Commuting - items that I passed on my commute today

a pink and black thong
a dead squirrel
a dollar bill

the thong made my imagination run a bit wild
the squirrel made me a bit sad
the dollar bill made me stop and get off the bike and pick it up
(hey, ya gotta pay for 'fuel')

what odd stuff did you see?

On Tuesday I ran over a distributor cap. It took me by suprise just laying there in the road by itself. Usually when you find these things in the wild there is a telltale warning sign of a big disabled car somewhere nearby.

I saw a fox today. It was heavily pouring while I was riding in a park in the center of Vilnius. There were no people around and the fox was enjoying the freedom, then suddenly it saw me on my two wheel monster and ran away. It was a gorgeous fox, I never thought they lived in that park. I keep seeing squirrels in the park area pretty often, I see foxes outside of a city (both alive and killed by motorists), but never saw a fox there. It made my day.

Nothing amazing for me. Rocks, other debris, manhole covers, and potholes.

I did have to dodge a prairie dog Tuesday.

a pink and black thong
a dead squirrel
a dollar bill


Sounds like someone had quite the party!

A 3" dia. log that some lamewad dragged across the width of the bike path.

I found a calculator the other day. It still works too!

Every day I pass a half-full 2 liter bottle of Dr. Pepper. Its been there since at least June. Its kinda interesting that the sun has turned the liquid remaining inside a yellowish color.

I saw that it's time for me to do some tuning-up of my bike. Brake cables are a bit loose and i could stand to have tip-top brake performance around here. I see crazy drivers and pedestrians, and wrong-way cyclists, every day. My knees have been bugging me and I think raising the seat might help. Tightening brake cables may mean I'll have to true the wheels. And my tires need a bit more air.

I see dead animals all the time. Out in the burbs, I would find myself seeing dead deer as well as squirrels and the occasional cat or small bird. I think that in the past two days I've seen a dead squirrel and a dead pigeon. In the past couple weeks, I've had pigeons cut across my path close enough to make me think I would hit them. I don't like city pigeons because a lot of them look diseased. If I were driving I wouldn't worry too much about hitting a pigeon that wouldn't stay out of my way, but on a bike I worry that if I hit one in the wrong way with my front wheel, it'd make me crash.

I've been having an "experiment" experience similar to the Dr. Pepper. Over the past several months, I've been treated to the daily sight of a decomposing deer carcass. It's like one of those stop-motion animations. Every day it's a little different. A little less skin. A little more bone. A little less there. A little more disgusting. Lovely. Really.

I've been having an "experiment" experience similar to the Dr. Pepper. Over the past several months, I've been treated to the daily sight of a decomposing deer carcass. It's like one of those stop-motion animations. Every day it's a little different. A little less skin. A little more bone. A little less there. A little more disgusting. Lovely. Really.

Deer get picked up around here fairly quickly but I've been seeing the same thing with a decomposing armadillo. Eventually, it will just be the shell.

the eyes of feral cats staring at me from the tall grass.

yesterday, a red tailed hawk sitting on top his dinner - a gray pigeon - and shooting me the skunk eye.

if any of you happen to pass my lost Crank Brothers multitool on your commute, I'd like to have it back... :(

Last night I saw some jogging shoes flickering in front of me at the darkest part of my commute (when I turn on the power of my fully operation battle station, errr, full 30W of lights). They were attached to a ped who creeped the heck out of me because I was concentrating on making a turn when said ped stopped to ask me how to get "to the other side of the GWB". It's a bit confusing at that spot what to do in the dark or even in the light if you've never been there, so I called out quick directions and kept going. I would have stopped except I couldn't see the guy's face, what he may or may not have had in his hands, and I've had a some pretty wacked experiences with lone guys at night in NYC asking questions out of the blue.

This morning? I saw all of two other people on bikes going my direction and three, IIRC, in heaed uptown. Not cold enough yet to scare 'em off I guess.

I passed a big pile of horse sh*t while crossing between DC and Virginia on the bike lane of the 14th Street Bridge a couple of days last week. Thankfully, it had been cleaned up by this week.

Yesterday morning, I saw a tow truck towing another tow truck. They were stuck in traffic, and I passed them.

A couple of weeks ago I found a wallet. No money just a couple of business cards and a insurance verification card. Looked up the number for the name on the card and called them. Turns out it had been stolen and someone had run up the guy's credit cards. He came by to get the wallet even though there was nothing in it, or maybe just to check me out and make sure I wasn't the perp.

