HERE.

Boylston Street has some of the most pathetic bicycle rackage in Boston. “Well, at least there are some bicycle racks,” doesn’t cut it. A surprising number of people share a pathetically small number of racks that were obviously put in more as a symbolic than a practical measure. But almost worse than the city’s half-assed gestures toward alternative modes of transportation in its core, are cyclists’ insensitivity to the needs of other cyclists. It’s sad, but not too surprising, truth told, that there’s really no solidarity among cyclists in the city. I mean, City of Brotherly Love Boston most assuredly is not.

At the risk of seeming like more of a prickly prick than I generally do, I would like to demonstrate two methods of racking your bike on the Boylston Street racks: the first would be the WRONG way, the selfish, inconsiderate way, since it allows for only two bikes to be racked at once. Whereas the second is the way that allows for four bikes. And, trust me, maximizing space is important during the work-week.

These are not ideal racks, as I’ve said, but you work with what you’re given. Really, the main point here is to think about others occasionally. You know, when you do, I swear to God things run much more smoothly for everyone. It’s not just being nice to no purpose. Being nice actually makes things work better. For real.

So peace out, and freakin rack your bikes up right, Boston!

An op-ed in today’s Boston Globe.

Have you seen him yet?

My friend Tony spotted him over the weekend, on Mass Ave., if I’m not mistaken. And then, this evening as I was riding home, we crossed paths on Tremont Street.

He’s a skinny, scrappy old thing. Looks like he’s seen some tough times. But that’s life in the city, as my ma used to say, especially for a bear. But despite the patch of mange on his tattered old hide, and his worn old visage with its faded fur and sad, goofy smile, he’s ever so friendly, waving at everyone as he rides by. And waving in a nice way. He doesn’t freakin’ QUACK-QUACK at you, all aggressively, like you’re the butt of his joke. Just a neighborly little wave as he passes. Which is why people wave back.

He doesn’t stand for anything in particular. He’s not advertising anything that I can see. He’s just a bear on a bike. Which is enough, when you think about it.

We need to fix him up with a foxy, cycling she-bear, so they can get busy making baby bears. Because Boston most definitely needs more bears on bikes.