Week Twenty-Four - Day Three: Traffic Jam

BIKE: Mike
TIME THERE: 30 min.
TIME BACK: 30 min.
WEATHER: overcast, -7C, 6 km/hr wind there; partly cloudy, 1C, 9km/hr wind back.
WHAT I WORE: warm-up pants, t-shirt, waterproof shell, running gloves, scarf
NOTES:

On the way home today, traffic along Stony Plain Road was backed up about 12-15 blocks. I crawled along with the cars for a few blocks, trying to figure out just how long this slow-down would last. I had already left work a little later than usual, and I started getting nervous that this traffic stand-still would prevent me from making it to my daughter's daycare to pick her up in time before they closed. Then, it occurred to me: one of the many advantages bikes have over cars is that in a pinch, I can take to the sidewalks. Feeling myself in a pinch, that's exactly what I did.

The sidewalks weren't in great condition. Some were properly cleared of snow, and with the mild weather we've been having lately those areas were practically bare. The other areas where people didn't bother clearing the snow, on the other hand, were a complete and utter mess. I had to stand up out of my seat for a lot of the sidewalk riding as the half-melting hard-packed sidewalk snow gave way beneath my wheels and threw me to and fro as I powered over them. Standing up off the seat allowed me to maintain my balance better and maintain control of the bike, even as it fishtailed while making its way over brain-shaking ice-snow mini-moguls. I was desperately happy that this didn't last any more than ten blocks or so, because it wasn't pleasant. At least I made good time, easily cruising past long lines of cars and buses stuck in gridlock on the road. Most importantly, I got to my daughter's daycare on time and was greeted by her happy little face as she ran towards me yelling, "Mama!!" in a way that always brightens my day.

By the way, I found out what was causing all of that back-up: close to the intersection at which I turn off Stony Plain Road to ride the last few blocks home, I found two cop cars parked behind a stopped car taking up one of the two westbound lanes. It looked like a routine traffic stop. I shook my head to myself, thinking of all the backed up traffic carnage caused by this one ill-timed, ill-placed maneuver. Today, I was mighty happy to be riding my bike. Otherwise, I might still be stuck in traffic!