Thursday, April 10, 2014

Curses!

I have a video I would like to share, but be warned that I take JC's name in vain and drop an F bomb in it. At the time I'm cursing at a flatbed driver that startled me by driving very dangerously. When watching the video, however, I curse myself for my bad lane position instead. Riding where I was riding doesn't make dangerous passes OK, but it does leave the door open for them to happen in the first place.
 
 
 
 
 
My guess is that this guy was hauling ass (there I go, cursing again!) at the end of the work day and had no hope of slowing down to anywhere near a safe speed, which meant he had to thread the needle between that oncoming car and me.
 
I was riding into the wind and was moving pretty slowly and I'm always tempted to get right rather than slow the cars down. I KNOW I shouldn't give in to this feeling: here's a quote from something I wrote about controlling the lane just last September:
 
"The point I'm trying to make is that ticking people off for a short time is often better than keeping them happy, despite the basic and strong human desire to be liked. It took a shift in thinking that was a little difficult, but now that I've experienced the reduction in risk (and therefore fear and stress) it creates, I'll never go back".
 
Turns out I'm full of shit. Curses!
 
 
Yer Pal,
R A N T W I C K

9 comments:

RoadQueen said...

*tisk, tisk* Rantwick, I remember that post and it's still very good advise, in my humble I-Know-Nothing opinion. Stay safe out there!

Anonymous said...

video forwarded to Andy's auto wreckers...

RANTWICK said...

Thanks Anon but I already did it. They took it seriously and responded quickly, assuring me they would have a word with their driver, which is all I was after.

RANTWICK said...

RQ - It remains good advice, I agree. I was full of it on the "never go back" part, at least on this stretch of unfamiliar road.

rlove2bike said...

WTF...oh poop, there I go. Uncalled for. IMO you have every right to be pissed. Might be the local police department should have a look also.

RANTWICK said...

rlove2bike - I don't want to sick the police on anyone... just wanted the driver to be made aware that it wasn't cool, which is happening, so I'm all good.

Steve A said...

Bad lane position should not be a fatal failing. Ever.

rlove2bike said...

Yeah...I am with you rantwick. I wouldn't have involved the police either. The only time I have ever called the police is when my car was STOLEN. They did recover it for me. :-)

RANTWICK said...

Steve - Agreed!

Post a Comment