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May 2, 2006
On your right! 
Yesterday, I was longing to ride my bike. As I rode the bus in across the Hawthorne bridge, the bridge was covered with bicycles and pedestrians, all looking like they were having a lot more fun than we were. And I just wanted to be riding. I was totally pining for the fjords.
But I couldn't ride, because I had an appointment in the afternoon.
I've been so caught up in preparing for these appointments that I just totally forgot about May Day. Yeah, I heard about the protests, and I remembered the true labor day, but I forgot about the Hal an Tow and the Maypole and all that. And really, usually, the labor day aspects and the maypole aspects are at the front of my mind. But I was preoccupied.
Sweetie and I had been chatting about it in the morning. When was I going to leave work? I, as usual, didn't want to make a decision about it, I just wanted to leave when the time was right. But he kept arguing that I should make a plan, and I should leave early.
So, I decided that I'd leave at 12:30. But in fact, I left at 12:45. Just as the march, or parade (as the cops were calling it) went by my building, bisecting my bus route.
As I was walking out of the building, I asked the cop who was redirecting traffic if the buses had been rerouted, or if they were staying on their same routes. "oh, they're on the same routes", he said "we're just going to try to squeeze them in here and there with the parade". The parade!
Anyhow, the parade was huge. I ended up walking halfway home before I caught a bus... an hour later. I was sure envious of the folks on bikes.
...
This morning, I wasn't in the greatest mood, so I decided to take preemptive action and ride the bike in. Which was an excellent idea. It was chilly and crisp and all together delightful. Except when I passed an erratically walking pedestrian. As usual, I gave him some warning, saying, on your right.
He began shouting at me, about how he hates bicycles and he hates bicyclists, though of course, he said it in a pretty nasty way. And then he told me to leave him alone.
The sad thing is that this guy looked totally normal. It was unnerving.
I understand being pissed about bicycles coming too close, not letting you know that they're going to pass, not giving any warning. But here I was, being respectful.
Posted at May 2, 2006
Comments
Well, obviously I'm biased since I work in behavioral health part-time, but it sounds like maybe Mr. Cranky was off his meds. DOn't let him spoil your good time.
Posted by: Misty at May 2, 2006 5:43 PM
Remember that movie called "Falling Down"? I think that was the one with Michael Douglas where he seems really normal and straight-laced and then just goes bonkers in traffic. Watch out for the normal people.
Posted by: Jon in Michigan at May 3, 2006 12:22 PM
Perhaps he was upset because you were trying to ride on his right? (I usually try to ride to the left of peds and slower cyclists, but if he was walking erratically, I can see how you might need to pass on the right....)
Posted by: tszuj at May 4, 2006 10:09 AM