Welcome to the world of bicycle commuting from a year round bike commuter of 25 years.

This is maybe not funny, but strange and memorable. One morning while riding through a Boston suburb about 6:00 AM, I came apon a skunk with its head stuck in a Yoplait yogurt container, which is somewhat conical (the frustum, the basal part of a solid cone or pyramid formed by cutting off the top by a plane parallel to the base), with the opening at the narrower end. It was meandering sightless near the street and likely would have wandered into the path of a car and was a really pitiable sight. Thinking of a local cynical (and anti-bicyclist) radio talk show host, who comments, "No good deed goes unpunished," I got off the bike, removed the container and quicky jumped back. Fortunately I didn't get sprayed.

I found out about four years later that an employee where I work witnessed this event. He is a parking lot attendant, and on a rare occasion when I needed to drive from work, he reminded me of that event and waved me through for free. So take heart, Good Samaritans; we pass this way only once.