I had a doozy last night. Get this...

I was riding along in the bike lane -- Harvard Ave, Brookline MA, Coolidge Corner for anyone who knows it. This is a moderately functional bike lane, mostly because by now motorists generally know it's there and how to treat it.

Note I said "generally".

So, I'm cruising along Harvard Ave and I come to Beacon Street, which is two lanes each way separated by a set of trolley tracks. No biggie, I'm riding on through, cars passing me, not doing that much faster than me. Motorcycle comes up alongside me, ridden by a guy in office drag. He pulls ahead and as he exits the intersection, he swerves right...into the bike lane, where he rode along next to a line of stopped cars.

"This will not end well," I thought, and I was right. What I thought would happen was this simple-minded gherkin would putt-putt along in the bike lane until he either

a)came upon a cyclist,
b)ran afoul of a cabbie at the cab stand in front of Booksmith, or
c)came to the next intersection where he might get right-hooked.

What actually happened was that I heard a yell, a tire screech, and one motorcycle, one motorcyclist, and one pedestrian were down on the pavement.

Seems Bright Boy didn't know, or conveniently forgot, that there's a crosswalk at that intersection (like there is at every intersection in Brookline)...that it gets a lot of use, by pedestrians who expect you to stop...and that when the cars are stopped like that, there's only one reason. There's no traffic light, there's no stop sign...if the cars are stopped, it is because there are pedestrians in the crosswalk. Really. Even if you can't see 'em yet.

Fortunately for Easy Rider, he hadn't actually hit the pedestrian -- just made him jump out of the way and fall down. Even more fortunately, the pedestrian was young and able-bodied, and came out of the experience with no injuries except to his temper. He read the motorcyclist off briefly while Original Genius stood there going bah-bah-bah-bah, the motorcycle laid on its side going chuk-chuk-chuk-chuk and leaking gas all over the street (no, he didn't have the presence of mind to shut it down), and pedestrians drivers bicyclists and pigeons all stared at this with our jaws hanging open at the incredible dumbness.

So, pedestrian collects his scattered possessions and goes on his way...and I'm stopped in the bike lane which is currently occupied by one leaking motorcycle, and one White Collar Harley Dude with a "why is this happening to me?" look on his face. He turns said look on me, and I said, "Dude, 'bike lane' don't mean motorcycles."

Stunned look continues. Me: "Come on, now. Pick it up...and go on your way."

And he picked it up...got back on...and proceeded down the street...

IN THE BIKE LANE.

You can't make this stuff up.