We got a lazer pointer for the kitten. Way too much fun.

On my ride home from work today, it happened again. 12 cars parked in the bike lane. If you know east Nashville, you know where Porter and Eastland meet, right next to Rose Pepper and Portland Brew. There are always cars parked there. It pisses me off. Alot. As I was passing the parked cars that were in the bike lane, leaving me in the middle of the street, when driver's are expecting me to be in the bike lane...a dude was getting in his car. I told him he was parked in the bike lane, it was illegal and it was very dangerous for cyclists. He said he didn't know because it wasn't marked. I informed him of the bike lane sign behind his car, as well as the one just beyond it. He said he didn't see them. That's when I informed him he had parked on the big ass diamond painted on the lane to mark it as such.

He apologized and seemed sorry. He was nice, obviously not bright, but nice. I was still angry, so I did what I hate to do. I called the cops. 862-8600. The non-911 line. It was either that or ride by again and drag the cleat on my shoe down the sides of the cars, but that would make me the asshole. The lady on the other end said she would see if an officer would go out there. I informed her it was flagrant and obvious that laws had been broken. She asked if I would go back to meet a cop. I told her I would if he would write tickets to everyone parked there. She said she couldn't say what the cop would do. I argued for a bit but gave up. I felt like I was pissin' up a rope.

I called a friend who has made it her mission to get people to stop parking in the bike lanes and told her what was happening. She told me she called last night cuz there were, by her count 10-12 cars there. Later on I get a call back. She had ridden by and there were more cars there. She rang up the fuzz. They said they had a cop out there writing tickets earlier. Nice. Stupid people never learn.

So here is my request: if you see cars parked in bike lanes, call the cops. If you eat at those places, tell the manager. People had to fight just to get the bike lanes, guess we gatta fight to keep them. If you don't care, what ever. Just hope you aren't eating eggplant parm when a car smears some poor son of a bitch into the street as you shove a fork full in your mouth. It would probably make you barf.