137. Veloman

The deal was sealed on line; I was to meet him on the corner of Post and Marion, me with the cash, him with the goods.  I had to be there by 5 before the hour, turns out he had a bus to catch ("to pick up my kid"--I'm sure that was code for something but hesitated to ask lest my naivety jeopardize the transaction).

My timing was dependent on my own bus, but I thought I had reached the specified corner in time. I called him only to be told that he was heading for the bus stop "near the library."  I climbed back on my bike for the 4 steep blocks up to the library.  Out of breath and barely able to speak, I called him again: "Look for the orange bike helmet." He caught my eye but just as I reached him his bus arrived and off he ran.

No problem: as he entered the bus, I put my bike on the rack and climbed on behind him.  The transaction completed, I exited at the next stop.  The other passengers may have thought they were just looking at some dude with a beard buying a copy of Turbotax from an asian guy.  But do they really know the contents of that disc? Can they be sure he's not North Korean? I think not.

136. Door'd

Almost door'd last week.  The timing was perfect, the driver's door opening just as I passed, but I was a few inches away.

A local pediatrician was not so lucky.  In his words:

I and the guy sitting in his parked car made simultaneous errors: riding too close (me) and opening the door without checking for a bicycle (him).  Injury [fracture] to the back of my right hand: [orthopedist] took care of me and I was out of the OR by 2 am and ready for nursery rounds the next morning: turns out I can examine newborns with one hand tied behind my back!  Lots of help from the dads, they were definitely not allowed to snore thru it that morning.

Full recovery expected in six weeks; his helmet cracked in several places.

Damned if you do (ride too close to parked cars); damned if you don't, risking the moving traffic that doesn't always appreciate a cyclist's right to a traffic lane.