... keeping it real Thursdays

I was dismayed to read that a new ghost bike has been chained to a signpost at Fulton and Washington where Julian Miller was fatally struck by a motorcyclist on September 18.


I really don't feel like getting into a road rules debate right now, but this article about what supposedly lead to her and the motorcyclist's death kind of got under my skin...

The article even relates one person's corroboration of reports of two guys on crotch-rockets racing up and down Greene Ave before the incident. I've got nothing wrong with clubs, or even gangs, that center around a particular vehicle, hobby, or sport; but I'm pretty sure everyone in Brooklyn is intimately familiar with the growing popularity of driving a motorcycle like a goddamn maniac in the middle of the night. So why aren't we doing something about the ones who are flagrantly disobeying both common sense and local law; and instead pleading with cyclists to be more "defensive," "watchful," and "vigilant" of them?

Since when is it the duty of the law-abiding citizen to accommodate the transgressions of the law-breaking citizen? All this mentality does for us is perpetuate this disgusting culture of fear we've submitted to both consciously and unconsciously.

Though after reading the "account" of what transpired, it seems that Ms. Miller was salmoning up Greene or riding off the sidewalk between cars in the dark of night.

If you'll recall, I recently be-frogged my bike in a clever lightway that helps me and my penchant for dark clothing stay visible when riding after hours, and as a result I've become keenly aware of many bikes' extreme lack of illumination. I don't want to encourage people to bedazzle their bikes with those stupid peel-n-stick neon green reflectors, but some lights or reflectors are always a good thing (bear in mind, if you have lights theres really no point in having reflectors too, since the light should outshine the light bouncing off the reflector; if it doesn't, you need new batteries for your lights).


I've also started riding around Prospect Park on Tuesday and Thursday evenings since I'm somewhat unhappy with the speed my fitness allows me to ride at. In doing so I notice an irritatingly common problem with bicycle traffic at this time of day: people salmoning, lightless, through the pitch-dark park to (I assume) save a few seconds on their evening commute.


But recently I haven't been vocalizing my disdain for bike salmon, and instead have adopted a live-and-let-live policy, only saying something when they directly affect my safety or path of travel. I figure nobody wants to get lectured at anyway, and hopefully one day they'll realize that riding with traffic is far less scary than the opposite by their own volition.

Then again, the Police certainly aren't helping the situation (that is assuming they lead by example, which we all know, they don't), as evidenced by this occurence I was fortunate enough to capture this morning as I walked my bike to the service entrance of my office building:


Yes, thoust eyes dostn't decieve thee; that is indeed a Cop-salmon. I thought i was going to catch him sidewalk-salmoning, but right as I managed to free my camera from my bag, he rode into the new protected bike lane on Broadway... Oh well, this just as bad if not worse in my opinion.

Not to leave you with a sour taste for cycling, I was heartened to see that the Bergen St. 2,3 station in Brooklyn now boasts bike racks for commuters to use.


I only wish we could see this at every train station instead of having people to resort to vertical locking jobs on scarce bike racks, fences and signposts... But it's nice to see people are at least riding part of the way to work...

...keepin it real Thursdays

Today I found a video of the realness I had discovered and re-posted on Tuesday evening which was quickly removed from YouTube for what I can only imagine are legal reasons.

Well, that's all the realness for today because I actually have (for a change) things to work on for a job interview in Long Island City tomorrow afternoon.


While I desperately need gainful employment, I worry (as one always will) about a number of things in the event that I like the place and they offer me the job.

First, I fear it may be a bike-hating office that will either frown upon my cycling to work, or demand that I lock it up outside in a shady industrial waterfront area, which needless to say, I'd be none too stoked about. Though with a little luck, I may wind up with (gasp!) job satisfaction and a place to park my bike (and shower, but there's a snowball's chance in hell of that being the case). Interestingly, I found out recently that the bicycle accessibility law that was passed (a) doesn't go into enforcement until December, and (b) only applies to New York County, not the outer boroughs.

