Grocery quest

[trikotomy]

Every week I bike down the block to get food. And every week, because I live in Pittsburg II: the Legend of Curly's Gold, this is some kind of bizarre challenge. And not like the challenges of Santa Barbara that you could plan for like you're trying to speed-run a Mario level, but social challenges that are inherently irrational and unpredictable.

Comments

[fenris_lorsrai]

I got screamed at by a bicylist t'other day for almost running him over coming around a blind curve. CT believes in sloping roads to drain water off them... not to keep cars from falling off, so I'll admit I was across center line to keep from being flung into a rock. I was doing 15 because I knew the curve sucked donkey balls. He was coming down the hill, ALSO over the yellow line, doing about 30. He had the clear line of sight, yet screamed at me almost hitting him when he could clearly see me, and I couldn't see him.

I'm suspecting there was more cursing when he hit the flat and discovered it looked like we had gophers burrowing through the asphalt.

there's a reason the bike shop that's one block away tells people NOT to come down that street.

[trikotomy]

Once I observed a cyclist coming toward me on a straight road in the middle of the fast lane against the flow of 40 mph traffic for no discernible reason. As we approached each other at an intersection, I moved into the crosswalk so as not to be in his way when he inevitably has to dodge a truck. He replies by veering across all lanes into a direct collision course with me. Alright, fine, I return to my original position in the bike lane… and he replies by veering back into a direct collision course with me. And it's not like it's coincidental; he's waiting until after I complete my move to pull directly infront of me. I pull over to the side and stop, and he gives me the stink eye while passing like I'm the asshole before going back to playing chicken with bigger targets.

So yeah, I don't like other cyclists much… but still moreso than invisible nighttime ninja-costume pedestrians. In the bike lane.

[fenris_lorsrai]

Our pedestrians just leap out from between parked cars. towing children and yapping on the cellphone. instead of using the crosswalk that's ten feet away.

We have no bike lanes, and the shoulders are...iffy... at best so the bike shop actually has a bike caravan from the train station at rush hour where all the cyclist travel as a pack. MUCH safer to get them out of downtown area. then the split to minipacks as they scoot off into the residential areas. But the train station is right next to a major state route, so the pack is a really good idea.

[_wastrel]

Maybe the old woman somehow took out all the people at the table while you weren't looking. "Didn't I tell you it would turn out all right?"