bautieri

We'll get to that, but first a little story.

I just got in from my commute home after a long slog at work. Happy to be back on my bike who had been watching over my shoulder all day from her parking space in my double cube, I set forth into a chilly Wednesday afternoon. It was gloomy, the head wind was strong enough to slow me down when going downhill...and yet today would turn out to be the best ride home to date.

No, I wasn't riding very fast.

It was kind of cold, well, it would be more appropriate to say that I wasn't dressed properly.

Traffic was heavier than usual for some odd reason.

I hit almost every red light on the way home.

The head wind was very strong and almost constant.

I was even stuck behind a bus at one red light. *cough cough*

I guess you could say the commute home wasn't going so well. In fact, you might be inclined to say it wasn't a fun ride at all. And yet this would turn into the best ride home. No Mrs. Bautieri didn't have my favorite supper ready for me when I got home (she's still at work), and I wasn't flashed by a convertible full of sorority sisters which I'm still hopeful for. Hey a guy can dream can't he? In fact, the best part of today came from a simple misunderstanding. I was making a left hand turn at an intersection when suddenly a guy in a car who was perpendicular to me yelled out something uninteligable at me that sounded something like "WARGABLE tall".

"WTF did this guy just say to me? Did he just call me an A-hole? What for? I didn't do nothing to deserve that. Why am I talking to myself?" Hmm...tall...tall...tall...hospital? I whip a U turn and bunny hop up onto the sidewalk and charge up to the cars passenger side window. "I'm sorry sir, what did you say?" I ask into the passenger side window.

"Thank God, Dude, do you know where the Hospital is?" he says in a voice that gave away his penchant for marijuana. "I need to get her to the emergency room fast".

I look into the back seat and see a girl in her late teens/early twentys who looked like she had been pushed down the stairs. She was definatly a meth-head, or at the very least a recovering junkie. Yes, you can tell who the meth heads are, google "faces of meth". Regardless, she was holding her abdomin and looked to be in pain.

"You passed it about a mile ago, turn around and go back the way you came. Go through the next red light and you'll see a sign shortly after on your right, it's the Holy Spirit Hospital. She looks pretty rough, do you want me to call an ambulance"? I ask reaching for my phone.

"No, thank you so much for the directions". He says as the light turns green and he pulls through the intersection. So I continue on my way. I ride right by the hospital on my way home anyways. Sure enough just as I am passing the entrance to the hospital the beat up early 90's thunderbird passes me slowly. I recognize the car and start pointing to my right...at a huge brick building with the words "HOLY SPIRIT GENERAL HOSPITAL" on the side of it. He drives right on by. I catch him again at the next light and tell him he drove right by it and needs to turn around. (They really do need to trim that bush back that obstructs the entrance sign) He claims he saw it but missed the turn, he thanks me again and then he pulls off and into a nearby parking lot where I assume he turned around and made it to the hospital.

Point is this, there have been many threads running around these forums where people complain about people in cars who yell at them. Check out the commuting or A/S forums for further examples. It made me wonder just how many of these were miss understandings. Sure I was quick to jump the gun and think this person was insulting me but it ended up not being the case. By maintaining a clear head and being calm I was able to provide directions for a fellow human being in their hour need. Meth head or not. For this I am thankful for, it kind of feels good in a way that I am not sure if it would fall into boastfulness or not. Regardless, it's an opportunity I would not have been afforded should I have been driving my truck that day.

Well, I did my good deed for the day. Be safe out there.

Bau

Bone Head

Another deposit in the "First Universal Bank of Good Karma".
Well done sir. In today's social & political climate, something we all should remember.

Hill-Pumper

I guess the same thing could be said about horn honks. I have had few times where the driver honks while coming from behind me. When the y pas they give me a friendly wave. I guess it was their way of saying that they were going to pass, even though I would have preferred that they had just yelled "LEFT" Great job on doing the good deed!!!!

CliftonGK1

I've had a couple good encounters. None started with a misunderstood WARgrble, though. The most recent was when a delivery truck driver leaned out his window at a red light as I pulled up on his left in the turn lane, so he could ask directions to the highway.

markdavid570

Good call man!

txvintage

Good on'ya Bau. Like you said, we tend to focus on bad encounters and experiences while riding. For every car that has someone that yells an insult or buzzes us there are hundreds more who are courteous. It's worth noting that even when someone yells it just might not be as bad as we think.

Neil_B

Well done, Bau!

petflunky

Good for you! The last time I was yelled at was by a truck load of teenagers. It sounded like "Wharrgarble" to me as well. I responded with a loud BITE ME.

Your response encourages me to be a little more selective with my responses.

Riverside_Guy

Good to see karma still works (from this old hippie). Twice in the past month I stopped to offer whatever meager help I could, so I take a tumble into a pond on the first group ride I do and am helped by this guy in a yellow jersey... turns out it was a guy I've come to know from his posts here!

What goes around, comes around!

ECB1

Good job, but I'm still hoping for the sorority sisters. ECB1

jboyd

Great Post.

Often times, people post stories and by the time I get through them, my eyes are glazed over and there is drool forming in the corner of my mouth. When you write, I always find myself wishing it was longer.

You and I have the same twisted sense of humor. Never loose that.

bautieri

Thanks jboyd. I'd try and write a book but I'm afraid I don't have anything to say that would be lengthy and interesting. Then there is that whole grammar thing. Maybe some day.

bautieri

As am I. Somehow I don't think the "Amish Girls Gone Wild" got off to a great start.

Neil_B

The problem with books is that people with half a mind to write one usually do so.

MikeM21

I bet Mrs. B says the same thing!!!

MM...I just couldn't help myself NO implulse control

EKW in DC

Good story! Glad you could help them out. I agree there may be some misunderstood ramblings from passing cars, but I know for a fact that the DB in the Ford Explorer two days ago definitely yelled "Get the f$%k off the road as he buzzed me." That was unmistakable...

bautieri

That's ok, never let personal feelings get in the way of a good comment !!