Over the River CII
November 25, 2025
Highlights and lowlights from my 102nd two-wheeled trek to the Great State of New York:
1. Once again, the driver of the #55 Falls-bound regional bus was blasting loud music all the way to the Morrison & Dorchester hub, even though passengers aren’t allowed to do the same. And yes, it was reported. This is becoming a widespread problem.
2. Just before turning onto the Rainbow Bridge, a car pulled ahead of me and let an Asian kid out of the passenger’s side who proceeded to follow behind me even though there’s a dedicated walkway that pedestrians are required to use when crossing. I’d have loved to have stuck around to see how that ended up, but alas, I had a bus to catch and you can’t really hang around near an international border crossing without drawing the ire of border guards.
3. I wonder if they’d make you an offer you couldn’t refuse . . .
4. Seated in the Broadway Market was a couple of older guys shooting the breeze. “Trump didn’t raise the grocery prices, Biden did,” said the bearded guy said to his dipshit friend. “She watches Channel 4 news. All they do is lie,” he went on to say. “For all its faults, America has the best government. Let them go to China and see how they like it.”
5. Porkabella, the Broadway Market’s mascot . . .
6. At the Third Space Cafe on Main Street, I listened as a younger couple were engaged in an animated conversation. After she was talking about being distracted while watching three episodes of some TV show, he said, “Put your phone down. If it’s nothing important, that’s fine, but if it’s something you care about, then put the phone down.”
Then the conversation turned to a parking ticket.
“I got my first parking ticket the other day. I swear it was a new sign,” she said.
“Downtown?”
“Near Washington Street. I used to park there all the time. Now there’s no standing any time. I’m going to write a letter. I was so pissed. There needs to be some sort of alert system.”
“Are they supposed to send a letter to everyone in the area saying they’re putting up a new sign?”
“Yes, they do. I think it’s a conspiracy.”
Then it was his turn to bellyache.
“I got my first speeding ticket on my way to the bank during work. I didn’t realize I was going that fast,” he said.
“He was just waiting for you.”
“The first time I was pulled over, I was driving my mom’s car. I was in high school. I felt bad. I had to tell her.”
He went on to talk about that experience when he was pulled over.
“He started asking me all sorts of questions. Where are you going? Where are you coming from? Why are you asking all these questions? What does it matter? Just write me a ticket and let me go. If you’re not going to be nice to me, I’m not going to be nice to you. F--- ’em.”
Not to be outdone, she had more to say about her parking ticket.
“I never not pay for parking. I’m still pissed. They should put a warning. Something that looks like a ticket. Put it on record. Next time, it’s a ticket.”
7. Obeying may be what puppies do, but it’s what humans do far too often as well . . .
8. You don’t say . . .
9. Because some people are more special than others . . .
10. That’s Buffalo for you . . .
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