Driving in New York City has always been a bit challenging, but these days the degree of difficulty has increased exponentially. 

Making driving in NYC a bit easier is the fact that the streets are laid out in a grid.  The avenues go north and south, and the streets go east to west. Add to that the GPS apps that nearly every car and/or smart phone have, and you would think you’re in pretty good shape.

However, knowing where you want to go and getting there are two very different challenges.

Here are the hurdles an ordinary driver faces while motoring in the big city:

Bikes. I understand that bikes are greener than cars and that our environment is in trouble. I truly do get it.  But here’s the problem. There are hundreds of bikes for rent in the city. This is a problem for several reasons. First of all, these bikes have taken up a lot of parking spaces, which is probably one of the intended consequences, but doesn’t make this city parker happy.  Second, these bikes are available to anyone with a credit card, but there is no requirement that the rider supply his own helmet. Third, there is no obligation for the biker to have any familiarity with the rules of the road. 

The advent of the e-bike on city streets has added to the degree of difficulty for car drivers. E-bikes are heavier and can travel much faster.  Many of the riders are deliverymen, and their living depends on them getting their deliveries to their destination quickly, but this often means that they pay no attention to traffic lights, which poses problems for drivers and pedestrians. 

As a matter of fact, regular cyclists have been known to ignore traffic signs and lights, which is a further test for those of us who must obey said laws. It’s a shock to have a biker sliding past you on either the right or left side, or better yet, in the traffic lane, driving between cars.

Many streets have bike lanes, which run along the sidewalk.  Then there’s sometimes a parking lane, and in NYC double-parking is a way of life, so often it is just one lane open for cars.

I am not averse to taking mass transit, but there are times when it is just not feasible and drive we must.

So, let’s see, there’s no parking, helmetless bikers everywhere, e-bikes, e-scooters and e-unicycles zipping by with no regulation, and one lane of traffic open on busy streets.

On second thought, taking the bus does sound like a better idea! I’ll just hope that I don’t get mowed down by an e-bike as I cross the street.