoos?
ReplyDeleteNo, seriously. I want the secret.
I ride like I own the road. I act like I'm supposed to be there not that I'm almost sorry for inconvienencing cage holes because they might have to wait an extra five seconds to get around me. I don't yield the right of way when it is mine. Lots of eye contact. I don't know if this is why cage holes don't bother me but I'm guessing it has much to do with it.
ReplyDeletegot to say that people won't drive less even if oil is 200 bucks a barrel. They'll just be pissed off that we aren't paying $5 a gallon to sit in traffic.
ReplyDeleteAs eayste said, petrol is a heck of a drug. Oil is definitely an addiction. I asked some co-workers why they drive so much (even though my work location has great public transit) and they respond with "becasue i have too" or "i'd drive less, but it's too hard"
the same responses I'd get from a heroin addict
BTW, BikeSnob had a great post about how to fall gracefully awhile back...
I agree with Snakebite in that we (cyclists) need to starting riding like what we are, traffic!
ReplyDeleteThanks for clarification on the spelling of cage holes :)
Snakebrite IS traffic. Have any of you ever seen him? I with being a part of traffic and knowing your rights and the laws. There are a number of cyclists that feel they can do whatever they want. What if a car were to act like those cyclists? Imagine a group of cyclists at a stop light waiting for it to turn and 2 cars start to creep up on them to their right. How would that feel in an already busy intersection. Or better yet. You are on your way to work pedaling in the roadway and some cage hole is riding in and out of the road dodging the cyclist by zipping up on the sidewalk when bike traffic wouldn't let him continue forward in the roadway.
ReplyDeleteIt was a couple of years ago that Minuscar and I were in downtown hometown and I knew my rights and I used them. Unfortunately someone else wanted to take my rights. I ended up taking his passenger side mirror and a lot of his pride. I have been hit too many times and my dad was a drivers ed instructor so I probably know more of the laws than I should.
I think it's obvious that the people here are better versed in the laws but what about those cyclists that think they own the road? I challenge you all to CONNECT with those that don't know how dangerously they are riding and then take some steps to put it into perspective for them. Express to them how chaotic their riding appears to drivers. Most drivers aren't bad people. I are one myself (don't tell anyone).
Anywho, you did save the coffee didn't you?
why can't we all just get along?
ReplyDelete"Have a beautiful day. I hope you rode to work and you have time to take the long way home."
ReplyDeleteThursday - Thanks, it was! I did (of course) and I actually did.
Smudgemo...better be careful with your "long way home" talk. We are in a winter storm warning. I did bike to work, but straight shot home was all I had in me amidst the snow/cold sleet.
ReplyDelete