I didn't ride my bike to work today because it was rainy outside and I didn't really feel like putting myself in more danger than I sometimes feel like I do on a normal day (plus, riding in the rain didn't sound appealing to me). And then I saw this article in the LA Times about the Means Streets of LA. And while I think Chicago is probably a better town for riding your bike, it made me even a little more glad to have taken a break from the bike. So far, I haven't had anything thrown at me while riding my bike to/from work, but I have had a couple of people telling me to get off the street. One car even went so far as to edge over into the bike lane so I would have a hard time getting around.

I ride to work down Milwaukee Ave., which, as you might know, has a bike lane down most of it. There are a lot of cyclists who take Milwaukee, and you sort of feel like you've joined a club when you start commuting by bike. Then again, a lot of the bikers out there are just as ignorant as the drivers - speeding past you without any warning, darting through traffic. It's no wonder bikers have a bad rep sometimes.

For the most part, I just try to go with the flow. Only once have I yelled at a car (the one clearly in the bike lane for no apparent reason other than to be in my way). I wait at red lights instead of inching out into the intersection. I say thank you to other cyclists that say "on your left" and I say it to the few cyclists going slower than me.

It's sunny out now, and I'm wishing I had my bike so I could ride home. But alas, it's going to be the train for me.