$&#@!* CARS!!!!! - #3

Yesterday as I rode home I had another close encounter with cars (that's plural). When you commute to work these kind of encounters are unfortunately, inevitable and too frequent. It is possible to minimize these encounters by riding carefully, obeying the law, signaling your intentions and carefully choosing your route. However, as this story will demonstrate, despite your best intentions and your meticulous planning, --it happens.

I was riding slowly (10 mph) through the neighborhoods. It was still light out, but the sun had set and darkness was quickly descending. I was less than a mile from home as I came upon a small intersection and noticed two cars, in succession, were approaching from a side street on my right. With my superior cognitive skills, I immediately ascertained that we would all reach the intersection at the exact same time. I clearly had the right of way, but instinctively began to lightly touch the brakes until I made eye contact with the older gentleman that was driving and was certain he saw me. We never made eye contact and sure enough, he pulled out right in front of me. I hit the brakes to keep from T-boning him and that was when he noticed me, flinched and kept going. I simply turned my palm skyward and shrugged my shoulders as if to say "hello - open your eyes - pay attention". I wasn't angry, because in his defense, it was starting to get dark, the streetlights had just fired up and I should have probably switched on my front light. Recognizing my culpability, I handled the encounter in a cool, calm and collective manner.

It was the second car, immediately behind the first that really caught me off guard. I was still recovering from the aforementioned near miss, when I looked over and made contact with the young lady driving the second car. I expected to receive a knowing and sympathetic glance from her relative to the obtuseness of that first driver and my superior bike handling skills. She smiled kindly and then pulled out right in front of me!!!! I was shocked and appalled. She saw me. She made eye contact. She smiled. She knew she had a stop sign. She knew I had the right of way. She witnessed me almost getting smashed by the first car. YET - despite that plethora of information - SHE PULLED OUT RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!!!!!!! Needless to say, my reaction to this sweet, young lady was not nearly as innocuous as that of the first encounter.

After swerving to miss the second car, I turned around and watched them both drive away. I turned back towards home, reached down, turned on my lights and rode on.

$&#@!* CARS!!!!! - #2

A couple weeks ago, I was riding work. Running late, which seems to be the rule lately, I took the shorter route which goes through Huntington Park. I was exiting the park at the light that crosses Mercury Blvd. Since I don't have enough metal on my bike to trigger the traffic light sensor, I rolled over to the light pole and pushed the button. My light turned green and out of habit, I first looked right, towards the James River Bridge, all was clear. I then looked left and noticed a white car approaching the intersection at a pretty high rate of speed. Although they had a red light and it had been red for several seconds, it was obvious that they weren't slowing down.

As the car barrelled through the intersection at 45 MPH, I noticed the female driver chatting away furiously on her cell phone. She was completely oblivious to the dangers she placed herself and others, principally me, in.

My dear readers, never take a green light for granted. Look both ways before you stomp on those pedals. It may mean the difference between life and death. It did for me on this particular morning.

$&#@!* CARS!!!!!

One day this week, I was running late, so decided to take the short route to work. It certainly gets me there quicker, with only one problem to contend with - the traffic. Hence the principal reason I normally choose to ride a route that is nearly twice as long.

Everything was going OK until I merged onto Warwick Blvd, the main thoroughfare to and from the shipyard. At the time of morning I'm riding, Warwick is bumper to bumper with shipbuilders in their gas guzzlers, rushing to find a parking place. I take the back streets for the lion's share of the route - unfortunately there is a quarter mile segment of this route where getting on Warwick is inevitable.

This particular segment has a shoulder that's lined with parallel parked cars. To keep from getting doored, I am forced to ride further in the right traffic lane. I'm sure this annoys drivers who think they own the road and no one else has a right to be on it. As I was tooling along, I glanced in my mirror and noticed headlight just behind. Due to traffic in the other lane, the driver was forced to slow down and ride behind me for a full 2 seconds. The large SUV then pulled alongside me and just as I was adjacent to it's rear wheel, I noticed the front right turn signal blinking. I instinctively grabbed the brakes just as the SUV made an abrupt right hand turn in front of me. "What the H E double hockey sticks...unbelievable...you idiotic blankity blank...you inconsiderate so and so..."

I considered following the SUV into the parking lot and confronting the driver - yet I've been riding long enough and cut off so many times that I knew exactly how the encounter would go. We would exchange un-pleasantries - the driver would have no remorse and stand firmly on the principle that "bikes have no business on the road in the first place".

I gave a wave of displeasure and rode on, shaking my head in dismay, taking deep breathes to calm myself. I realize that drivers are not attuned to look for cyclist.

• I accept the fact that cars will pull in front me - simply because they didn't see me, despite the fact that I wear bright reflective clothing and my bike blinks like a Christmas tree.
• I accept the fact that drivers will get right behind me and honk - startling the heck out of me.
• I accept the fact that drivers will zoom by and occasionally yell at me to get off the road.
• I accept the fact that drivers will make obscene gestures at me for taking up space in their world.
• I accept the fact that drivers will occasionally throw things at me - actually that's not true - I don't accept having things thrown at me - but it happens all the same.
• I accept the fact that girls will pass by me, scream and giggle in ecstasy at my rock solid, lycra clad body - actually that never happens - but if it ever does happen I can accept it.

However, when someone pulls up beside me, knows I'm there and turns into me - a move that could well have squashed me like a bug had I not taken evasive maneuvers - well that's a pretty hard thing to brook.

So why do I tell this story? Well for two reasons really. First - I guess I just need a place to vent. Secondly - I hope that it serves as an important lesson to my readers. That lesson is that the number one thing to remember when riding a bike is "RIDE DEFENSIVELY".

• When you're approaching a side street where a car is waiting - assume it will pull out in front of you.
• When a car comes around you from behind - assume it will turn right in front of you.
• When a car is backing out it's driveway - assume it will back out in front of you.
• When a car is facing you and making a left hand turn - assume it will turn left in front of you.

You will find yourself slowing down more than you need to - but trust me - one day - one of the aforementioned assumptions will be come a reality - and you'll be glad your hand was on the brake.