I haven't come here to post in awhile

@noglider I'm so sorry about your mom and the subsequent car tow. I hope you are feeling better-

I'll try to sum up my entire spring:

Ran bike trains weekly in the AM with another rider until Bike month- those days were great! Chatting while riding was fun.

Helped out with TAs bike to work day comfort stations.

Backstory: in April a couple Brooklyn cyclists were killed within a week of each other by drivers not heeding the law. The BK borough president led a ride the following Sunday and then took measures to start a "put a bike lane on Flatbush" campaign - it's a major arterial street here that connects the many neighborhoods of Brooklyn. They already banned left turns from the street as it's too much (danger that is). It's the same street I saw Hal from bicycle habitat who does those "how to lock your bike" YouTube videos just a year prior - I saw him around the Barclays center.

In May, our company switched offices and moved to a bigger space. This meant moving the communal bike pump from one bike room to another and also navigating a new route and figuring out how to bring the bike indoors. Altho Mike Bloomberg wrote it into law, bringing a bike inside is a time consuming awful exercise. We can't use the front door we are forced to enter where delivery trucks are also forced to enter. And once were inside it's a mess. And freight elevators that sometimes come, sometimes not. I rode the Yuba to work with the little one and we had to wait over 20 minutes for a freight elevator. I've since started calling security to send them in a timely manner when I start approaching the 10 min wait mark. Sigh.

I wrote the backstory bc: in recent weeks, A cyclist one was killed by a left turner on chambers st. Driver was turning from the west side highway aka "west st" where we are located. Onto chambers st, crossing the west side bike path - one of the only truly safe places to cycle in NYC. One of my coworkers and longtime friend was extremely upset he sent a mass email to our cycling email list at work. How could this happen even on the west side path? I chatted with some of the other guys and it seems his email has left a sour note in our throats and stomachs - for all. We all know how bad it can get as we ride everyday...we certainly don't need the reminder. Common themes: Incredulous. Upset. He did acknowledge his email could be too much. But a couple of us responded with a "yes that's a valid way to feel and express it." And I certainly believe so. I don't mind discussing it bc it helps me sort out my feelings and thoughts - but I know how riled up I can get so I prefer to leave it and just discuss with my husband at home. And when I'm chatting with colleagues with our bikes, I prefer to focus on the positive and the jokes and small talk. When talking to the other guys, it sounded like a couple of them did not want to hear it either - and I can understand that too. But I also understand my friends need to express how disturbed he was. I definitely do not blame him for it. The status quo is mortifying and it is our reality. It's not easy to reconcile.

There was some victim blaming (as there always is in crashes that leaves their victims dead and voiceless) but I sent along the next steps response I have learned over the years. (1) infrastructure (2) NYPD community affairs and community boards (3) write the corrupt Albany legislators and expect them to pay lip service if anything at all and doing nothing to help the situation. Yes, cynical, but reality. I was once a newbie cycle commuter and now I was the experienced one doling out the comfort.

Grief, victim blaming, saying the what ifs, more grief, determination to change things. Futilely trying to make changes. Not seeing results. Changing tactics. Moving on despite the numbness. Repeat. Sigh.

A friend and coworker began bike commuting after the killing on chambers st - right outside our office - he biked the west side path - then before chambers rode to the water and then back again to the path after chambers. I told him it doesn't matter. Take chambers just be careful of cars. He wouldn't listen to reason. Chambers is not great. But running into a bad actor especially one who will kill you is really unlikely.

In any case. Fear. There you have it. I on the other hand become reasonably scared while transiting by car- those crashes are far more likely to happen and far more likely to maim and kill. And pedestrians bear the worst of it when looking at the statistics. Its sad.

So it's been a very cool spring with super windy days. Which means less people on the commute (cycling wise) but lots of headwind, making for amazing muscles I suppose

My daughter had a moving on ceremony and I went back to work around 11-12 and made the mistake of taking the Brooklyn bridge. I had the unfortunate experience of going thru the bike path and shouldering a pedestrian bc they were on the wrong side and didn't heed my bell. Ugh. Hate the Brooklyn bridge unless it's winter or early morning. It's my ride in every morning (and sometimes my run into work) and it is never this bad. But with high tourist season it gets hairy. I still say hi to the bike advocate crossing guard at the BK bridge every morning. It's a nice regular part of my ride, greeting him. I take the Manhattan bridge back to Brooklyn everyday after work-and it's almost always smooth. All except for last Friday and today.

Let me come back in another post detailing those days...this one is quite long already