buzzman -- were you passing the BU bridge on Comm. Ave around 6pm or so last night and do you ride with a single pannier?

on my way home I was stopped at the light in front of the bridge, when another highly visible commuter caught up and stopped behind me. We both continued on until about the Comm Ave. / Brighton Ave. split and they continued on Comm while I went up Brighton. It was kind of nice to ride with someone who was about my speed.

Then, a few blocks afterwards, I almost got right hooked by a car and wound up swerving to avoid and hit a fairly deep pothole that blew out my front tire. As I setup to fix the flat, I realized that I was out of spare tubes and that the vulcanizing fluid in my patch kit was so old that it wasn't actually adhering to anything. Wound up rolling up to the new WGBH complex and canvassed various other bike commuters to see if anyone had a tube that they'd sell or a patch kit that I could borrow. Take half an hour and six riders before finding someone who actually had a repair kit or tube. I know I shouldn't talk given that I was the beggar, but what the hell people? Be prepared. One guy actually told me that his solution for a flat tire was to call a cab.