Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Creedmore Cruise

Nice bike ride this morning, though to get to the pretty and mostly empty country roads, I have to go down some busy ones. 1327 has nice wide shoulders, but it leads to the county dump facility, so tons of garbage trucks go by, kicking up a lot of dirt. And Slaughter Lane is always a little nerve wracking, even though it has a bike lane. But cool weather, birds singing, and a mild breeze made for a pleasant morning.
Though I had a close call on S 1st when a truck behind me didn't give me the right of way turning left, and instead decided to try to pass me from behind in the intersection because he wanted to go straight. He forced me off my bike and came within an arm's length of me. That was scary, and it makes me angry that these oblivious drivers in metal boxes think they own the road. I don't agree with the aggressive downtown bikers that run red lights and pass in between cars either- I think they're wrong too. But perhaps a little courtesy and following the law by both drivers and cyclists would be a good thing. And when you're behind the wheel of a potential deadly weapon, then you need to pay attention and yield the right of way to the vehicle in front so you don't kill someone!