Driver, Joe Myers – OK… I’m back from a week on the Cape. Didn’t get behind the handlebars of a bike at all… and didn’t miss it! I love riding, but it’s nice to get a break once in a while. So my first day back I put in a good chunk of miles for Petsi Pies and Zigo, but now I’m off again for a few more days. I love this job!
In my abundant spare time, I’ve come across a few articles about biking in Boston that might be of interest to fans of Metro Pedal Power. Two from the Boston Globe:
Boston’s Unruly Riders — Rule Breakers Challenge City’s Bike-Friendliness (Aug. 7)
Hub’s Bike Routes Beckon, White Knuckles and All (July 29)
and one from the New York Times:
Boston Tries to Shed Longtime Reputation as Cyclists’ Minefield (Aug. 8)
They’re all pretty good reads, but I particularly liked the “Unruly Riders” article. It kills me that bikers complain about cars. Everybody is out there for their own best interests. I don’t buy for a second that bikers ride the wrong way on one-way streets because they feel safer. It’s to save time and because they can. Car drivers would do it too, if they thought they wouldn’t get caught. I doubt there’s much difference in the psyche of an aggressive car driver and an aggressive biker.
My philosophy is that if you ride courteously, 99 times out of 100 people (car drivers, other bikers, pedestrians) will treat you with courtesy. Make eye-contact with people. Wave when someone lets you in. Let pedestrians cross in crosswalks, even when cars zip through. If you want to be an asshole, be an asshole… but don’t blame it on anyone but yourself.
Anyway, at the end of my delivery shift, I had to ride down to Braintree to pick up my car (gasp! — my wife’s car, actually), which had broken down on Route 3 Northbound on the way from the Cape to Logan on Thursday. When I returned to the shop, Erik (above) was outside drilling into the canopy supports for a special bike he’s building for Taza Chocolate. Very cool! I think Wenzday’s going to write something about it. Check the blog feed.