Wednesday, January 07, 2004
MORE TALES FROM A COLD COMMUTE
What a perfect time for the heating system to go down in my office. I worked with an extra layer on and relished the warmth of the sun through my windows when it popped out this afternoon. So I left work today for my commute home with a numb chill through my fingers and toes before I even got outside.
It is something to note that it is cold enough to harden my cord lock enough so that I have to slightly fight it to coil back up after it has been on my bike all day. Thats cold I think. Though it is comforting that when the real cold arrives in January and February we are already trading it off for increased daylight.
It may feel like a long ride when it is this cold out and I am fighting the wind at times, but in all reality, I am outside for a shorter time than many of the pedestrians are who are walking from downtown to their car at the City Island lot. Shorter than my walk would be for sure.
I slowed traffic today for 100-200 feet or so through the middle of Lemoyne, but I was totally in my right. Passing this along because it is one of my pet peeves when people try to pass me through intersections. This is dangerous because I can get lost behind the car and not seen by vehicles coming from the other direction who may be wanting to turn through my lane. So I take the whole lane through intersections and slow down anyone behind me. No passing through intersections people, bikes are entitled to the full lane, change lanes fully to pass!!
Lastly, I almost mowed down a pedestrian neighbor from the next street over. I get off of Bridge one street early to, well to get off of Bridge first of all, and to settle down a bit while coming down the alleyway behind our apartment. Well as I was turning off Bridge, some guy was obliviously crossing the street in the dark and nowhere near the intersection. No offense meant, we all do that, but he could have been looking out onto the street. I am sure he thought that he recognized their were no cars coming, but he wasn't thinking of bicycles huh? I even had my lights shining. I yelled "look out" and he looked up and slowed and laughed (good naturedly). I'd have felt bad if I hit him, it wouldn't have been too bad on me as I wasn't going very fast and was in control, but could have given him a bigger scare for sure.
Commute song of the day: "Seven Nation Army" by the White Stripes
It is something to note that it is cold enough to harden my cord lock enough so that I have to slightly fight it to coil back up after it has been on my bike all day. Thats cold I think. Though it is comforting that when the real cold arrives in January and February we are already trading it off for increased daylight.
It may feel like a long ride when it is this cold out and I am fighting the wind at times, but in all reality, I am outside for a shorter time than many of the pedestrians are who are walking from downtown to their car at the City Island lot. Shorter than my walk would be for sure.
I slowed traffic today for 100-200 feet or so through the middle of Lemoyne, but I was totally in my right. Passing this along because it is one of my pet peeves when people try to pass me through intersections. This is dangerous because I can get lost behind the car and not seen by vehicles coming from the other direction who may be wanting to turn through my lane. So I take the whole lane through intersections and slow down anyone behind me. No passing through intersections people, bikes are entitled to the full lane, change lanes fully to pass!!
Lastly, I almost mowed down a pedestrian neighbor from the next street over. I get off of Bridge one street early to, well to get off of Bridge first of all, and to settle down a bit while coming down the alleyway behind our apartment. Well as I was turning off Bridge, some guy was obliviously crossing the street in the dark and nowhere near the intersection. No offense meant, we all do that, but he could have been looking out onto the street. I am sure he thought that he recognized their were no cars coming, but he wasn't thinking of bicycles huh? I even had my lights shining. I yelled "look out" and he looked up and slowed and laughed (good naturedly). I'd have felt bad if I hit him, it wouldn't have been too bad on me as I wasn't going very fast and was in control, but could have given him a bigger scare for sure.
Commute song of the day: "Seven Nation Army" by the White Stripes
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