It's 5 o'clock rush hour in downtown Seattle on a Friday night. Rain just started to fall and I am zipping down 4th avenue in the shared bike lane. I look over my shoulder and notice a car lurking behind me one lane over. I continue on, look again, and notice the car still hasn't sped up. Why, I wonder, as I look ahead and see that there are no cars ahead of this one even though the other 2 lanes are full of cars. Oh, well, I wonder. I guess I need to change lanes soon. At that moment, the car sped up a little too fast, overtaking all the empty road ahead of me. That's when I realized the car was waiting for ME! The thoughtful driver probably saw me glance over and look at him and thought I was about to change lanes. He then held back all the traffic waiting for me to change lanes and I never did. I totally get it, when a cyclist looks to the side it totally looks like they are about to change lanes. Something about how the whole bike moves just from the head turning. Also, unlike a driver in a car, it is very obvious every  time a cyclists' head turns. I felt very warmed that the driver was so cautious and thoughtful of me. I feel bad that rather than thanking them, I probably annoyed them by making no intention to change lanes. 

A little farther, I'm stopped at a traffic light, and the cyclist in front of me gets in the middle of the car lane instead of the bike lane. "That's weird", I think. At that moment, the cyclist points at me and the giant UPS truck to the side of me. "He's trying to turn", he says. "Huh?" At that moment, I realize the bike lane is closed off ahead of me anyway, so there was no reason for me to be in the bike lane and every reason for me to be with the other cyclist so the UPS truck could turn. I moved, and the UPS truck happily went about it's way. I appreciated the cyclist pointing that all out to me and the driver for being patient.

Toward the end of my ride, I sped past all the slowed cars in the congestion of Greenwood. SCREE! A car is trying to turn out of a shop and the car stuck in traffic is letting them in. I don't know this because all I see is stopped traffic and can't see the big empty space nice people in the cars above me are leaving. I screech to a stop, leaving space for the car to get out of the driveway. Instead, he stops and waves me on. Aww, it was just so remarkable seeing people so genuinely patient during rush hour. No sooner do I pass those vehicles that the same thing happens again. I stop fully this time, no way are two drivers going to notice me in a row. But this other driver did the exact same thing. He actually seemed pleased to encourage me along. 

I probably miss out on many kindnesses made by others, just as I did early on in today's ride. However, their efforts are meaningful nonetheless, as I am still just as touched realizing it after the fast. I hope I can extend similar kindnesses to others on my next ride.