About 4 years ago I quit my job teaching in Hawaii, and moved back to Greensboro to become a delivery cyclist for Jimmy John's. I used an old beat up 8S folding bike, which I still use. On my first day at work someone said, " it's another day in paradise", I laughed because I left Hawaii. Most of my co-workers were not enthused with the position ( due to really low wages ), but I loved it. I biked everywhere and had a sandwich which motivated me to go fast...super fast. Hence I became amazingly fit. I would never bike that quickly if I didn't have a sandwich to deliver, it was my great motivator.

Eventually, I learned to never slow down...ever. I found there is always a path through red lights. Even with heavy traffic. I learned to drop speed and then gun it at the right moment to make it through traffic. Cars are intimidated by cyclists, hence if you go they will slow down. My co-workers thought I was crazy for my tactics, and I got pulled over twice by cops ( on my bicycle ). However, I learned new rules of the road....never to slow down. 

One time I miscalculated. I was passing Friendly St, which I evaluated as three traffic lanes and a parking lane. After I committed to crossing on a red light, I understood the parking lane was actually moving traffic. I was in the middle of it with cars moving past me on both sides. Thankfully, I made it through safely ( via luck ). I recall thinking the drivers must have thought I had huge kahones.....actually I mistook a traffic lane as parking. Therefore I was just stupid :)