Every day I get to cycle past this beautiful building:

http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/goodhue/front.jpg

Best,
e.

I did not see the two cars who's license plate numbers I took down this week for continually harassing me on my ride in (honking, cutting in front of me). It was a peaceful (relatively), cool morning ride.

I usually see a coupla carcassas lying around. I also see a bunch of potholes waiting to catch a cyclist unawares...

I saw a fox yesterday too, that was really cool...

Over the last week I've had to dodge:

An overturned shopping cart
" Garbage can
" Orange Barrel
" Orange partition thingie
tree branches downed by the hurricane
dead bird
bottles, cans, rocks, etc

nothing too spectacular I guess...

I saw a fox yesterday too, that was really cool...

Over the last week I've had to dodge:

An overturned shopping cart
" Garbage can
" Orange Barrel
" Orange partition thingie
tree branches downed by the hurricane
dead bird
bottles, cans, rocks, etc

nothing too spectacular I guess...

I've run into/over everything mentioned above except the dead bird. That was freaky. It looked like it had just simply fallen from the tree, it's feet still trying to hold the branch...

Automobiles leave a trail of blood! Let's get the cars OFF our roads! No, really...

One night after work and a few errands by bike, I had to dodge a unicycle riding in a pitch black section of road (with no shoulder or street lights) without any lights, reflective gear, and wearing dark clothes. Man...I thought two wheels were hard to see, try one!

I found a really nice pair of riding gloves! Free stuff rocks!

He came by to get the wallet even though there was nothing in it, or maybe just to check me out and make sure I wasn't the perp.

If you were, you wouldn't be letting him come check you out, now, would you? Haha.

This morning, at the darkest point, I passed a pedestrian. I circled back to give him a JogALite ankle reflector. He asked the distance to Lindero Rd. and was depressed at the six mile estimate I gave.
I mentioned the bus and he replied that he'd just gotten out of jail (sherrif station about a mile back) and didn't have any money. I fished bus fare out of my pannier, hailed the approaching bus, and sent him on his way.

I've been having an "experiment" experience similar to the Dr. Pepper. Over the past several months, I've been treated to the daily sight of a decomposing deer carcass. It's like one of those stop-motion animations. Every day it's a little different. A little less skin. A little more bone. A little less there. A little more disgusting. Lovely. Really.

I've noticed that with road kill as well. A dead squirrel in particular.

a pink and black thong
a dead squirrel
a dollar bill

the thong made my imagination run a bit wild
the squirrel made me a bit sad
the dollar bill made me stop and get off the bike and pick it up
(hey, ya gotta pay for 'fuel')

what odd stuff did you see?

I saw a prostituting squirrel thrown from a Cadillac at 5:30am. All I heard was "Here's a tip!" and saw the driver toss a dirty, crumpled single and some used panties as he sped away. I reported the crime to the local police, PETA, and the WI Pimp Labor Union. The victim must have died after the police arrived. I did all I could do, I'm sorry. :(

Every day I pass a half-full 2 liter bottle of Dr. Pepper. Its been there since at least June. Its kinda interesting that the sun has turned the liquid remaining inside a yellowish color.

Dude... that ain't dr.pepper if it's a yellowish liquid...

I passed a big pile of horse sh*t while crossing between DC and Virginia on the bike lane of the 14th Street Bridge a couple of days last week. Thankfully, it had been cleaned up by this week.
Did you happen to see a motorcade leaving the scene. :D

I passed by a collision in an intersection where a concerned passerby was attempting to direct traffic and was pretty much about to cause another accident. :rolleyes:

A little less skin. A little more bone. A little less there. A little more disgusting. Lovely. Really.

tom waits would make a song out of that.


I've noticed that with road kill as well. A dead squirrel in particular.

now i'm truly disturbed. because in the last month, on separate occasions, there has been a dead something-rodenty-ish at each end of my going-home bridge. and in each case, there they were for a while, and then there they each one day suddenly weren't.

do you suppose something is . . . carrying them off?

A couple of weeks ago I found a wallet. No money just a couple of business cards and a insurance verification card. Looked up the number for the name on the card and called them. Turns out it had been stolen and someone had run up the guy's credit cards. He came by to get the wallet even though there was nothing in it, or maybe just to check me out and make sure I wasn't the perp.


