I have commuted from North Jersey to Brooklyn for 22 years. I've come to expect no consideration from pedestrians, motorists and mostly other cyclists. I have accepted the fact that I cannot change their behavior. Because of this revelation which only occurred after suffering many years of righteous indignation I am happier during my commute. Since I am already expecting the worst I just deal with any inconvenience. And I am occasionally rewarded with a glimmer of hope for the human race when someone is actually considerate of others.

However, I am still regularly surprised by the extent of human selfishness and plain stupidity. Just last week a woman smoking a cigarette and talking on a cell phone pushed her baby stroller off the curb into the bike lane without so much as a glance for traffic. As I skidded to a stop (I've learned you can be seriously killed by swerving unexpectedly in Manhattan traffic) she finally looked but just kept crossing the street. Makes you wonder how some people make it through the day.