Over the River XCIX
September 28, 2025
Highlights and lowlights from my 99th two-wheeled trek to the Great State of New York:
1. Passing in the opposite direction near the Glendale Avenue exit was a bus from Coach Atlantic/Maritime Bus. The same kind of bus I saw in Moncton not that long ago and one I’ve never seen anywhere outside New Brunswick.
2. Upon leaving the outlet mall, rather than make a convenient left turn at the light onto Glendale, where the temporary Niagara College stop was less than a block away, the regional bus driver instead turned right from Taylor Road, went back into the outlet mall parking lot, turned around at the roundabout and doubled back. One can only wonder if they’re getting paid by the mile.
3. Boarding the #110 bus at Valley Way was a young DWAM™ wearing a black hoodie over a T-shirt from Subway. Such people are undoubtedly proud members of the 10-shot club by now.
4. At U.S. Customs at the Rainbow Bridge, there was an officer waiting for me and my inspection consisted of one question: “Where are you going?”
5. While waiting for the Discover Niagara Shuttle on Rainbow Boulevard, I listened as a white guy and a black guy were changing the sign outside a hotel parking lot. The white guy congratulated the black guy on getting his license thanks to getting a different examiner on his second try.
6. Amazingly, the shuttle showed up as scheduled, had a bike rack and one that was installed high enough on the bumper so that the lever securing the front wheel cleared the ground when I twisted it around.
The driver was a chatty black woman with dark purple dreadlocks who has two kids and drives a school bus during the week. After telling her I had come from Canada, she said, “We don’t get too many visitors from Canada anymore.” During the ride in which I was her only passenger, I mentioned how bad the exchange rate was on the dollar, pointing out that I had recently paid over $28 Canadian for a $20 US bill at my bank. It was a concept she just couldn’t get her head around. “You mean, like international fees?” she asked.
7. As we passed by this display on Center Street, part of the Lewiston Harvest & Hops Festival, the driver seemed particularly impressed that these garlic fries were award-winning. But as I pointed out, who’s giving the awards? In any event, I don’t know how much money I would have to be paid to eat such a thing.
8. Nothing like a little price gouging for a captive audience . . .
9. Nearby, I spotted an older Asian DWAM™ with a cane. Outside. The sighting reminded me of a meme I saw recently . . .
10. While stopping for a break at the Orange Cat in Lewiston, where there was a line outside the door, I listened as a white guy was talking to a Muslim guy at a nearby table. “I’m like the fly on the wall,” said White Guy. “I’m not good with starting conversations. You never know people’s opinions.” He went on to talk about how her mother was going down the sidewalk in her scooter and got caught in a downpour. “I had to talk her down from the ledge,” he said. To try to calm her down he suggested they go out for dinner.
11. Yuck . . .
12. At the Power Vista, I spotted this Eastern Coyote, which was on display as part of the New York Power Authority’s 40th annual Wildlife Festival. There were no business cards identifying the coyote as a genius.
13. While heading south on Lewiston Road past the Power Vista, I passed by a scruffy bum staggering around in the shoulder who asked me, “Do you have a lighter by any chance?”
14. Now they’re putting DWAMs™ on murals. Perhaps the caption should instead read, “Dipshit Lives Matter.”
15. Inside the Niagara USA Visitor Center, I spotted someone wearing a T-shirt with the message, “Skilled labor isn’t cheap. Cheap labor isn’t skilled.”
16. Along the trail near the Niagara Falls (Canada) Bus Terminal, an Asian couple flagged me down. Using hand gestures, since they obviously didn’t speak a word of English, I surmised they wanted to know where the falls were, so I motioned for them to keep heading south.
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