Ride In 6/11: Snails from the Sparrows

Because I just can't leave stuff damn well enough alone, I adjusted the angle of my seat again. I think it's time to start going to Fiddlers Anonymous and I totally would if this group actually existed and also wasn't for violinists and not people who randomly wrench bike parts when there's no special need for it. It's not even that my seat was uncomfortable yesterday. It's just looked not in perfect alignment. I don't know. I'm issuing a 48 hour moratorium on my touching any part of my bike with a wrench, so here's hoping things don't break or whatever.

I'm impressed with the brazenness of my fellow bike commuters who roll red lights next to police cars. Generally, I think there are better deployments of limited police resources than the enforcement of victimless jay___ing, but come on, dudes. It seems like a needless risk. I wonder how many people rolling red lights even notice- the primary concern, obviously, would be the cars potentially coming through the intersection. I think I've only ever seen one time that a police officer pulled over the cyclist in front of me for rolling through a red, but that one time was enough. Of course, you could take this to the extreme conclusion and follow traffic laws even when police officers aren't around, but THAT'S JUST CRAZY TALK. 

I rode up 11th Street today and was pretty lethargic about it. It's a gentle uphill slope, but it really wore me out. I was happy to stop at four successive red lights. Also, to wait behind a turning bus whose driver didn't see me approach in the bike lane as it started to turn. Sometimes it's best to wait. 

M Street from 11th to Thomas Circle and Thomas Circle is terrible and I don't know how you could make it better for bicyclists other than the run a cycletrack directly through the circle but I don't think that the presence of that equestrian statue at the center of the circle is conducive to that situation. Also, I'm sure a cycletrack running from M Street to M Street through the circle would be an unforgivable besmirchment of an important historical circle and one could never stand for such a besmirchment or any polygon, much less a historical circle. There is a bike lane that runs up 14th and another that takes you up Vermont, but neither of those really helps you keep going west and west we must go according to Manifest Destiny and also that's where my workplace is. I guess you could ride through the circle by crossing the slip lane and then crossing another street, but ugh. Anyway, I guess this is why I don't normally go this way.

This is new:

A lot of tourists visit the Reflecting Pool down by the Lincoln Memorial, but don't come see the one in the M Street Cycletrack. I think that they're missing out, but I'm happy to avoid the crowds. The water was only a few inches deep and free of koi. Koi are not NACTO approved. Not yet at least. But they are very colorful and I would have to think that they would improve visibility by 300% (study forthcoming).

It is very annoying to have someone not see you and decide to cross the street against the light as you approach. It's just annoying. It's not the end of the world and for the most part, it's normally not that big of a deal. It happens. But it's annoying. But lots of things are annoying and life goes on. 

Red turn arrows are the new #CONFUSION. 

Wended my way through Georgetown and up some hills and then down Calvert Street and up New Mexico. By the time I got to work, the mugginess and the exertion combined to render my clothes and me beneath them thoroughly gross. Summer is still better than winter.