I decided that I need a rest day today, so I took metro. Now I'm missing my ride. I wish there was an easy way to ride one way and metro the other, but the rules against bikes on metro during rush hour make it all but impossible. Perhaps I need a folder... N+1.

Yesterday was apparently idiot day here in the Nation's Capital. Cars, pedestrians, other cyclist, you name it, stupidity seemed to be the name of the game. Apparently, though, I was no exception. I'll begin with my confession: I was turning right from a bike lane on a major road on to a neighborhood street at a pretty good clip (about/over 18 MPH) which meant I was using the whole lane. No impact on motorists, as none were turning the same way from the road I was on, but I looked back just to be sure. I'm meandering to my lane position (still moving along, but not hurrying to get to my preferred spot in the lane) when I hear "On you left"... you could have knocked me over with a feather. I apologized to the faster rider whose right of way I had been impeding. I had already had one 'on your left' incident where I didn't move over as fast as I felt I should have but that was on a wooden bridge where I eschew any sudden moves.

On the other idiocy moves, top rank goes to the tourist who ignored my bell. repeatedly. And ignored his family members who were advising him to move over. I admit, though, I didn't do pedestrian/cyclist relations any favor when I hit the AirZound after repeat bell ring #4 -- at which point I was about level with his left ear. I had several cars decide that the bike lane was the right place to sit while waiting for folks to meet them or something, as well as several veer into the bike lane to get around traffic turning left. Without checking. Fortunately, I anticipated all of these boneheaded maneuvers. I think I preferred it when it was incredibly hot and the pedestrians stayed indoors. The cyclist incidents were, admittedly, all rental bikes - with top marks to the pair who decided that they would each ride in extremely wobbly fashion on the opposite side of the (admittedly, wide) stretch of the national mall to avoid the pedestrians who were clogging the center.

Rant over.