Calgary Commuting Culture

We're on the same team!!!

So this morning I was commuting to work ala bicycle and a fellow cyclist started giving me a lecture about how to ride with traffic?!? I heading north on 1st St. SW coming up to the corner of 9th Ave. to turn right. Traffic was backed up and there was a cyclist in front of me taking up the entire lane. Now I fully understand that we (cyclists) are entitled to a whole lane but during rush hour I quite often ride off to the right to allow cars by and so I can squeeze up to make right hand turns. This was the case this morning and as I started to ride along the right hand side beside the other cyclist, he started yelling at me. Here's how it went:

Other cyclist: "Hey, don't ride up the curb lane, take up the whole lane!"
Me: "Dude, I'm just squeezing by. I don't need the lecture."
Other cyclist: "YES YOU DO!"
Me: "Whatever. I know how to ride in traffic. Keep it to yourself."

NOTE - he was yelling this as he rode his bicycle onto the sidewalk?!?

It was brief and somewhat comical and the best part is... this guy works at the same place I do! I don't know him per say but I have seen him around the office and at the bike cage. I was expecting him to show up at the bike cage when I was there which probably would have meant as escalated conversation but no such luck...

I don't get it though... he's riding his bike, which is cool. I'm riding my bike, which is cool. We're both just trying to get to work. We're the underdogs. We're the ones who should be uniting to help and protect each other against the vast army of cars. OK, that was a bit dramatic, but really why the yelling? It doesn't solve anything.

Labels: Bicycle