Nice pics Barry. I'll post my limited shots.
Well this past weekend had to be one of my more manic episodes. As you all know there was a terrible tragedy on Butler Road last week that involved the death of Larry Bensky, father of two young girls, husband to a great and obviously stong woman, and as I learned one of seven brothers. I didn't know Larry or Joel, the other rider who was terribly injured, but like so many others this kind of hit deep. So there was a lot of e-mail chatter last weekm everybody shooting off e-mails to Cardin to get that bill passed into law, HB461, requiring motorists to give cyclists at least three feet when passing and to pass with due care. Larry wasn't passed with due care, far from it.
So I mention this idea of riding to Annapolis, it's a good excuse for a good ride. The original idea wasn't set for Monday. I got an e-mail from somebody that said something like "the session ends Monday, we'll never get this thing passed, not this session". I don't hear much from the limited list that I'm sending to so decide to drop it, f--- it. Somewhere along the line I had e-mailed Del. Cardin with my idea for a ride down on Monday. So I get a response back, not expected, he invites us down and says he'll get us into the chamber to speak, and then an e-mail from Senator Raskin stating same. So, you get an invite -you go. I would have gone if it was just me and a few others.
A couple people more connected than me catch wind of my idea and begin spreading the news, one being John Kelly who's father was senator for some time, the other is Marc Lefkowitz of Race Pace in Owings Mills. Marc knew and rode with Larry and Joel, had visited Joel in the hospital and was in contact with Tami, Larry's widow. He told me that Tami wanted to speak, not sure who's idea this was, whether it was hers or Marcs, but it was key. He said she was very eager to speak. There were only two days to try and get some sort of organized start together and really didn't expect too many people to get off on a Monday with no notice. So Friday night, Saturday and Sunday are filled with posting and e-mail and stress.
On Saturday I pre rode the route out to Cromwell, it had been a while and I wanted to be sure I knew the way. When I got down to the BWI I began to tell people about the ride, ran into two guys who already knew of it and said there was chatter up and down the B&A. Late Sunday I get a weird e-mail from a bike advocate stating that HB 461 has passed and he's tries very hard to discourage us from doing the ride, afraid that we'll cause trouble and derail other bike legislation not yet passed. Turns out 461 wasn't really passed on Saturday, it was amended and those amendments needed to pass the house. First and foremost this was a memorial ride for Larry and I told everyone to be cool, this is not a Critical Mass event. Well, cyclists in general are pretty independent souls and don't like being told what to do so I didn't say much, but everybody was cool. I also called the MD Capitol Police to let them know we had a ride forming and if it was big we may need an escort, also related that we didn't want trouble, didn't want to disrupt traffic, that it was a memorial ride. So the ride is a go despite somebody's last ditch effort to get us not to go. Monday morning I meet up with John Kelly and about six others at Starbucks on Roland , mostly Kelly race guys. We head down Roland to Falls, regular route, Ken from Kelly had another route and I was happy to let him take the lead. He took the Gwynns all the way past the garbage incinerator and onto Annapolis Blvd I believe, straight down to Cromwell, shaved off about 5 miles I think.
So were about eightto Cromwell where we pick up probably twenty more and then more on the B&A. On the B&A I try to ride while fielding calls from the television stations, there was another guy who got involved on Sunday, Greg Simmons, a law student, very well read on these bills. He put together a real deal press release as he used to be a reporter. I get a flat, I get a call, I try to changethe flat while holding my phone, Kelly guy (Ken) helps me out and finishes the job. After that I get stopped by a camera man, channel 2 I think, who does a quick interview as I'm out of breath because everybody is by now way ahead.
When we get to the end of the B&A we have around 40 or so riders, as a few local racers pulled up. The racer dudes have this cool persona thing down. Anyway, somebody asks me if I've called the cops, oh yah. So I call the police, who by te way are so accomodating and not hard ass at all. I say they may want to send a couple cars as our numbers have grown, we want this now mostly for the show, the publicity, as the tv stations all said they were going to film us on the bridge. It was very cool having an escort into Annapolis. I was towards the back but I could hear the siren every time we went through a light. I would look back and see the cruiser with lights behind me, giving me plenty of space and holding back traffic.
The police bring us literally into State House square. Larry's widow is there when we arrive, but I'm intercepted by Greg Simmons and another person, aide or something. I miss the beginning of Tami's speech but when I walk over she is talking through tears, still wearing black as she is in mourning. I park my bike and immediately start to lose it then regain my composure. I listen as she speaks but can't make out much, the Cardin speaks and says some of the things that I have been thinking, about how this is not all about cars and bikes, but about how citizens need to respect one another. John Kelly speaks, Cardin recognizes me and asks if I would like to say anything. Not sure what I said, it's all a blur at that point, cameras come up to me, my friend Scott Broom puts his camera on me. I enjoyed it but have no idea what I said.
That shot that Barry put up of me is with one of Larry's sisters in law, she is there with Tami as well as Tami's mother, Larry's mother and father, not sure who else. She was talking about how devastating this is to the whole family, how Larry has seven brothers or is one of seven brothers, his relationship with Tami and the children. I tried to just listen, I tend to talk over people, there I was just listening. I also talked to Larry's mom and dad for a long time, the pain and sadness in their eyes was just so heartbreaking, such sweet people.
We broke up for lunch, was going with Barry but lost him, ran into some ladies, sorry Barry. So the lady cyclists and I, one was Kristina who is a triathlete from the Stoneleigh group, had a nice lunch down by the water. We talked about how crazy things are in this country, how the speed limit is 50mph on Butler etc. I needed to get back to the statehouse and I think the girls were heading back to the B&A. I kind of got turned around, but as I headed back up the hill this big suv cuts me off, I had made eye contact with the guy, he then breaks hard for two pedestrians-thankfully, young women of course. So I ride up next to his passeneger side as we roll up the hill and I say-you stopped for them but not for me, he says "can you go 180 mph on that thing, I say of course not, he says, get this, well then there is no reason to watch out for you. Still can't figure the logic. I ask him how much he thinks his truck weighs? He says I know exactly how much my truck weighs. I say do you think it's any match? My biek against your truck? Not sure what he says next but I wish him a good day when what I really wanted to do.. well it wasn't the day for that.
So I get back to the SH and watch proceedings from the balcony, Cardin introduces Tami and the cyclists, many couldn't get in as they didn't have their id-s with them. We all hug Tami and tell her that there will be more done in the way of benefit rides for her kids etc. So now that needs to happen. I get back on the trail but am dead tired, I think I was finally just shutting down after being so stressed. Saw Barry and Don? on the side of the trail and it looked like a good idea. Had some coffee and cookies and back on the B&A. Took the lightrail from Cromwell to Camden Yards then biked from there. Crazy coming up Calvert during rush hour, watch a few cyclists run red lights, say nothing. On the one hand our roads and lights aren't bike friendly, in some states cyclists can proceed after stopping, so maybe we need to get a bill like that? But at this point it just pisses off drivers. I'm happy to tuck into the shortcut behind Notre Dame away from traffic and noise, get home and my wife and kids greet me as if I just finished a days work. If they only knew.