How Was Your Commute Today?

[HillSlugger]

The sun, the wind, and the hills.

Even though I'm wearing a neon yellow jacket and a white helmet, riding in sunshine is noticeably warmer. I guess my pants are all black, both the goretex and the polartec, whichever I'm wearing on the outer layer. Somehow I soak up enough sun to make a difference.

It is more uphill going home, so I tend to be warmer on my ride home, the opposite of you.

Wind against me is colder.

No sun either way yesterday. I think there was more breeze last night.

[7rider]

Never mind.

I posted a reply....but I deleted it and now, I don't know what to say.
Sigh.

[pfunk12]

It started out to be a wonderful commute. I was so happy to be starting my day on the bike. The air was crisp and I was in a good mood. As I passed runners and walkers, I said, "Have a good run" or "Have a nice day". I made my way into DC and was about 3/4 of a mile from work - near the Jefferson Memorial. The street near the Jeff is one way - facing me - so you have to get up on the sidewalk. I realize that there is a section in DC where it is illegal to ride on the sidewalks but it's up near Pennsylvania Ave., Constitution Ave., etc. - far away from where I was riding. I saw a woman walking my way and she was in the middle of the sidewalk with her head down, listening to her IPod. I yelled, "Heads up!" No reaction. Again, "Heads up!" She finally looked up but instead of moving to her right, it looked like she was intentionally walking into my path. Of course, this is all happening so fast but I'm thinking to myself, "What is she thinking?! and What is she doing?! and What should I do?! For those of you who are familiar with this sidewalk, it is wide. Extremely wide. There is no reason that a cyclist should be struggling to figure out where to go when a pedestrian is coming towards her. As I went to squeeze by her, she punched me in the arm! Okay, can you tell how I'm feeling right now? So what did I do? I did a U-turn into the street and went back to have a little chat with her. I'm usually a very calm person but I was not calm at that point. Lots of 4-letter words spewing out of my mouth. She was ignoring me (probably couldn't hear me because of her music). Finally she says calmly, "It's a sidewalk." Huh?? BUT IT'S NOT ILLEGAL FOR CYCLISTS TO BE ON THIS SIDEWALK!!! Next time she decides to punch a cyclist, she might injure them. I ride on this sidewalk every morning and half the time, there are Park Police officers hanging around (since they are protecting the Memorial) and I greet them and they greet me. If it was illegal, they would fine me and every other cyclist who is riding on it. So that's how my morning started. And how is your morning?

[Red Rock]

pfunk12 hope that you are ok. That is no way to start the morning for sure. I hope your ride back home is better. Would it be worth saying something to the Park Police when you see them?

Red Rock

[pfunk12]

Thanks, Red Rock. It really rattled me. Honestly...a year or so ago, when I wasn't experienced on the bike...who knows? She may have knocked me off. I could go off on a tangent here but...why all the anger?? I may say something to the Park Police next time I see them (most likely tomorrow). There were actually 2 police cars nearby and the officers were talking to each other. I could have gone up to them at that time but I was too stymied. On a positive note...my co-workers are getting a kick out of it. Instead of road rage, they said that I experienced sidewalk rage!

pfunk12 hope that you are ok. That is no way to start the morning for sure. I hope your ride back home is better. Would it be worth saying something to the Park Police when you see them?

Red Rock

[Biciclista]

Pfunk, i had a near collision with a pedestrian on a multiple use path once and it came down almost exactly the same way without a punch. sh|t happens!
I'm hoping she didn't punch you hard enough to hurt.

and yes, i rode to work today!

[pfunk12]

Mimi - Yes, sh*t happens! And fortunately her punch did not hurt me.

And good for you on your commute!

Pfunk, i had a near collision with a pedestrian on a multiple use path once and it came down almost exactly the same way without a punch. sh|t happens!
I'm hoping she didn't punch you hard enough to hurt.

and yes, i rode to work today!

[lph]

You got PUNCHED? Wow...

