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BikeToWorkDay2012

Page history last edited by jerry 11 years, 10 months ago

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...

 

 

 

Discussion

 

A place for feedback on the page presented

 

Page History

 

20120521 Jerry

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