Last night, I stood at a red light while pedestrians crossed in the usual flood in front of me. A long-haired tween and a heavily-tattooed father figure walked together holding Top Pot doughnut bags (this was the intersection at the famed doughnut bakery). She looked right at me, gave a knowing glance, and smiled! She made my day!

I try to make eye contact and smile at as many people as I can on the street, but this is particularly hard to do. Often people refuse eye contact unless they want something. Getting someone to smile back at me is especially challenging, and more so when I am on a bike. It's sort of a mission of mine, to induce smiles on others, and so there is nothing better than to have someone do the same to me. Hooray young woman! It's hard not to smile when you have a doughnut on a sunny afternoon walk with your father, and I thank her for sharing her joy with me.

Fremont Bridge Bike Count: 351 (normal time)