Entering A Gate, But Not Hell

These days, on my way to work, I ride by the Gates of Hell.

Actually, it's better known as the Hell Gate Bridge.  If you've taken the train to or from Boston from New York, you traversed this span.  

The Bridge is named for the stretch of the East River that runs underneath it.  You wouldn't know it from seeing the boat in the photo, but this length of the East River (which isn't actually a river, but rather an inlet of the ocean) has strong undercurrents.  Inexperienced or careless (or, in at least a few cases, drunk) pilots wrecked their vessels as a result of them.

Strange, isn't it, that a spot with such a turbulent, tragic history can calm me down--even though it's still called Hell Gate!--on my way to my job?

I guess it's not so surprising when you see what set the Gate ablaze this morning.

And, when I arrive at work, I pass through gates to the lot where I park my bike.  A security guard nods when I roll my bike up to the rack.  He is not a keeper of the Gates of Hell.

So It's A Bicycle Friendly City You Want?

It seems that, these days, cities are trying to be "bike friendly"--or to sell  themselves as if they are.

Studies are done, "experts" are hired, money is spent.  The results are mixed:  Everything from bike-share programs to bike lanes that look as if they were designed by folks who'd never even seen a bicycle.

Some would argue that if you want a "bike friendly" city, you have to start from scratch.  It seems that Thomas Yang did just that:

His studio, 100 Copies, combines his passions for cycling and art.  As the name suggests, each of the works he designs is limited to 100 copies.  Each copy is watermarked, and no two copies are completely identical (Is that a contradiction?), according to Yang.

Hmm...I get the feeling he could make the whole world in the image of the bicycle:

Send In The Clowns. No, Bring 'Em On!

Just days after Chelsea bombing, John Miller is telling us "be not afear'd".

All right, he isn't given to talking like Caliban, or any other Shakespeare character.  But he did tell us not to be afraid.



And I'm listening.  You see, he's the New York Police Department's Deputy Counterterrorism Commissioner. Hmm.. A  title like that and a $150 deposit will get him a ride on a Citibike.

Seriously, though...He knows what he's talking about.  Especially when he's telling us what we shouldn't fear, now, in this Time of Trouble.

"Don't believe the hype and don't be afraid of the clowns," he reassured us.

The clowns?  Hey, I ain't afraid of no stinkin' clowns.  Even if they're scary clowns.  I mean, if they have to tell us they're scary, how bad can they be? Right?

Honestly,  do you believe he's any scarier, or any more of a clown, than certain people (whose names I won't mention!;-)  who are running for office?

Tell me:  Which one has worse hair?

And, as long as I'm on my bike, I can ride away from them.  So, I'll have even less reason to worry about Scary Clowns--unless they start riding bikes, too!

Him, I worry about.  But not this one: