Ride Home 10/21

Didn't I just do this? Well, in any case, let's go once more. Commute blogging is an iterative process after all.
It was #cyclingcapfriday because my head would have been cold without it. (Don't tell anyone, but I've yet to engage in any #coffeneuring. With the new house, I've been engaged in a lot of #HomeDepot-neuring, which to the best of my knowledge, isn't a (yet) sanctioned bike blog contest) I also wore gloves and a jacket. It was almost proper cold out, but it still wasn't dark enough to warrant lights around the time I set off, which was a good thing, since I once again lost my front light while riding, this time while riding down 15th. Ack. I'll actually have to do something about this.
But stuff must've have happened before that, right? Like on Massachusetts or Q street? Um, not really. Mass was really smooth and I made it basically to the bottom without any issues. Q street was fine, but crowded with both bicyclists and motorists. As was 15th (where I lost my light), but with almost everyone riding in the other (northbound) direction. Packs, nay, hordes, of bicycle riders heading to their bars on U Street/apartments in Columbia Heights/other stuff in other neighborhoods.
As I mentioned this morning (which was really like 4:30 this afternoon), the intersection of Massachusetts and 15th is a bit of a mess and every green light on 15th is met with at least one or two automobiles stopped in the middle of the cycletrack. One approach is to ride around it. The other approach, as some cardiganed fellow adopted, was to ride up to one of the offending drivers and say "You're blocking the bike lane" after making, through some contraption, a series of train whistle noises. Now, I'm for sticking up for yourself on the road and "defending" your "rights to the road" or whatever, but this is a bit too much for me and seems qualitatively different from screaming at some jackass who nearly runs you off the road. Who, exactly, does this behavior help? The cause of bicyclists? You individually? I just don't get it. Yeah, some driver do dick things and end up blocking your way. But as it says on my family crest "Life is a series of unappealing choices" "Life is a series of other people inconveniencing you." You don't like people getting in your way? Don't bothering calling them out mid-offense. Wait til after and blog about it. Just don't go outside.
Do other nation's domestic tourist obsess as much as ours over fucking pigeons? Seriously, America. Don't come to the White House and spend your time chasing birds. My goodness.
On Pennsylvania, I rode behind a woman in three inch heels on a Bianchi road bike with SPD pedals. We both rode behind a guy wearing black sweat pants. I think the lights on that street are timed to make bicyclists stop at every block. It's probably for the safety of security guards.
A really nice ride from the Capitol to home. Maybe because it's Friday.