Open Streets, closed eyes and BikeIndex

This was the final Open Streets event of the year. I've come to appreciate this event. When I'd first heard about it, I had an apprehensive attitude towards it... but I've warmed up to it. I enjoy it.
I used this opportunity to get Fizz finally registered with BikePGH!'s "I Heart My Bike" program. They seem to be using a national bike registry program called BikeIndex which I immediately loved. You can upload a photo of your bike with serial number and list added components like fenders and tires as well as descriptive items like the color of the bottle cages.
I went to work getting her registered: https://bikeindex.org/bikes/52607
Eventually, BikePGH! will upload the photo they took of Fizz and I with that awesome iconic background with the Pittsburgh skyline and giant heart.

Afterwards, I ran into Marko... or I should say... I rode right past him and didn't see him! I might have been concentrating more on not crashing into other cyclists and people walking the route. The number of people out was incredible. Open Streets is popular! 

This kid had some sort of catastrophic mechanical failure of his bike. His bike simply stops and the front wheel lurches up. I wonder what would have caused this... a broken chain? Something getting caught in the spokes? I don't see any debris... curious.
EDIT: after conferring with Marko, he suggests that the child's front wheel hit the foot of the pedestrian in front of him,  which is obvious to me now.



We rode into town where I needed to depart Marko's company and veer off the route to hit an ATM and get some cash for a bánh mì hoagie at Lucy's.
After I obtained my delicious sandwich, I ran into Marko again.
We found some shade and ate. It was dreadfully hot and sunny, standing still was awful, I preferred the breeze that we'd get while moving on the bike.
Yale and Lucia stopped to chat before I had to depart for an afternoon Pirates game. By now, the streets had opened back up to cars and with that, brought the blind and clueless.

I had a close pass and a left cross close call on my way back to the ballpark.





For the short time that one enjoys the freedom of Open Streets: not having to worry about a car running me down and those pesky red lights too... I got quickly accustomed to blowing through red lights and the peace that comes with a car-free street.

Back to reality.