I found a wallet this week too. Had some girl's license, ss card & some change in it but no cash or credit cards. I gave it to a police officer but the funny thing is that he didn't ask for my name or anything like that. I guess some crazy chick bundled in ear muffs, neck cozy and bike helmet trying to flag him down didn't tip off any of his 'warning bells'. LOL Oh well, bet the girl is glad to get her ID back :)

One night after work and a few errands by bike, I had to dodge a unicycle riding in a pitch black section of road (with no shoulder or street lights) without any lights, reflective gear, and wearing dark clothes.

it wasn't being ridden by a squirrel in a thong, was it?

Not today, but when I was riding through Santa Fe a few years back I spotted a guy jogging. He had a long scraggly beard, long scraggly hair and hairy legs. He was wearing a ball cap, combat boots and....

...a wedding dress

Two dead possums, an abandoned shopping cart, and a big slab of sheetrock this morning!

Edited to clarify that I did not see all of these items grouped together. That would have made my commute especially surreal.

I need better lighting.... It looked like a cat crossing in front of me on the path on the beach, but as I rode by I realized I was about 3' away from the business end of a skunk!!! I was riding so fast, he had no time to prepare for a spray!

Every day I pass Camberwell Green where the end scene of Withnail & I was filmed, Oval Cricket Ground where the Aussies received their long overdue comeuppance in cricket, the MI6 building, the MI5 building and New Scotland Yard.

This morning the bike lane on the Albert Embankment contained a pair of jeans, complete with belt. I'm waiting for news reports of someone riding in the rain in underwear. Nothing yet.

Two dead deer .... is knife and ziplock bag season! :D

it wasn't being ridden by a squirrel in a thong, was it?

And waving a dollar?

a pink and black thong
a dead squirrel

(the next day)

so this morning as I ride be the same area I note that... the Dead squirrel has been removed
but the thong is still lying in erotic repose in the gutter.

Kinda makes me wonder about the civic priorities of my local municipality
(or... crows are more interested in fresh squirrel vs. thong?)

it wasn't being ridden by a squirrel in a thong, was it?

Nice!

I still laugh at that quote and the one earlier about "that must have been some party!".

(the next day)

so this morning as I ride be the same area I note that... the Dead squirrel has been removed
but the thong is still lying in erotic repose in the gutter.

Kinda makes me wonder about the civic priorities of my local municipality
(or... crows are more interested in fresh squirrel vs. thong?)

:roflmao:

You're killing me! I have coworkers wondering why I am cracking up in my office!

Nicole Kidman....on my ride to work this past Monday morning. She is shooting a movie in Georgetown at the moment (This Visiting) and all production trailers, grip trucks, etc are parked under the Whitehurst freeway, just prior to where I hit the Cap. Crescent trail. Saw Nicole getting out of her trailer and into a van. Had to do a double take to make sure it was her. Once I got to work,
I was reading the Washington Post, and it confirmed that she was indeed in town shooting a movie.

Sure beats road kill or yellow Dr. Pepper. Ha!

GB

I found something like this:

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00005OU5P.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg out by the curb for trash pickup on my ride, this morning.

Didn't pass it though, I grabbed it for a guy I ride with, whose wife just gave him a son. dragging that with my right hand and steering the bike with my left was interesting.

I've seen woodchucks nuzzling around in the leaves twice in the last week. Lots of little furry things are scurrying around in the ditches these days, setting up for winter.

Found the DVD case for a porno movie a couple of weeks ago; unfortunately the disc was gone :-(

Living an an urban area, I see lots of homeless people everyday. Many of these folks are pushing shopping carts filled with metal objects (including bike parts) to take to the local recycling station. I've also noticed that a lot of these folks are riding some fairly nice bikes around - I used to wonder how some of these folks procured such nice rides, that is until my bike was stolen a few weeks ago in the same neighborhood that I ride through.

Every day I pass a half-full 2 liter bottle of Dr. Pepper. Its been there since at least June. Its kinda interesting that the sun has turned the liquid remaining inside a yellowish color.


Update: I originally posted this 10/27/05. The Dr. Pepper bottle is still there, liquid completely clear. I wonder how long it will be there?

I saw a prostituting squirrel thrown from a Cadillac at 5:30am. All I heard was "Here's a tip!" and saw the driver toss a dirty, crumpled single and some used panties as he sped away. I reported the crime to the local police, PETA, and the WI Pimp Labor Union. The victim must have died after the police arrived. I did all I could do, I'm sorry. :(
:roflmao: :roflmao:

Update: I originally posted this 10/27/05. The Dr. Pepper bottle is still there, liquid completely clear. I wonder how long it will be there?
A Credit to all the carbon, pesticides and poison they put in carbonated pop drinks :) Drink to your death.