Rides 11/24: Monday Before Thanksgiving

On Friday, I forgot my light. I vowed not to repeat my mistake. "Don't forget your light!" I repeated to myself countless times throughout the morning. "Is your light packed?" I asked myself in the mirror as I brushed my teeth. "Remember your front light, jackass," I crocheted onto a decorative throw pillow as I idled away the time this morning before my ride. I made a checklist and it had on it only one unchecked box and that box was next to Pack Your Light. I put my front light in my bike bag (not on my bike because I don't like the leave the easily liftable light on the front of the unattended bike during the day) and I checked the box. With pen. 

I forgot my wallet instead.

I left it in my coat pocket. I didn't wear my coat today because it was something like 85 degrees. Take that, global warming deniers! You were wrong and won't be proved unwrong until it snows in two days. I'd comment on how many bicyclists were out, but that's hardly newsworthy. Forget it Jake, it's a biking town. 

It's not great to ride to work without your wallet and I wouldn't recommend it. It's not cool to not have ID (in case of amnesia or wanting to buy beer) and not cool to lack money and/or access to it through magical plastic card, as money is sometimes useful. I mean, mostly I don't use so-called fiat currency, preferring instead to promulgate most of my transactions in precious metals and rare gemstones (like a regular person), but occasionally a coffee shop won't make change for your ruby and it's like 'ok, here's some green paper, whatever.' The much worse part was not having the ID. How would I have vouchsafed my identity if I the Prize Patrol finally caught up with me? Or if I needed it for other things that don't involve comically large checks (and not comically large sapphires, which would be so much more convenient) 

I rode over the First Street NE to see if they had begun construction on the missing link of bike lane between G and Columbus Circle. They hadn't yet, but maybe soon. It'll be a six month-ish project, so there will be plenty more times to check in. Of all of the planned bike projects in DC, this one excites me the most. DDOT is un-ruining a currently unworking street for bicyclists. It's like one of those reality shows where they do extreme plastic surgery. I mean, except maybe without some of the moral queasiness. 

The before.

E Steet, 11th, Pennsylvania. CM McDuffie was outside of the Wilson Building interviewed by some tv people, presumably about the passing of CM Barry. 

I quite like this picture

15th to M and across town. Up Wisco. I found myself staring intently at the back of a bus. The sign warned that if I couldn't see the bus's mirrors, then the driver couldn't see me. The illogical might think that that means if I could see the bus's mirrors, then the driver could see me, but that's not how that works, both in terms of logic and in terms of interactions with actual bus drivers. I wish the warnings on the backs of buses were more fun. "CAUTION: not BRT" would be a good one. "WARNING: stops at railroad tracks and for hammertime." "Bus driver does not carry cash, but each of the passengers carries a numbered briefcase- this is Deal or No Deal!" and then a picture of Howie Mandel. Remember that show? Good times. (Remember that show?) 

I also rode home. I wore some bike socks. They did not seem to confer any additional performance benefits.

WARNING: not performance enhancing

Usual route home. Nice of the drivers to get some of the crazy out of their system during this commute instead of saving it all up for their holiday road trips. Saw a guy slam on his brakes to stop for a green light. Bold move. It's the #slatepitches of driving maneuvers. I think I would've liked it more had I not been riding behind him. Tip: never don't pay attention.

Roads closed around the Supreme Court for a suspicious package. Suspicious packages are like immobile motorcades. I rode on the sidewalk for a block and then back to the bike lanes.