More Than One Meaning Of Traffic

Annie and I rode our loop this morning. It was damp and chilly. I rode around town this morning shuttling between appointments. Both of this facts do not reflect the fact that I've developed the first head cold I've had in two years. I'm stuffed up and not feeling great. And tomorrow I go off to do a gig in Boston. Oh well, I'll manage. My plan, since they are actually calling for nice more spring-like weather tomorrow, is to get up early and ride a few loops before heading out to the train so as to get some of my usual Wednesday riding in. Unless this cold progresses and I decide not to. I do have a five hour train ride to recover.

The video below has been making the round on the web. It was on the Philadelphia Bicycle Blog and others. It's a pretty good instructional video, but my reason for providing here today is to allow me to rant. As the weather has begun to turn the number of bicyclists is sky rocketing around town. That's good, right? Sure, except that those riding the bikes are riding the wrong way on one-way street, riding on the wrong side of the road forcing cars to squeeze through two cyclists (really, no wonder they get annoyed), generally zig zagging any old way and making themselves into hazards...and this is the clincher: TO OTHER CYCLISTS! I don't car if you get yourself killed. I don't even care if you wrangle with a car and the car either sustains damage or injury or whatever. I do care if you directly endanger other cyclists. that's just unforgivable. (of course, indirectly you are also endangering other cyclists because the way you act will predispose drivers in some way towards cyclists, for better or worse. Now, I'm not saying to be angels out there. You all know I believe that bicyclists should not have to wait at red lights and that I believe that for safety reasons among others. But some semblance of order and courtesy, please!I'm beginning to be more worried about cyclists than cars as I navigate the city streets. So check out this video about how to drive in the city. Add a grain of salt, but take its spirit to heart: We're all in this together.