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I've Got Something to Say
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| Ride Stats |
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Time: 00:36:28
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Distance:
7.66 miles
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Max Speed:
25.50 mph
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Avg Speed:
12.50 mph
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Altitude Gain:
0 ft
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Route:
home-work (Page Ave)
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Weight:
239
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Category: general: commute -
solo
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Terrain: Road: Hills
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Bike: Fuji Supreme 700c Hybrid
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Club: Commuter Cycling Century |
| Weather Conditions: 28 degrees (feels like 18)
Wind: E11
Humidity: 54%
Cloudy |
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Time: 00:37:15
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Distance:
7.56 miles
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Max Speed:
25.50 mph
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Avg Speed:
12.10 mph
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Altitude Gain:
0 ft
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Route:
work-home (Page Ave direct)
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Weight:
0
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Category: general: commute -
solo
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Terrain: Road: Hills
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Bike: Fuji Supreme 700c Hybrid
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Club: Commuter Cycling Century |
| Weather Conditions: 32 degrees (feels like 24)
Wind: E9
Humidity: 44%
Cloudy (snow in the area, but streets were pretty clear)
Sunset: 4:59 PM
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It doesn’t happen very often, but there are occasions that motorist seem a little careless, or a little ‘couldn’t careless’, when passing me on the road, and they pass a little closer to me than they need to be. When they are within the 2-3 foot range, I do yell "EXCUSE YOU!" as loud as I can to try and let them know of my displeasure. One option I’ve always pondered after many of these close calls is if they are ever close enough to me when passing I will bang on the car to get their attention - either knock on the window, or bang on the fender to maybe rattle thier cage a little. After all if the car is close enough to me so that I can reach out and touch it, then it is TO CLOSE.
Well, it finally happened today on my way to work. A woman in a minivan taking her child (or two) to the middle school a couple blocks ahead was within a foot of me as it tried passed me, as we approached a stop sign, so I knocked on the sliding door’s window and yelled "EXCUSE YOU!" She stopped at the stop sign and I rolled along side, hesitated slightly then accelerated to beat her off the line. As I was able to get ahead of her, I moved into the middle of the ‘lane’ on this otherwise quiet residential street, and as she proceeded she stuck her head out the window and yelled at me, "You know you are supposed to stop at stop signs! It is the law." To which I replied, "You know you are to keep your car at least 2 feet away from me when passing. It is the law."
Actually, I’m not exactly sure that the law in MO states a 2 or 3 foot clearance requirement when passing cyclist, like other states do, but I’m sure there is something in there about passing at a safe distance. There are stop signs at every intersection on this street, so as I arrived at the next intersection (still taking my half in the middle of the lane), I stopped and took both feet off the pedals and placed them firmly on the road, turned my head to the left and yelled, "There, I stopped." She doesn’t know how lucky she was that I wore regular tennis shoes this morning, and not my normal shoes with cleats, as it would have taken me another two or three seconds to re-engage my left foot on the pedal before starting again. Anyway, I then proceeded down the road and at the next intersection I stopped, only put one foot down this time, and yelled again, "There I stopped!" She would turn left into the schools parking lot just before reaching the next stop sign/intersection, where I turn left to continue on my way to work.
As I made my turn and watched her pull up to the curb to drop off her load, the thought crossed my mind wondering if I could turn around and meet up with her where the parking lot exits back to the street and if we could engage in an adult, mature, conversation about what transpired and what could have been done differently. But the thought was just fleeting and I continued on my way. Not pursuing any follow-up conversation is my only regret about this whole situation. But then again, another encounter could have escalated into something even less tasteful that what already transpired.
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