People You Meet While Commuting ...
 

Who are some interesting, or strange, people you meet while commuting?

Yesterday, I met several interesting people while downtown, when I came out of the bank (a second trip to the bank). The first guy I stopped to talk to had an interesting light, which I wanted to inquire about. He explained to me all about the light, and then told me about a very serious bike accident he had. He works as a mechanic.

It was very dark one night, when a car came out of nowhere, hit him head on! He showed me the horrible scar on the top-front right side of his head. Looks like his head was partially split open!! The accident was a hit and run (very common in our area). There were witnesses, but they couldn't get the color of the car, or the license number. He is lucky to be alive!

At that moment, I pulled out my bright orange construction vest with bright yellow stripes, and put it on. I told the guy he should be more visible than he is, and get more reflectors, and a vest. I also told him about the blinkie vest. Does anyone use that blinkie vest?

The other interesting man, Jim, I met was 78 years old. He rides his bicycle all over. He was a professional boxer, met Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., here in our home town of Modesto, California. He also boxed with Joseph Louis Barrow, the Brown Bomber. He was showing me some moves, and giving me some boxing tips. I'm not a boxer, but my youngest son, now 12, used to go to boxing classes at the Youth Center, and still practices his shadow boxing.

Jim lost one of his eyes in a terrible accident at work, while he was connecting a huge trailer. The hook popped out and caught his eye, ripping it out of the socket! The doctors were able to replace the eye, but he still suffers blindness (not complete). Very nice man. I really enjoyed mostly listening to him. Wish that I could have sat down somewhere and listened to him more, but I had a schedule to keep. I had many errands to take care of, buzzing all around town from 9:30 a.m. until nearly 5:00. Put in a good 21 miles yesterday.

I've seen a few people on my commute but I'm ususally running a little late. I usually smile and keep riding.
I'm going to try to be more friendly though.

The last guy I met on my commute I yelled at for drafting me. I did apologize but I really have no desire to socialize on commutes. That is what I ride with a club for.

There was a guy who gave me a little bit of race 'n' chase riding up Novelty Hill on Tuesday. He was faster than me, we talked for a bit when he caught up with me at a light, and when he saw that I was heading up the hill too, he slowed his pace a bit and looked over his shoulder as if to say "C'mon big guy. Get the lead out!" That was pretty nice of him, because it really was great incentive to push myself a bit more going up that hill.

The fat guy on the custom motorcycle who pulled up beside me at a light, put his hand on his belly and said "I need to get me one of those" (taking about my bicycle). I replied "I'll trade ya" and we both got a good laugh out of it before the light changed.

The MUP skank: Bicycle with the front wheel off, sitting on the grass, looking confused about the toolkit in front of her. I stopped and offered to help, and she declined. I said "it's no trouble, I can have it patched and back together in 5 minutes." She finally broke down and told me that the tire wasn't really flat, and she just sits out there to meet guys. Apparently, not smelly guys like me on inexpensive bikes, though. :p

Rainbow UFO commuter: Guy on a recumbent, with a rainbow tie-dyed full raincover. Didn't get to talk much since he was moving past me pretty quickly, but geez was that guy awesome. He made the raincover himself.

Met a Doctor from I think Sweden... riding roughly the same route I do... we rode together on and off... he was doing some research at UCSD. Nice guy... a bit difficult to understand. He never wears a helmet and thinks we over do it here helmet wise.

A guy (in a car) asked me for directions once as we waited at a red light in Kenmore Sq. I kept pace with him all the way to Coolidge Corner, and every time we stopped at a light (2 more times), he asked me the same question again, and howled with laughter at his joke :) It was fun. I'm glad that he seemed to get a real kick out of the interaction

I met a world traveler, via bicycle, from Germany. I was going to work, he was passing through.

Said he had been written up a few times in U.S. newspapers.

I think vja4Him's one-eyed boxer has us all beat, though.