You know you're officially a bike commuter when...

[Jenerator]

- when driving you call out to other drivers:

On your left

Hold your line

[onimity]

...you walk past your car to find that yellowjackets have nested in the door!

[susiej]

... you almost turn to drive the car across the yard and park it by the shed where the bikes live.

(OK, check rearview mirror, back up carefully, turn into driveway, GET OUT OF THE DANG CAR.)

[CorsairMac]

.........you pick your outfit based on what's easiest to pack....even on the days you Aren't riding!

[RoseC]

I'm not even sure how to phrase this as a ...you... kind of thing, but it amuses me, nonetheless.

My dog mostly hangs out in the yard when I'm not at home, and has taken to sleeping under my van since it's always there. He has other nice shady places, and a dog house, but he likes that spot - I think because it's over nice cool gravel.

The other day I had to take the car, and when I got home, I pulled in and parked. He greeted me enthusiastically like he always does, and then went to duck under the car. He got just his nose under before coming back up looking baffled. "Where's my nice cool spot, Mom? Why is it *warm* under there??"

Silly pup!

[7rider]

- when driving you call out to other drivers:

On your left

Hold your line

Ha. Not so much to commuting, but to group riding....
My DH and I find our in-car conversations sounding like this:

"Car right."
"Green up."

[MomOnBike]

When you discover that the bikes are in the garage and the car is parked outside - and hasn't moved in weeks!

I'm still not certain how the bikes moved into the garage, but I'm NOT complaining.

[light_sabe_r]

- You have to catch the bus in sub cyclonic conditions and realise you wouldn't have gotten as wet if you had've packed your rain gear...

- You own underwear that was bought from Woolies accross the street from your office. Just because of those days where you just "forgot" to pack your own

- You get real annoyed when people book a taxi to go to a meeting across the river, but you know each bridge and bike path and try and convince them to let you ride there instead! And you get there quicker than they did

[Tater]

...you are more embarrassed by the grease spot on your inner right calf that no one can see than the fact you're wearing your red sidi's because you forgot to bring "work" shoes...

Shoes! I am so busted on this one! Mine aren't Sidi's, they are Specialized Taho's, and I would have gotten away with them had our secretary not noticed 'what cute shoes I had on'. Once she found out what they really were, she wasn't so keen on them. Hey, at least they matched my black capris...sorta!

You know you are a commuter when on that rare day when one doesn't bike into work, everyone is wondering if 1) you are sick (nope), 2) the bike is broken (nope, have a spare and a back up for that spare), or 3) if hell froze over (not that I know of).

[lph]

- - You own underwear that was bought from Woolies accross the street from your office. Just because of those days where you just "forgot" to pack your own

Hah!

My best girlfriend colleague used to tease me about this all the time, about how I bought "all my lingerie" from Rimi across the street from the office (Rimi being the absolutely cheapest supermarket chain in the country).

I just find it brilliant that a food store is so understanding as to stock underwear as well, so I don't have to spend the work day in sweaty bike shorts

[KnottedYet]

Tater - I think Specialized Tahos are lovely fashionable footwear.

(I have the all-gray men's version. Which do you have?)

[Technotart]

You own a pair of casual shoes that "look" like bike shoes and you wear them with everything

When walking in malls, on city sidewalks or in corridors at the office, you are constantly glancing up and to your left for your rearview and are dissapointed when it isn't there

You have equal numbers of bike shorts, jerseys and socks in a file drawer at your office as you do at home

You have had to wear your shower shoes at work because you left your dress shoes at home

You are intimately familiar with disposable washcloths and the bathroom sink

Your helmet serves as a hair styling device


.

[Tater]

Tater - I think Specialized Tahos are lovely fashionable footwear.

(I have the all-gray men's version. Which do you have?)

Knot, I have the same lovely pair as you! You know, with all the crazy styles of footwear out there, unless one has her feet up and people can see the cleat, no one would know any different!

Oh, and you really know when you are a commuter when people FINALLY quit asking in you rode into work today.

[Technotart]

Forgot one -

Your cambelbak hangs on the back of your chair at the office - just in case you get thirsty during the day.

[Technotart]

You buy new bath gel and body spray and then realize that the reason you like it so much is because it smells like your favorite citrus degreaser!