BikeToWorkDay2012
Introduction/Definition/etc
Annual event of celebrating Biking when the weather
is good, early in the season, though most of the regulars
commuted all winter, a few days impassible,
and get SWAG (Stuff We All Get) and celebrate
for a day, one of many on Bike Month...
Cold and Rain not so bad, Oppressive Heat
on it's way in July and August...
Sorry, had to "Keep it Real" :-)
Body
After ArlBAC20120507 and years of bike advocacy
on the booths in Alexandria City and later Coop,
going to other places, trying something new,
and hit the Arlington big stop Rosslyn,
lots of free swag (mini froggie lights, horns,
reflective vests, t shirt, convoys, others to
talk biking with, find new routes, a SuperMan
on a Unicycle, and a BatMan on a UniCycle,
a really old design original bicycle before
the safety frame (wedgie seat) we normally
see today, Bents, Recumbents, and all sorts
of interesting stuff, they brought out all the
good stuff once a year at a location,
Carlyle in Old Town Alexandria was a new stop,
City Hall the classic place, but not living near
or below there anymore, so I went elsewhere...
Ran into some people I knew from
ArlBAC20120507 and comments were varied,
of the 40 page reads, one said what I wrote
basically "It Sucked", another more supportive
and if I don't know the intersection, others don't
either, and should speak up, but that would slow
down the meeting, I said, and well, not sure I can
live with people sticking cameras in my face,
for various reaons I'm anonymous, and not what
people would expect, despite a couple of interactions
with police, one on the way to BTWD2012,
told go back to the stop, or I get a ticket,
$140 fine and 4 points on license,
police don't know there is a sensor in the intersection
that just cars, only cars set off, there is no Bike Box
at most stops so that is many times why bikers
ignore intersections, I say I don't drive, he's in a
police car, I'm thinking not a bike cop either,
so may not know, but don't argue with him,
not a good idea, feeling Rodney King ish again,
and hatred, those damn bikers from law enforcement,
later at the Pit Stop a section of trail not blocked off,
blowing through all the stops a cop yells at a guy,
he says it was supposed to be closed road,
I guess BTWD is the day Police get even with bikers,
in DC went thought a intersection and no comment
I knew I was tired, I look both ways to see if clear,
as not stupid, despite cars yelling at me same,
and nobody complains there, bike messengers
have probably desensitized the community,
and some messengers fight back, break mirrors,
scratch cars, break radio antennae, so a messenger
bag is sometimes a message to other vehicles
not to mess with Bikes (ala Don't Mess With Texas)...
ChuckBrownPassed
Try WhiteHurst Freeway to avoid Georgetown
(no sign saying I can't as a biker, been on it for BikeDC
and other times, it's only 35 MPH, where Rt 1 in Fairfax
County was 3-5 lanes each way at 45 MPH,
I'm doing at least 25 in DC, so Take The Streets...)
Downtown, Ronald Reagan building pit stop, it's not
the Freedom Plaza, one lone Occupy Woman there,
tent and stuff, I said I'd get back to her and will eventually...
I poke fun at the video shoots of a One Campaign,
"You shouldn't be advertising being a 1 Percenter",
I say, biking by, laughing...
Ronald Reagan, an enclave between buildings near
a metro, IIRC, a sculpture and stage setup,
coffee urns are silver service ,typical Reaganomics,
I guess...
I saw Blumehwur (sp?), the patron saint of bikers in Congress,
asking about the typical question, "Why would you drive a car
to work and a gym when you can bike to work?"
oddly, I've been saying that for a long time, I must have learned
it by osmosis, unlikely I'd create something that popular...
And Tommy Wells, I never saw the face with the name before
he's Ward 6 or something (I can't keep the DC Wards straight),
except Ward 7 and 8 in South East IIRC,
And a woman who said she heard the children are less
and less biking to school than we did as a kids,
a disturbing trend of percentages going down
and obesity going up...
After a while it's old guys and some women,
including nice cute women wearing faux lettuce leaves,
promoting vegan diets, I say "it's not World Naked
Bike Ride (WNBR)" and she/ they laugh... But I say
"I like it..."
Mostly older people, I know a few and catch up with people
I don't see often, while distracted thinking I should be
looking for Kleenex and later find a coffee service
embroidered monogrammed like napkins, the early AM cold
and likely pollen getting my noise, I'm such a sight, between
stuffed animals adorning the bike, kid penguin horn,
and baggie appearance, it's a wonder I'm not locked up somewhere,
give it time, I still probably need "Political Asylum" from
the Great State of Virginia...
I wander aimlessly around DC for a while, go to the WABA
office to look for BikeDC 2008 license plate stickers
to replace those I gave to a woman, then stop at an Adam's
Morgan pit stop that is almost packed up, the nice woman there
offers me a t shirt, while the guys working to clean up the place,
one got one too, and I go home, my volunteering, like work,
and some days biking is work, I do much needed laundry
and go back out that afternoon/evening,
total miles approaching 50 for the day...
Conclusion
Summary of experience or similar
One of the Meccas of Biking, BTWD, along with BikeDC,
and some other stuff...
I lived another year to see it, despite the roads, police,
cars, SUVs, drivers with cell phones, joggers with headphones,
buses, trucks, etc and the made it there, tried some new areas,
didn't do Coop nor Advocacy booth Service this year,
but it might be better that way...
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20120521 Jerry
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