Biking on Florida Ave.

This morning, I rode my bike to Catholic University via Florida Ave. NE... what a piece of work that road is! The traffic lights are non-sensical, potholes are the size of small craters and are filled with black and stagnant water, and the people look at you threateningly. The sidewalks begin and end without pattern or purpose. As a biker, you can't ride on the street or on the sidewalk. Of course, I choose the street and, of course, people hate me. It's ok - I feel like my hatred or disregard for drivers, depending on the day, still puts me in the "I win" category.

This morning, there was traffic you couldn't bike around- multiple busses, tractor trailors, you name it! I, for the life of me, will never understand that weird Florida Ave/New York Ave turnabout where you have to loop around the Wendy's... it's ridiculous! I always shamelessly ride through the Wendy's parking lot where, inevitably, a gaggle of construction workers yell at me with a combination of angry orders to not bike through cones and catcalls/offers to take me home. That is a phenomena I'll never understand. As a pedestrian, cars are highly favorable and efficient forms of transportation. As a biker? How in the world are you, in your oversized gas guzzler, going to get me home faster than I can? You are stuck at this light. Once I'm through being amused by your commentary, I'll speed around you and run it. But nevertheless... I get offers for rides all the time. My pink bike is a dude magnet. Who knew?!

Anyway, it was a cold bike ride for me and, while I'm not looking forward to being bound by the bus when the weather turns legit cold, I am looking forward to the lively conversations I've missed so much.

Until then, I'm stuck writing about Florida Ave. potholes. And the Washington Gas guy who, after "losing" our order two days in a row (where my housemates and I waited and waited at home), called this morning informing us that he may have to come back later because "Parking is tough on C Street." He met the angry and threatening glares of three pissed off women first thing in the morning, and finally got to work even though he thought it was our problem. Here's to crossing fingers for hot water!!