One of the roads I ride on is host to a soccer tournament today. Both sides of the road are lined with parallel parked mini-vans and SUVs, kids running around, dogs off leash, frustrated soccer moms circling for a parking spot, tour buses for the better funded teams circling to load up/drop off their teams. I think that's gotta be pretty close to a commuters worst nightmare

Not to an adrenaline junkie. My worst would be when a super cell thunder storm passed over west Denver while I was riding home. Hail stones big enough to crack car windows. I sheltered under a freeway overpass with a mass of cars.

And how did all/any of the above negatively affect your commute? Jealous? Or what?

If I encountered that mess of cars and people I would seriously try to find an alternate route. You will eventually get a car door opened in front of you.

I know what he is talking about. I ride past a elementary school at the same time all of the moms are picking up the little tykes. There is a lot of activity going on and it is the perfect situation to get ran over.

I personally feel that good bikers thrive in heavy, confused traffic.
So, it sounds like fun to me.

Sounds like Delta Park during most of the year! Looks just like that musical-chairs car commercial, but with hundreds of kids running in and out between cars. About as much fun to ride a bike through, too.

OK, that trumps getting boxed in by one of these on 2nd Ave:

Slice and dice, baby!

Or maybe just slow down a little and keep your eyes open.

Az

I have the exact same thing at the end of my commute. I go really slow and stay out of the door zone.

Holy Cow! Who wudda thunk it possible?

I give those things plenty of room here in Los Angeles. The MTA has some news ones that are even longer than these.

+1 Nothing makes me happier than riding on Park or Sixth Ave during rush hour. But as crazy as they may seem, there is a predictable flow in the mayhem.

The problem with a mass of parked cars is that it's hard to get a read on when someone is going to pull out of a spot unannounced or open the door without looking. Never mind the meandering peds who aren't looking where they're going... I have my own personal gauntlet at Astor Place and Lafayette St - there is a maurading hoarde of pedestrians on Blackberries who meander across the street - whether they have the light or not - who they feel they have the right to cross as they please.

My thoughts exactly !! A bikeforums first !! wow.

Those buses are nice to ride in, but dangerous if your a cyclist. They have a huge turning radius and blind spots but the good news is the drivers are required to take more practice.

It was one of these that cut me off to pick up a passenger!