I got myself involved in an impromptu game of chicken with a cyclist on the ride back home. He was riding with a partner, in the opposing lane. We saw each other coming a long ways away. I kept my course, being on the right side of the trail. The other cyclist didn't budge. As we got closer all kinds of thoughts crossed my mind, but I just got a sense from this guy, clad in full spandex on a road bike, like his riding partner, that he saw me, wearing knickers and a workout T, eyeglass mirror, on a hybrid with a rack and panniers, as someone who should get out of his way, he being an elite serious cyclist and all. For safety's sake, and normally I always err on the side of safety, I should have yielded. But I suppose I'm as prone to machismo as the other guy, so I held my ground and actually sped up. Finally with a couple of seconds to spare he veered a little closer to the center of the trail and we zipped by each other frankly too close.

I know logically I shouldn't have gotten into this, but something in me just wasn't going to let a guy riding like he's above common etiquette have his way. I know speeding up was stupid and dangerous... but somehow I think if I had to do it over again I might have done the same thing. Yeah something worse might have to happen for me to learn my lesson, but if there's such a thing as karma it'll happen to that other guy first.