What have I been listening to?: Catching Feelings - Drax Project, SIX60
Last movie I watched: Cheaper by the Dozen 2
It is the summer of cycling. I have a new-to-me, used mountain bike. I have been taking it all around Cleveland. Trying to do longer and longer rides. Today I did my longest ride yet. It tracked at about 11.5 miles, but I think it was actually a bit longer because on two occasions I paused my watch to stop at an intersection to walk across or something like that and then forgot to continue tracking until a bit later. Today I went down through the Cultural Gardens to the Ohio Lakefront Bikeway. I didn't go far on the lakefront bikeway because I found after a bit that it actually just ended as it hit the highway. So I just turned around and went back through the Cultural Gardens. Perhaps I must have been right at the very end of it or it turned into an on-road section, as Google tells me its total length is 17 miles.
On my rides, I bring my Nathan handheld water bottle and a Gu that I have about halfway through the ride.
Earlier in the week, I was only about two miles into a ride when I had a really unpleasant encounter. I was right outside of the law school as I was headed towards the Cultural Gardens. I was in the road, as there are bike symbols painted in the middle of the lanes, indicating that there is not a separate bike lane but that bikes can use the main lane itself. As I was approaching a four-way stop on this single lane road, a vehicle behind me went beside me (going out of the lane to do so) but then instead of going in front of me right away, they stayed at my side for a few moments. We were not far from the four-way stop, so there really wasn't room for anyone to go around and in front of me, and it was dangerous for this vehicle to attempt to do so because it forced me to the side--there wasn't enough space for them to get in front of me before the stop. The passenger side window was down and a man in the passenger seat was clearly very angry and speaking aggressively at me. I had earbuds in, so I didn't know what actual words were being said, but based on his demeanor and gestures, I can only assume he was not pleased that I was in the road. Perhaps he thought I was going too slow. I have no idea. It was genuinely very confusing and upsetting. I yelled back that I was where I was allowed to be and supposed to be. He continued being hostile and aggressive, and I gestured at the bike symbol painted literally directly in front of us in the road and yelled "what the fuck do you think that means?" I just kept getting yelled at, and I still don't understand why. After going through the stop, I went up onto the sidewalk because the vehicle was not giving me room to be on the road and it felt unsafe. I kind of regret going up onto the sidewalk, because maybe that made them think I was conceding in their anger and admitting I wasn't supposed to be on the road or something. It didn't help my case that several other bikers in the vicinity were on the sidewalk. But there is a lot of pedestrian traffic in that area, so it's really not the safer place to be. Even as the vehicle proceeded on ahead past me, they continued yelling out the window in my direction. The intensity of the situation made me wonder if I had earlier in my ride done something to warrant the reaction, like accidentally cut the vehicle off or something. But I have no recollection of having done so, and it will remain a mystery.
From people I've talked to since, I have confirmed I was definitely in the right being where I was. I was allowed to take up the full lane if I so desired. It was a really scary experience getting yelled at so insistently like that. I am conflict-averse, and having a full-grown man in a vehicle that could very easily force me out of the road or knock me over be so verbally aggressive at me made me feel awful. I had only just begun my ride, but after another block or so, I pulled over at some tennis courts and sat on a bench for a bit. Some tears were shed as I recounted the experience to my mom over the phone. It took a few days to get over. I didn't really want to get back on my bike and continue at the time. I remember feeling very sad that I was finally finding something to distract myself and something good to focus on, just to have someone come along and shit all over it.
I have pepper spray strapped onto my bike, but it never occurred to me to pull it out. It all just happened so fast. I felt unsafe, but I don't think that I would have been justified (at least, not legally) in pepper spraying the guy in that situation. Do you get to pepper spray someone for being scarily aggressive two feet away from you? There was no physical altercation, and I wouldn't have needed to pepper spray anyone to avoid a physical altercation (to my knowledge, although it occurred to me after the interaction that my cussing back at the vehicle could have resulted in someone pulling a gun on me or something). If I had to do the situation over again, I wouldn't hesitate to pull it out and threaten to spray him, though.
On nearly every ride I've taken here in Cleveland so far, I have been honked at at least once. Yesterday, I was in a left-turn lane in the road stopped at a light. I was the first in that lane, with vehicles behind me. The light turned green, but alas, no green arrow. So, just as a vehicle in my position would have had to do, I had to wait for the oncoming traffic going straight to come through. As I waited, the vehicle behind me honked. Did they think that because I was on a smaller contraption than a vehicle that I could more easily slip through one of the gaps in the oncoming vehicles? Could they truly be so stupid as to not realize that it takes me quite longer than a vehicle to get up to speed in order to do that? They too would have had to pause, just as I was doing. I think they wanted me to proceed out a bit into the intersection, but I could see based on the number of cars oncoming that doing that would just result in me having to stop again in the middle of the intersection.
Considering how little time I have spent with my bike here in Cleveland so far, it is concerning how many incidents and situations like this I have already had. I would not be at all surprised if, in my remaining year in Cleveland, I actually got hit or something. Don't worry, I am a helmet-wearer. I tend to not wear a tremendous amount of clothing as I'm biking, though, what with it being summertime. So if I wiped out, I would lose a lot of skin.
I have also been doing a bit of cross-stitching. My signature is cross-stitching "SUCK A BUTT" on hand towels lol. I had an old roommate back in River Falls who was talking about a manager she had at work who she didn't care for and she said "He can suck a butt." And I just remember thinking something about that phrase was so funny. I've been cross-stitching it on hand towels ever since. If my quality control were higher, I'd sell them on Etsy--I think there's a market for it. For now, I've just been giving them as gifts to people. For Christmas, I gave my sister-in-law a hand-towel that I cross-stitched "STAY GAY" on. She really liked it.
I've also been watching the Harry Potter movies as of a few days ago. They're all on HBO Max and I've just started the Goblet of Fire, which I think is my favorite. The first movie is honestly a bit of a drag to get through--the quality just isn't quite there and it's a bit awkward.
Anywho, I'll leave it at that for now. If you see a cyclist in the road, slow down and give them plenty of space. Don't be afraid to hang back--you'll still get where you need to be.
-G
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