Category Archives: Recumbent bicycle

Cab Driver, Once More ’Round the Block

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(with a nod to the Mills Brothers’ hit)

We’re at 15,697 miles.

We left for Central Park at 6 AM to make Human Rights First’s presence known.

Bikes belong here.
Pigeons breakfasting.

We entered Central Park at West 67th Street, near this memorial.

Ghost bike on Central Park West
The bike marks where Australian tourist Madison Jane Lyden was killed when a car in the bike lane forced her into traffic.

Drivers still block that same bike lane.

Local scofflaw on Central Park West; the cones at left didn’t leave room for a cyclist to pass without competing with motor traffic.
Massachusetts scofflaw on Central Park West.
The NYPD cruises by and does nothing.

Ah, well, it’s nothing new. You may recall that in 2014, after Jeffrey was nearly killed, his lower left leg shattered, by a criminally negligent Brooklyn driver, the NYPD did nothing.

At least it gave us a photo for our fairing, to start conversations on the road.

It’s a relief that only a few (official) motor vehicles are allowed in the park.

The Sheep Meadow was foggy.
The Park Path was nearly empty. It was crowded later.
We did ten laps on the 6.1 mile (10 km) Park Drive (marked in yellow), one trip on the 4 streets bordering the park, plus travel from and to our home: 70 miles (113 km) altogether.
Look down and you’d never know you’re in NYC.

Shannon was one of many people who gave us encouragement today. He rode alongside us for a while.

Shannon and his wife have a ministry in East Harlem that helps residents create and enjoy art. Creation is restorative. Freedom to create is a human right.

Susan and Whitney spotted our sign.

Susan (at left) knows HRF! She formerly was a law associate of William D. Zabel, a founder of Human Rights First.
(Jeffrey had a delightful chat with Nebraska native Mr. Zabel last October. Who at HRF has seen Nebraska as Mr. Zabel and we have?)
The fog lifted … almost to the top of one of the “pencil” apartment buildings.
Central Park has “horse apples” like we saw in Minnesota—except here they show bike tire tracks. Not our tracks. We are nimble on wheels.
Horse apple generators.
Greenery. Purple-ery. Peace.
We left the park and threaded Fifth Avenue traffic needles.
Safe again at home.

In Central Park, we saw people from the world over, speaking many languages. Locals and tourists. Cyclists, musicians, runners, dog walkers, snackers, a Buddhist monk, carriage drivers, gardeners, construction workers, cops, on and on and on.

And they saw us. And some got our message. Human Rights First! Which is the point.

See you tomorrow!