A few weeks ago I met my niece and her fiance to take their engagement photos. (I do portrait photography, and this is my wedding gift to them.) While walking to their favorite surf spot in a very cycling-friendly hippie surfer community just north of where I live, all three of us had to cross a dedicated bike lane separated from the main road and line of parked cars by a small curb. There were lots of walkers on the sidewalk and I realized we were walking in the bike lane, so I nudged my niece ahead of me to get up onto the sidewalk. She noticed it was the bike lane about the same time I did and with an "Oops, better move up," to her fiance, who replied with what was pretty much, F*** cyclists. "I knocked a cyclist off his bike once," and he shoves the air, mimicking doing it again. Thankfully, there weren't any cyclists close enoug to see or hear him.

"Why would you do that?" I asked, incredulous.

He immediately realized what he'd admitted to, as I had been talking for several minutes about keeping an eye out for DH who would be riding by soon with his bike club on their regular Saturday ride, and he started backpedaling. "Well, he was giving my best friend grief. He was yelling at us. And besides, my brother is a competitive cyclist, too, so I know all about it. And I was 18." And I'm betting a little drunk, too.

Uh-huh. I see. My first thought: Niece, are you sure this is the one?

She seemed immediately apologetic for him. I let it go, though.


I love Mimi's advice, and the point that that woman saw you, which was your goal.

As for fish on the car, I don't really mind people declaring their religion. What I mind is hypocritical behavior. Which safely-taking-the-lane cyclist would Jesus yell at, right?

Roxy