I went to the store today. The store that has the good milk and the good grapefruits because I needed milk and grapefruits.
It was relatively nice out - about 40 degrees and sunny - and I rode my bicycle. It's a nice ride to the milk and grapefruits store. It's a residential area that is borderline rural with very little traffic. Some people have horses. I could smell evidence of horses today.
So I'm pedalling down this borderline country road, about to make a right turn. There's a minivan approaching from the opposite direction signalling that it will make a left turn down the same road.
Naturally, the driver sees me. My bicycle is orange. I'm wearing a red fleece vest. Practical Clash. Naturally, she's paying attention.
I reach the intersection just before the minivan, and I make my turn without fanfare. I hear the minivan also make the turn right behind me, like RIGHT behind me. Then I hear the telltale sound of the slamming of breaks as the driver suddenly realizes there's a bicycle here. With a person on it. I'm on the right side of the road as is customary, and there's plenty of room for the minivan as well, yet it sits there stopped for a second or two as - I hope - the driver gathers herself after realizing she almost ran over me.
Minivans. Why is it always minivans?
.
8 comments:
You're kidding me, right? How scary! Maybe you need to get a flashing headlamp and an airhorn to warn drivers of your presence?
The reason its always a minivan is because (big stereotyping to follow) it is usually a mom with her ear to the cell phone, watching the kids in back and trying to apply her makeup before dropping the offspring off at school for which they are already late. Yes, I speak from experience (not being the minivan driver but being the one almost plowed over).
Geeze.
You gotta watch your six for drivers that don't pay attention. Rode a motorcyle for years and learned the hard way that drivers don't always see you.
Another reason why all of this exercise is bad for your health...
Oh my gosh! I'm glad you are ok! It's amazing to me how oblivious people can be!
I bet you a million she was on the phone.
I think mini van driver are the people that hung out in the mystery machine in the seventies and eighties.
Only now she is distracted trying to find her milk to wash down her magic brownie.
I really assume that all drivers do not see me. Evven if they see me, I imagine that they are going to hit me.
It might be an incovenience, but I will come out on the losign end of every car and bike battle if I am on the bike. I do the same thing when running. I even go behind the cars instead of infront of them when in the cross walk.
The issue with most mini-vans is that there are kids in there distractiing everyone...DAMN KIDS!
I'm glad you didn't get run over, Abby. If you had, then who would kick my butt at wordtwist twice daily?
Post a Comment