Idiot Wind, Blowin' Down the Back Roads Heading South

Now more than ever, I appreciate how friends can talk about anything, even the taboo subjects.  When considered from a place of love or truth, I feel you should be able to discuss anything openly.  And we do, and we did!  A diner dinner and a movie with my bud at Kitchen Sink on 2nd Ave on the lower east side.  There is this safe zone that I feel exists with people you trust.  They know you're not an asshole and you value their feedback when bouncing off not so popular thoughts.  This is heightened by doing this while eating grilled cheese sandwiches and tons of french fries.

My friend has biked for years and now has added Brooklyn to her road adventures due to work.  I was thrilled that she shared some of these hilarious thoughts on the new wave of riders.  Female bikers become bigger in number each spring.  I always assumed that would make the road a cooler place because women are more considerate, careful.  But no, turns out many of the young gals are competing with the big, dumb aggro males, which is so disappointing and surprising.  This has become comedic at times if it wasn't so dangerous.  Everyone racing to be the fastest most daring jerk, whizzing through lights on what should be easy, commute lanes.  These are real vibrant neighborhoods, with school kids popping out in the street, dog walkers, stroller moms, delivery trucks, opposite side parking hustlers, morning joggers in the lanes.  I mean anything can happen in a second. No one should be riding at these high speeds. We both have ridiculous stories of riding along with these herds.  You begin to notice common behavior.   

Citi bikers can be super annoying because they're so unpredictable.  Its an amazing program and I'm happy people are taking advantage of it's accessibility.  But there are a lot of giant goofballs on these things that are out of control and now they think they can compete on the road when they should just peddle and try to stay out of the way.  They'll never win races on those fat tires but for whatever reason, they get it in their heads to act up.  If you find yourself sharing the road, most likely some asshole will come flying past within inches of you(without announcing himself). Remember when everyone was so cool as to say, 'on your left', such a courtesy that I really appreciated.  It was as if to say, no worries, carry on, no big deal, just gonna pass you with absolutely no silliness.  In the past this was usually the 6ft Jamaican guy that has been biking for centuries or the giant calved white dude with all his expensive bike gear and five thousand dollar bike.  I knew my place.   They would glide by and you'd notice them in the far distance seconds later, never to be seen again.  But now it's these clowns that you will ultimately have to awkwardly pass one minute later because they are not equipped to keep their speed.  Usually you'll find them stopped at the next light in the middle of the crosswalk, as you pass through, usually checking their phone as if this somehow makes them look cool instead of like a big asswipe that's blocking pedestrians.  We laughed at how many times they insist on these idiotic games back and forth.  It becomes embarrassing for them and a true nuisance when you're just trying to get to work. No wonder everyone hates bikers.

These are just some of the incredible conversations you can have at a great New York diner with a good pal.