Bike Clot!!

Not my best title but I havent thought up poetry for this post. It's a busy 1st summer weekend in NYC, (Mermaid Parade tomorrow!) so before I over think, I figured I'd write and here it is.

The Bike Lanes need drano, for right now my peoples, they are clogged.

I'm stunned, sincerely. As one who is pro most things bicycle let me tell you I was shocked dismayed astounded and more. A metaphorical snake couldnt even get through because people were maintaining speeds and spacing so the type of maniacal darting and weaving I'd be likely to do through traffic was only going to get some other cyclist hurt so I resigned to be down with the slow-go crowd.

Before anyone anti-bike gets too excited, it's not like this everywhere, in Brooklyn for example I still get to cruise like Elaine after Kramer widened the highway, but in Manhattan it's like being trout in the Pacific Northwest (no pun intended, granted I can't speak for KimYe). here is one detail the surprised me most, as I rode down 2nd Avenue midweek, midday, and crawled through BIKE TRAFFIC, (BIKE!!) it wasn't at all deadly or safety concern inducing, because everyone in the lane, citibike or not (and the citibikes were out numbered 4 - 1 that day) was riding as slow as cabbies in traffic court.

A majority of the bike riders I encountered on the city bike lanes was slow, and riding like they were on a country path someplace bucolic where the need to make space for your fellow rider doesn't matter because there is no other country rider.

In some ways it was beautiful. People traversing, obviously enjoying, slowly savoring the city, with zero harmful emissions, save the rage steam pouring out my ears as I wished wistfully that I could get off that damned path and take my chances with the cabbies. Sure some of the cabbies are driving with their cousin's license, but they're driving fast!

So yeah on the 1st day of Summer let's all bask in the sun, bake away troubles and have a great time but please pull your big blissfully unaware ass over and let people pass. There's ya poetry.

Bike safe NY.

Slow Down

"Damn!"

This morning (Wed) on the way to the office a chance encounter with a friend revealed that a motorcyclist had wiped out on Atlantic Av where South Portland becomes 6th Avenue.

By the time I got there the bike (as you can see) and first responders were all that remainded. Firefighters were hosing down the street, hopefully to clear motor and not bodily fluids.

Tonight on the way back from the office at around 10pm also walking down Atlantic Avenue, I heard a deep screech and watched as a guy skidded for at least 60 rain slicked feet clipping the rear end of a yellow cab. The cabbie took off (reminding me of what it was like as a kid in brooklyn when my mom would threaten that if I broke my neck, she would kick my ass) I guess his taxi mom has the same policy, regardless the cabbie barely slowed before peeling out. The driver of the skidded car swerved left and right before resting next to the sidewalk.

The driver was at fault and at this moment is probably still waiting for a tow truck since even from my view a half block away I could see his grill was smashed and dangling. Unlike the typical case the cabbie had the right of way, turning north on Vanderbilt from Atlantic and wasn't even going that fast when speed racer plowed through the intersection. Nobody else was hit in the crash from what I saw.

Driver Dude: if you ever read this and recognize yourself, WTF??,
you were going at least 40 with a solid orange light in front of you and wet streets below...

I hate being preachy but you had to see how needless this smashup was and how easily it could have been avoided. It's okay though, we can all slow down, right?