White Privilege Cyclist Blues

8.21.2014 31m

Rode 32 miles from the Rez with K. Went to the Sewickley Bridge, crossed over, headed north on Beaver Street, and that's when my ugly interaction with Power and Authority went down.

I was just riding along, taking the lane (don't all these stories start the same?) which is my right because it's not safe in the door zone and I sure wasn't going to share the lane with that pickup truck coming up behind me, there just wasn't room.

An uniformed old white lady starts in with me, calling "Hey pull over to the side, there's cars behind you!". I tried to figure out what was up, then I realized: Parking Meter Matron. Ughhh. Another instrument of control.

So you see, the Man is Trying to Keep Me Down, too. I thought about stopping and taking a #Selfie with her, but I figured maybe the best thing to do was to get Sewickley in my rear view mirror before she got all Homeland Security on me and the Sewickley SWAT team rolled. I bet they've got Range Rovers, because: Sewickley.

Didn't stop pedalling until I got to Ambridge and pulled into the Blue Canary for an iced coffee to center myself. Great coffee there. Weather radar showed rain coming in, so short-cutted the route and took the Ambridge Bridge back home. K beat me up all the hills.