June 23, 2008 10:44 pm
In Passing
Posted by Will under biking, health
[8] Comments
Last week, a big black Sport Futility Vehicle passes me at speed on 6th Street just east of Fairfax veeeery much too close for comfort. I’m talking another couple inches and trouble. So I fly the middle finger and boom a fah-cue! at its ass, but the sumbitch just guns it and goes. Five or six blocks away I see a big black SUV make a right, but it does so from in front of a similarly sized and colored SUV so by the time I get to where the turn had been executed I’m looking south at the one and east at the other and I eenie-meanie-miney-mo and choose the one straight ahead… and I chose wrong. This big black monster has all its windows down, sunroof open and the driver is puffing a stogie. The offending ride was closed up tight against the 90-degree temps. I think about doubling back to catch the bastard up at Wilshire, but it’s not worth the trouble and so I head on home. Seething.
Fast forward to a pitch dark gawd-awful-thirty the next morning and I come wide awake from the vivid nightmare I had in which I confronted the SUV’s driver and then go on to basically destroy the inconsiderate jerk’s car before destroying the inconsiderate jerk. I won’t go into the gory details except to say the dude ends up medievally messy dead — and that freaks me out. Sure it’s the subconscious and all, but still. Whoa. There’s anger down in them there dark places.
Not that I’d ever commit such unspeakability outside of my dreams, but because I don’t even want to get into any ineffective verbal altercations with these dimwads anymore I’ve come up with a plan that’s going to allow me me to go proactive instead of reactive. That’s right, the next time me and my bike are encroached upon and I’m able to catch up to the encroacher. I’m a-gonna hand ‘em one of these below from a short stack I’ll be carrying with me then get the hell on with my life (click for a more readable version):
8 Responses to “ In Passing ”
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July 9th, 2008 at 7:57 am[...] First comes me changing my evil road warrior ways and instead of confronting/berating every vehicle that excessively encroaches on mine and my bike’s space, I come up with this entirely verbose and overtly diplomatic manner of raising awareness. [...]



June 23rd, 2008 at 11:26 pm
brilliant!
June 23rd, 2008 at 11:45 pm
An excellent idea, if you can get anyone to read it.
Another cyclist I saw once had a special device he built and attached to the rack on his bike. It consisted of a rod about 24″ long, fiberglass I think, attached via a spring. Hanging from it was a net material triangular, reflective, florescent hazard sign cut out from a safety vest. Now here’s the best part, lashed to the end of the rod was a red, sharp can opener, of the type used to open beverages in days gone by. If a motorist was foolish enough to ignore the hazard sign, well, the damage to his car was his responsibility!
June 24th, 2008 at 7:52 am
I think those are excellent.
June 24th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
I agree Gary, the trick is to get them to actually read it. But if they’ll accept it from me I’ll be satisfied.
I’ve seen devices similar to the one you mention (although not equipped with devices that inflict damage!). I’ve occasionally thought about getting/making one, but for the most part motorists give me the room I need to feel safe enough.
June 24th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
How about just the simple “right/wrong” graphic with a note underneath saying something like, “Please refer to page 19 of your California Drivers Handbook”?
Who knows, they might actually learn some useful stuff while they’re in there.
June 24th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
Quick and to the point Rollers! I’m far too verbose to keep it so nicely simple.
June 24th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
My AT-AT resembles that Sport Futility Vehicle. I promise it wasn’t me. I don’t fail at driving.