Dodging raindrops, fights, and traffic
The big “atmospheric river” of rain clobbered much of California a couple of days ago. Santa Rosa withstood high winds and a few inches of precipitation, but nothing like the deluge farther south which washed out Highway 1 along the Big Sur coast. And, despite the rainstorms, we remain far, far behind our normal rainfall total for this time of year.
11 response to "Dodging raindrops, fights, and traffic"
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Looks like a great ride, although it sounds like a little too much of the wrong kind of excitement. I’ve fortunately never witnessed any fights while riding, although I have experienced riders on trails that seem dead set on a head-on collision. Hopefully you can get more rain to alleviate the drought but without it being a deluge.
The kid (approx 10 years old) coming the wrong way in the bike lane was aiming right at me. He seemed oblivious. I tried to wave him off and gently (???) tell him to get up on the sidewalk. I had to swing out into traffic to avoid him. Naturally, the driver making a right hand turn didn’t expect to encounter a kid on a bike coming the wrong way in the bike lane, so the car came oh so close to clobbering the kid. That set off a chain reaction of vehicles trying to dodge the kid and each other. Fortunately, I had pedaled a little beyond the action, but I saw it unfold in my mirror. Glad I didn’t need to pull anybody’s broken bones out of the street.
Looks like a day for the February challenge – full of hazards! Never a boring moment on the Greenway.
It’s usually dull, quiet, and boring!
The only time I’ve witnessed a fight while riding was about 10 years ago. It was outside of a bar on University Avenue in St. Paul not too far from the State Capitol Building. It was a knock-down-drag-out, hair-pulling, profanity-screaming battle between two women. One of them was much bigger than the other one, but the smaller one held her own. The cops arrived just before I called 911.
Sounds like a bar that should be avoided. Are you sure it wasn’t Mary Tyler Moore and Rhoda?
Fights oh my. I have not only never come by a fight when riding my bike, but I have never come by a fight. Sheltered life I guess.
We have lots of rain these past two days and coming for much of this week of the new month. I hope t find few days in there for riding. ?
Although the homeless encampments always look pretty bad, most of the time the inhabitants along the Greenway seem harmless and even polite. This looked like a hardcore group. They were practically blocking the path with their tents and tarps. Two guys were going at it, screaming and shoving each other right on the path as I pedaled west. Same spot, two different guys shouting and pushing as I pedaled east. Fortunately, I also encountered SRPD and community outreach officers moving toward the encampment after I slipped past on the way home.
Although the homeless encampments always look pretty bad, most of the time the inhabitants along the Greenway seem harmless and even polite. This looked like a hardcore group. They were practically blocking the path with their tents and tarps. Two guys were going at it, screaming and shoving each other right on the path as I pedaled west. Same spot, two different guys shouting and pushing as I pedaled east. Fortunately, I also encountered SRPD and community outreach officers moving toward the encampment after I slipped past on the way home.
Glad you got some rain and had a place to wait out the shower. I seem to encounter those AFTER I’ve been somewhere I could shelter.
Despite a couple of big storms (and more due this afternoon and overnight), our local rainfall situation remains dire at approx 30 percent of normal. Difficult to believe the shortage can be rectified in the remainder of our “rainy season,” which could have catastrophic impact on wildfires in the summer.
As to shelter, it was good fortune that just a couple of weeks ago the city cleared enough brush to provide easy access under that bridge. When I investigated at that time I made a mental note that it could be a handy shelter. Didn’t realize I would need it so soon.