That makes my little encounter with pedestrians this morning even smaller. I came up behind 3 well-dressed women, wearing coats, nice boots, no hats and wheeling suitcases (i.e. probably visitors to the area) and wheeled veery slowly behind them over the crosswalk. I made a slight attempt to pass them before they made the rather narrow sidewalk again, but they hadn't noticed me so I basically gave up and just did almost a track-stand right behind them.

One of them notices me, nudges the others over a bit, and I start pedalling heavily and veeery slowly past them.At no point have I moved faster than a slow jogger. And I hear just as I leave them: "Crazy cyclists!"

Huh?

Maybe they were just cold and impressed at my biking in all of -10 C Would help if they put on hats though.

[ginny]

If you punch someone, isn't that called 'assault'? WTF? That is just amazingly inappropriate! Yesterday, I was riding through campus (slowly as it was between classes), and there was this guy in his 50's or so absolutely meandering through people.... I kept trying to go around him one way and then the other... finally, I just went between him and someone else. No one was touched - he was about 1 step from me when I made my speedy little move... and he hollared after me 'hey' ... 'hey'? Dude! Learn to walk in a crowd! BTW, it's perfectly acceptable for me to be riding where I was; there are dismount zones on campus, but I was not in one. It's weird how there are a few people who just don't know how to move in a crowd - and it's amazing how difficult that makes it get around them!

[7rider]

Wow, P. Crazy people down there. She must have been jammin' to some rockin' tunes on her I-pod, and gave you an "Atta girl" punch for being such an awesome bike commuter. Yeah. That's it. Glad she didn't cause any damage in her zeal to be slap happy.

Me...I woke up at 3 a.m. to a coughing fit and achy all over. Ended up staying home, sick. So much for my 3-day commute week, eh? At least those icebergs are now officially gone with the 50 degrees and rain yesterday.

[pfunk12]

Yes, lph...I'm going to think positively like 7rider and say that they were so impressed with you and your passion to cycle in cold weather so it was a compliment!

[pfunk12]

Okay, 7...I can't stop laughing! Funny how someone who is exercising for their health can be so angry that THEY PUNCH SOMEONE!

Sorry to hear that you aren't feeling well Hope you get over that soon.

Wow, P. Crazy people down there. She must have been jammin' to some rockin' tunes on her I-pod, and gave you an "Atta girl" punch for being such an awesome bike commuter. Yeah. That's it. Glad she didn't cause any damage in her zeal to be slap happy.

Me...I woke up at 3 a.m. to a coughing fit and achy all over. Ended up staying home, sick. So much for my 3-day commute week, eh? At least those icebergs are now officially gone with the 50 degrees and rain yesterday.

[pfunk12]

Ginny - I thought about that after the fact. I was assaulted by a pedestrian who was walking for their health. So weird. I would imagine that you have to be pretty skilled and alert to maneuver around people on campus.

If you punch someone, isn't that called 'assault'? WTF? That is just amazingly inappropriate! Yesterday, I was riding through campus (slowly as it was between classes), and there was this guy in his 50's or so absolutely meandering through people.... I kept trying to go around him one way and then the other... finally, I just went between him and someone else. No one was touched - he was about 1 step from me when I made my speedy little move... and he hollared after me 'hey' ... 'hey'? Dude! Learn to walk in a crowd! BTW, it's perfectly acceptable for me to be riding where I was; there are dismount zones on campus, but I was not in one. It's weird how there are a few people who just don't know how to move in a crowd - and it's amazing how difficult that makes it get around them!

[ginny]

pfunk - for a long time, I did a lot of... shall we say... unplanned dismounts and/or nearly falling over my handlebars to stop on campus. I have become much better at navigating through people texting and chewing gum/walking at the same time

[tangentgirl]

Wow, pfunk, that is wild. Good for you for not beating her down like you were on the jerry springer show.

My commute today was uneventful, as I drove my car, but my bike commute yesterday had more roadblocks - some of them literal - than I am used to. Sand, tons of it, on my regular path. Then the other path I take was closed, probably because we have had rainstorms lately and it's along a wash, but still. I ended up having to jump on a semi-freeway stretch of road to get to work.

Somehow, it was still nicer than driving. Go fig.