Being a creature of habit, I'm a clock watcher in the morning. 7:00 the alarm goes off or the dog gets up. This is my cue to go downstairs, feed the animals and start the coffee. 7:15 the coffee is ready. Yum. The next 45 minutes are coffee, news, maybe some light housework then 8:00 is shower time. By 8:30 i'm hopping on the bike, telling Scout (the dog, yes I talk to the dog) that I'm going to work because someone has to pay for her food and toys. Her response is puppy eyes. My neighbor Alex sometimes meets me out front. We ride downtown.
Because of this pretty strictly kept schedule, the same cast of characters appear each morning with surprising regularity. No other time of day are people as regimented as they are first thing in the morning. Even though i've never spoken to most of them, these folks are part of my day.
First there are the "Latina Mommies Stroller Club" who are often gossiping and walking back from the elementary school at the end of my block. I'm pretty sure they think i'm nuts, but we exchange a smile as I ride by.
After a few blocks of neighborhood I reach Larimer Street. For those of you familiar with Denver, it's not the posh restaurant row part of Larimer, it's the other end of the street- the one full of metal fabrication shops, factories, and bars that are open at 7:00 AM. Recently a few condos have gone in. There's something funny about yuppies with tiny dogs encountering 3rd shift factory workers headed to the bar at 8:35 in the morning. The both look a little confused by the other...
All along Larimer folks are waiting for the number 44 bus. The same folks every day, waiting for the same bus. Part of me hopes they are headed clear across town, but I know some of them are headed downtown. I always hope that seeing me riding makes them consider the option.
As I roll into downtown the cast changes. Construction workers building a high rise, elderly Japanese ladies out for a morning walk, and on Fridays the bar employees out sweeping last night's bar garbage off of the sidewalks.
There's a certain amount of comfort in seeing the same folks over and over. I'd like to think they feel the same way.
I can totally relate, except my cast of characters are usually on the light rail. Also, I wish I were getting in the shower instead of walking into work at 8 AM. Can I have your life?
ReplyDeleteYou are not alone . . . I pretty much make the same commute each day and after a while I started categorizing people in my head (I can see upwards of 100 cyclists per day).
ReplyDeleteThat led to me posting this, which you might enjoy, and be able to make suggestions to:
http://bikehacks.com/the-dictionary-of-bike-commuter-slang-the-unabridged-volume/
Matt - Fellow Glober