Today, a flagger stood his stop sign in front of me as I biked through a construction zone. Various construction zones for investment properties have blocked the portions of the bike lane on Dexter Avenue. for the 5 years that I’ve been commuting. Being stopped by a flagger is a regular occurrence, however, when there is just one bike on the road and no cars, like today, the flagger will often let the bike pass. I didn’t mind waiting, though. The flagger didn’t look at me so he may not have known no one else was there. Maybe he was new at his job- he seemed pretty focused on the semi-trucks backing into the road. Then he walked behind the semis, with his sign. Should I go? Should I stay? The flagger was gone, so I should go…I guess. The flagger left without glancing at me at all. Here’s where I got annoyed. The semis pulled into THE BIKE LANE. So, the flagger stops me, then blocks the bike lane without so much as an acknowledgement to the person on the bike. A little polite nod would have been enough. Common courtesy can make someone’s day.
I can’t remember exactly what year it was, but in earlier years of my commuting career, the flagger for another investment property greeted cyclists with warm smiles and fun conversation. I looked forward to greeting this eternally cheerful bearded dude every day. We chatted about the weather, the traffic, the job, whatever. The jubilance of the bearded flagger was kind of legendary, too. Every commuter I talked to, whether at work or at Bikes and Bagels or at other bike-themed activities, spoke fondly of him. Connection is a sort of thing you can have on a bike that’s different from commuting in a car. You can actually converse with other commuters at lights, say hello to parents walking their kids to work, pedestrians getting coffee, and anybody else you see. You aren’t confined by the closed walls of a car. Most people still choose to stay silent, and that’s where the happy bearded flagger shined. It didn’t matter how many jackhammers pounded around him, he still hollered “Good Morning!” to me every day. Acknowledgement of your existence is a wonderful thing, especially in hazardous areas. I miss that cheerful flagger!

Fremont Bridge Bike Count: 191