God buzzed twice today! Quite amazing, given that buzzing generally happens very infrequently to me, in part because I learned to ride assertively and in part because Toronto just seems to have better drivers (in particular more respectful of us bikers) than lots of less fortunate places.

The first time it happened I was going to turn left and was actually occupying the whole lane. So what does this minivan do? Crosses the centerline, passes me on the left within a few inches, and immediately swerves right in front of me to turn right, since we are practically at the intersection already. Was I pissed off? You bet! Rode up to the guy's window (he couldn't turn right right away because of pedestrians...) and yelled a lot of obscenities at him. He actually seemed to be smiling an apologetic smile. What a turkey.

The second time it was a taxi driver. I am riding in the right lane and there is a car stopped ahead, so I turn back (there is nobody right next to me or right behind me), signal and start changing lanes, as this idiot in the car just speeds up and buzzes me. A friend of mine was riding ahead - and this moron in the cab proceeded to overtake him and buzzes him too! (And he wasn't even changing lanes, just going in a straight line.) Then the cab comes to a stop, so I sure as hell don't miss my chance to have a chat with the cabby... He seems just stupid. Also doesn't seem to believe that bicycles belong on the road. Miserable *&#!

Also had an opportunity to tell to somebody in a car to "Get off the road!" (rather refreshing to have a cyclist tell this to a driver, don't you think so? ). There was this lady who in a space of just a couple of minutes created lots of confusion on the road and about three situations with great collision potential. She was by no means malicious, just extremely unskilled and scared, it seemed. Yet she was driving along this city's major road at rush hour. She really didn't belong there.... should've gotten off the road for her own safety....

So this is how my commute and the errand-running that followed it was. However, I got to drink some superb beer afterwards, although the experience has been spoiled by a loud bunch of guys (who were smoking too) and a group of girls with really loud shrilling laughs... People really do make too much noise in general... I'm thinking of building a log cabin in the wilderness somewhere, really... The only thing that's stopping me is that it's pretty hard to ride a bike in the woods.