Friday, June 22, 2007

Hang Up and Pedal!

I heard a bicycle close behind me as I was coming up the slope toward Bedford Street yesterday. I thought it was odd when the rider said "Hello!" very loudly instead of "passing on your left" and even odder when he mumbled something about "...riding my bike..." as he passed me. Of course he was riding his bike, any fool could see that. Only after he passed could I see he was steering with his right hand and holding up a cell phone with his left. Cycling doesn't really engage him, I guess, so he needs to talk about it as he rides.

To be fair, I should mention the phone-and-coffee lady, a skater I saw frequently near Lexington Center last year, never without a phone in one hand and a coffee cup in the other. And pedestrians yakking on cellphones are a fixture now, but they're slower and more stable than skaters or cyclists.

Today: 13 miles. This year: 564.5 miles.

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