Also, This may afford me the opportunity to expand my BLRI and LBSR reports since LIC isn't a place I frequently visit; and I'd have two opportunities daily to observe the goings on of hipster culture in all its hues as my commute would necessarily cut straight through the heart of Williamsburg.

I suppose the downside of all this would be that the bloggin' would likely have to be placed on the back burner unless I can find time after work or on lunch breaks to post things.

Anywho, wish me luck; I'll report on it all tomorrow. 'Til then, ride safe and don't forget your fenders this weekend, it looks like it'll be a bit soggy out.

...keepin it real Thursdays

As we all know by now (I hope), motorists in general have a distinct distaste for cyclists. In places like New York City, the reasons for this are more apparent than in other places. Cyclists make the inefficiencies of cars glaringly obvious to motorists, for instance, as they're stuck in a gridlock that bicycles can slip through like water through a sieve. Fortunately, in this city, if your rights as a cyclist are ever infringed upon, rest assured that there are certain cyclists around you that will exact swift retribution upon the offending car. It's a safety in numbers thing I suppose...

Other places around the country, the number and density of cyclists is much lower, making us vastly outnumbered by cars and trucks on many roadways; yet still, many drivers think it's amusing to taunt cyclists or intentionally press them into guardrails or off the shoulder. They view bicycles as an impediment to the free flow of traffic, since driving safely with a cyclist requires slightly more attention, which I've heard is in short supply these days.

By now, this is old news, but I'll repost it here for posterity. Earlier this week, in Asheville NC, a long-time firefighter for some reason became irate that a man, his wife, and their child were cycling on what the firefighter deemed to be an unsafe street for bikes. Apparently he stopped and started an argument with the father before pulling out a handgun and shooting him in the head! Luckily the bullet passed through his helmet and didn't touch his skull. This is the maniacal firefighter who it seems can't contain his hatred for "bad parenting". Please remember the time-honored tradition of throwing rotten fruits and vegetables at him if you ever have the opportunity.


(a little advice, don't read the comments on that article; they will only serve to aggrivate you in a way only backward thinking car-obsessed people can)

As always, while it seems things are going down the tubes for cyclists elsewhere, in NYC, cyclists rights are on the up-and-up! I've long been a fierce defendant of the bike lanes' boundaries and frequently take it upon myself to make drivers aware of their infringements, often at great risk to my own safety. Though as Gothamist has noted recently, the police are actually ticketing people for blocking bike lanes with their cars (and other things too, I hope)!!!! Personally, I feel rather vindicated by this news, and to be sure, I'll definitely point out offending motorists to any officers I pass (not that the officers themselves give a flying fuck about cyclists).


Other recent victories for cyclists here include the passing of a recent bill that allows bicycles into all buildings in NYC that boast freight elevators, in an effort to promote commuting by bicycle. Much to the chagrin of noted cycling crumudgeon, Mikael (of Copenhagenize and Copenhagen Cycle Chic fame), New York is slowly becoming one of the more bike-friendly megalopoli in this country. While I'm not sure if this bill will really encourage "tens of thousands of commuters to get on two wheels," as TA executive Director Paul Steely White claims; it sure is a step in the right direction.

Maybe one day my dream of a car-free manhattan will come true. Once we get off of this addiction to laziness and preoccupation with safety, I guarantee we will see a fitter, happier, and more prosperous US of A.

Perhaps transportation alternatives could start an automobile smear-campaign with images like these that the aforementioned Mikael designed (I believe they are his brainchild, anyway) to resemble the garish, large, and intentionally obtrusive warning labels found on packs of cigarettes.


I'm really enamored by the idea that perhaps in our warning-label-obsessed society, we can find room for one more, placed squarely on top of dashboards or as permanent, federally mandated bumper stickers, to deride drivers the same way we do smokers. Heck, maybe we could design some warning against the dangers of fatties too!