I ride a bike. I am not a criminal. I'm not doing anything illegal. I'm actually pretty conscientious about how I ride. I stay right in the road, I slow down for stop signs (and stop if there are any cars coming the other way), I would never hang onto a car, I don't creep up past cars at lights, etc. Yet almost every time I ride my bike outside, I am subject to abuse from a stupid car driver.Today the abuser was a 60ish woman in a blue jaguar. I felt the car behind me as I road along. For the record I was going 20 mph and the speed limit was 25. There was plenty of room to pass and no oncoming traffic so I figured the person behind me was just being tentative and extra cautious. As I turned onto a narrow road, this car then pulls up next to me as though she's going to run me off the road. The driver, a blonde, extremely well coiffed lady wearing over-sized sunglasses, starts yelling at me "Why aren't you riding on the god damn sidewalk!??!"
I'd like to say that I'm cool and collected in these situations, but I never am. There is nothing like the adrenaline of almost being killed AND having an idiot yell at you, to encourage your baser instincts to take over.
"I am allowed to be here", I start off well enough. But then quickly spiral, "why aren't you on the f@CKing highway b!tch?" I know. Classy.
She sped away. I'm sure she feels no better about cyclists. I certainly feel no better about drivers. It just feels like I'm playing the lottery waiting for the day when some angry or distracted idiot kills me.
Speaking of a distracted idiot...
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/phillipsburg/index.ssf/2010/09/phillipsburg_criterium_riders.html
Apparently the driver was talking on her cell phone, went around police barriers, ignored people on the street trying to stop her, and plowed into two women who were participating in a sanctioned event. The driver got a fine. She should be in jail and never allowed to drive again.
