The things I don't have time to say

To continue with the cycling theme:
There are things I just don't have time to say when out on my rides, especially when people yell things at me and I don't have time to stop and explain. Usually "watch it" or "excuse me" is all I have time to say. I find that most people don't know what 'on your left' means, but they usually understand 'excuse me'. Which I say frequently but alas, even then, I'm still seen as a bitch roadie. However, I really don't care since my main concern is avoiding accidents.

"You're supposed to stop for me!"
I saw a young boy on roller blades about to launch himself across the path, without looking. I called out "Watch it"! No cursing, no yelling. The mother yelled at me, "You're supposed to stop for him!" What I didn't have time to say was: Uh, no. I simply cannot jam on my brakes and screech to a halt. I could blow my tires and damage my bike. I could cause a pileup which would result in several people getting injured. All because your kid didn't look where he was going. Sorry, but if you teach your kid to look before crossing the road, you can teach him to look before crossing a bike path. That's your responsibility. The world is not going to stop for your kid.

"Get on the bike path!"
Sorry, but I can't always do that.There are times, such as on weekends, when the bike path is so crowded and dangerous that it is better for me to ride on the road. On weekends, the path is clogged with pedestrians, roller bladers, kids, skateboarders, dog walkers and strollers. I have had more near misses and actual collisions on the bike path than on the road. So no, I'm not on the bike path for a reason. And since I'm following the rules and not going the wrong way, I have every right to use the road. And no, I'm not going to ride on the sidewalk and endanger pedestrians.

"We're supposed to share!"
Sharing the bike path means being aware, not walking into it obliviously while texting, or strolling and holding hands and expecting me to slow down behind you, or waiting for you to finish your phone conversation. It doesn't mean you should ignore me and get pissed when I try to warn you out of my way. It is not my fault if you can't or won't pay attention. I want to get home in one piece without any incident and I do my best to make sure that happens. If I warn you, it's because I am in fear for my safety. You might want to consider looking up when you cross the path and turn off the Blackberry. I might be able to avoid you but some other guy might not be so nice and take you out. Just saying.

That time once again

It was the Tour de L'ile on sunday which, as a cyclist I regard as an annoying nuisance. It serves no real purpose except to convince drivers and pedestrians that cyclists are one big inconvenience. But it's utterly deceptive as well, because for one weekend, cyclists are given a false environment where the roads are free of traffic, garbage, broken glass and other hazards. Come Monday, we're on our own with potholes, construction, bad intersection and bike paths littered with junk, riddled with potholes and choked by weeds. For all the promotion of how bike friendly we are, and we are so, compared to many cities, we aren't helping out much in the daily aspects. There are still, for example, insanely bad intersections of bike and road, such as the one in Lachine at ave de La Musee. At that intersection, nothing but stop signs control four-way traffic and an intersection of the bike path. The construction on the Peel Basin is STILL going on; not only is there a detour through the old port, cyclists still have to cross a gravel path. I am not fond of the thought of riding over that gravel and risking puncture and there seems to be no way to determine if or when it will be finished or why they can't simply pave that sector. And those of us on the bike paths who want to ride more than 2 miles an hour now have to worry about a new hazard to add to the rollerbladers, strollers, kids, dogs and mopeds: rollerbladers, stroller pushers, kids, teens, pedestrians and dog walkers yakking on cell phones, plugged into ipads or walking across with their heads down, texting. I yell them out of my way and if I seem a bitch, sorry- I just want both of us to get home in one piece.

I can't find my way home

I never did find a new apartment, electing instead to remain here. Rents in NDG have gone skyward and I realized I would be spending all my money on rent. Just a month after my last entry, my washing machine died. The transmission was completely gone but I did get at least ten years out of that machine. The dryer still worked, however. The closest laundromat is several blocks away which meant lugging bags of laundry to the bus. The month of May was entirely occupied with apartment hunting, lugging laundry and drying to stay dry since it seemed to rain at least 2 inches a day. It would have been better had there been a laundromat closer to where I lived, but this meant having to actually hang out there. I always bring something to read, but there was almost nowhere to sit. One of the more unpleasant aspects: single twentysomething/teen mothers/parents, always pasty and miserable. They either scream at their kids or ignore them while the kids get bored and play with the dryers. One twenty something dad ignored his kid while he alternately played games on his laptop and stared at my chest.

I finally managed to find a refurbished washer and dryer at an outlet in Verdun which will be delivered tomorrow. I will however, miss going to Dad's for bagels and the best brownies I've ever had.