Trip 2.31

This was the most urban day of the trip. I never had a break from four- to six-lane traffic. And though it seems dangerous, it is much safer to ride in the flow of cars than on any sidewalk. Why? Goddamn bicyclists, that's why. I saw at least 100 people on bikes today, and not one of them was riding with any predictability. Lucky for me not one of them was riding in the street either. I saw a guy ride diagonally through an intersection while holding another (unmanned) bike at his side. I saw a woman riding on the handlebars of a guy who was crossing in the middle of a busy block. It's hard to argue for more bike lanes when most riders don't use the existing ones anyway.

Late in the day I was riding down a parkway. It wasn't illegal, but I'm sure they don't see many bikes in those lanes. I was moving with the flow of traffic, which was bumper-to-bumper, and barely moving. At one slow point, I caught a woman to my left rolling down her window to try to say something to me. She was shaking her head trying to warn me not to ride here. (I'm not positive. I had my headphones on.) Picture this: the woman is leaning toward me from the driver's seat, holding a cell phone in her left hand while holding the steering wheel with her right. Lucky for her she looked forward just in time to slam on her brakes before she rolled into the car in front of her. I pedaled away, enjoying the irony.





I've been eating pretty light during the day, but indulging at night. This morning I stopped at a diner where I had four if the wait staff remarking about my trip. They were quite motherly, and offered the same thing I hear from most people, "Be safe."


I felt really good on the bike today. I think it had to do with the fact that I had a lot (a lot!) of short breaks, otherwise known as traffic lights. But these same breaks made for slow going, and I ended the day a little shorter than I wanted to.

The last five miles were quite unusual in that they were incredibly peaceful. The picture below shows why. All the way to the left is the congested traffic I had been riding in all day. But now there was also this bus road that ran parallel to Route 1. It's only for buses (and cops). There are stops every half mile, and most of them had people waiting. Furthest to the right is this wide bike lane, no motorized vehicles allowed. It was this awesome co-existence between these different modes of transportation like I've never seen before. (Maybe more like "separate but equal". This is the south.)


If all goes as planned, I will be in Key West in two days, ahead of tropical storm Emily. I will meet a twenty-something redhead who is fascinated by my trip, and she will offer to drive me back to Miami to catch a train home. As long as she's not leaning out of her seat, holding a cell phone when we meet, I'll accept. (Who am I kidding? Redhead? She could run over my foot and I'd accept.)

Location:Caribbean Blvd,Miami,United States