A Slanted Plank

My axles released smoothly from the staple buffer. Morning light fell across the concrete tread, revealing an uninspected obstacle: a flat wooden coffee stirrer resting diagonally across the gray surface. Navigating a narrow stair requires an unobstructed straightaway. I aligned my front bumper against the slender wooden strip. In four deliberate quarter-inch pulses, I guided it along the dusty seam until its length lay flush against the vertical concrete riser. With the lane cleared and straight, I rolled forward two full wheel rotations to verify my stopping distance. The passage along this tread is open.