Don't get mad at Errol Louis — get mad at everyone else.
You may have seen the NY1 anchor's tweet the other day after he bought bikes for himself, his wife and his two children — only to find the newbie cyclists on the receiving end of rudeness by more experienced riders:
It was a very NYC experience. Me, the wife and two youngsters happily making our way home in the bike lane. Rude rider behind us: “could ya bike any slower?” I was too surprised to cuss her out.
Is that really necessary? Of course not, but this isn't a plea to be nice to Errol Louis. Instead, it is a call to stiffen your spine, take the lane and start getting angry at the right people.
If you're skilled enough on a bike to get mad at the slow people in front of you in the bike lane, you're clearly experienced enough to safely move into the motor vehicle lane and pass those people before getting back into the bike lane. Congratulations! Without even realizing it, you've leveled up as a New York City cyclist.
Now it's time to take the next step. You need to get radicalized.
Ordinarily this process takes time, believe me I know. Nine years ago I was run over by a car driver, hospitalized and unable to walk for six weeks — and I still didn't start thinking about bike lane politics for years after that. Right now, you don't think of yourself as "a hardcore biker" and you don't want to tie cycling to your identity.
But if you're gritting your teeth in anger because you feel "stuck" behind someone unsteadily biking their first mile in front of you, you're ready for the much bigger fight of your life.
Dave Colon is a reporter from Long Beach, a barrier island off of the coast of Long Island that you can bike to from the city. It’s a real nice ride. He’s previously been the editor of Brokelyn, a reporter at Gothamist, a freelance reporter and delivered freshly baked bread by bike. Dave is on Twitter as @davecolon. Email Dave Colon at dcolon@streetsblog.org