My GF seems to be worried about me commuting to work on a bicycle - I got three LED flashy lights from her for my B-day. "Mutant Guppies" they're called. I already had an LED headlight and tail light. So I attached one to my helmet in the back, one to my handlebars, and the third one went on my rack in the back. I rode in this morning lit up like a friggin CHRISTMAS tree.
But that didn’t stop the a-hole driving the Honda Accord past me this morning – dude whizzes by 12 inches off my elbow going probably 45 in a 35 zone, engine gunning. I lost it, shouted F--K YOU!!! at the top of my lungs as he sped off into the distance. But you know what? After he blew past me, I watched him pull right up to the bumper of the car in front of him, in the right lane, then he did an aggressive lane change into the left lane, cutting off a guy and barely squeezing in between two cars in the left lane. So, dude was just an a-hole – an accident waiting to happen. I’m sure those other drivers were just as PO'd as I was.
But what topped that off was the guy in the little red BMW Z3 hardtop. I’ve seen his car in the parking garage – it’s hard to miss. After you cross the last traffic light coming in it is a 25 MPH speed limit, and barely a tenth of a mile from that light to a stop sign. At that stop sign, you turn right, go about 50 feet, then turn right into our parking complex.
I was in the front of the line at that last red light. When it turned green I stood up and accelerated to about 18 or 19 MPH. Now, with less than a tenth of a mile, 25 MPH speed limit, two lanes going in, and I’m going at least 18 in the right lane, the cars are all swerving into the left lane, desperate to pass me so they can get to that stop sign five or ten seconds before I do. That’s OK, I’m used to that. They do it every morning. God help them if they should have to take an extra five or ten seconds to reach the stop sign.
But the guy in the Z3 was the WORST. Three cars had zoomed by me and swerved back into the right lane and were stopping at the stop sign. I had stopped pedaling because I wasn’t more than 30 or 40 feet from the back of that 3rd car stopped at the sign, and it was time to brake. But that little Z3 has to zoom past me, swerve hard to the right three feet in front of me, and slam on his brakes to keep from hitting the three cars now stacked up at the stop sign. I had to slam on my brakes to keep from hitting the rear end of the Z3. THAT little move was REALLY irritating. As I was locking up my bike and guys were walking out of the parking garage, I was giving them all the stink eye, wondering if they were the butthead driving the Z3. I must restrain myself and just let it go. I don’t want to sink to his level and become an a-hole delivering a lecture like a parent to some guy that has already proven he is an immature aggressive driver.