Mom needed me to run an errand, and I took it as an opportunity to learn something new. I grabbed my new dublinbikes membership card, donned my helmet and reflective vest, and headed to the bike rack.

It all looked harmless enough, but was it?  NOOOOOOO!

Riding on the opposite side of the street — over cobblestones — and zigzagging through the maze of one-way streets that do not flow together with any logic that I can ascertain….

Well, it was very, very difficult getting just six blocks.

And, believe it or not, Dubliners in cars do not yield to pedestrians.  They do so a little — just a little — for bicyclists.  Pretty hard to believe, I know, but that’s my experience.  Pedestrians waiting at crosswalks, don’t elicit empathy, slowing, or stopping.

Today, I took a number of detours in places I couldn’t cross due to heavy flow of traffic. Fortunately, I made it the six blocks alive.  I returned my bike to the dublinbikes stand.

In the end, my right hand was dirty from clutching the handle and switching gears.  I made Mom’s purchase, picked up some dairy at the grocery and veggies at the produce stands, and walked the six block back home… nice and safe, on foot!