Downtown Pride and Prejudice

I wanted to return to my weekly ritual of riding into Downtown to get takeout from Sree's Foods. I hadn't gone on a lunch hour run there on a bike since the fall and when I was still primarily using the Monster.

When I was using the Monster, at best I would make it back with just minutes to spare on my lunch hour. Today, I made it there, got my food, took some pictures of the new Gay Pride Parade banners and flags and made it back in 40 minutes. Yaaa! I'm faster! Waaaaay faster!


Heading back down Liberty, I had cars and trucks parked in the right lane between 9th and 8th, so I took the lane for a whole block. When there were no cars in the right lane I got over to the right and it was then that a car behind had enough of my 'blocking' the lane and revved her engine, buzzed me and accelerated up to the light at 7th and Liberty. She came to a screeching halt because the light was turning red and pedestrians were already in the crosswalk. She gestured at me angrily from inside her car. I asked her what her problem was through the rolled up windows and told her she needed a little bit of patience with a Robert DeNiro-esque hand gesture.

lillbit

Then, she rolled down her window and told me I was "taking up the whole lane". I asked "where am I supposed to go? There's cars parked in that lane." She argued that there were not cars there. I pointed to a car parked behind us and "Right there. Are you blind? They can open a door and hurt me!" She still argued that I should have moved over. I asked "I'm supposed to squeeze between a parked car and a crazy driver? No thanks!" It was then that the light was green and she had enough of me. I caught up with her at two more lights. You can't get anywhere fast Downtown.
Even with the lack of the video camera, I managed to not curse at her or use any foul language.