Today is Monday, but it is my Friday. I got out of work actually on time, and I started my ride home. The wind was blowing in my hair and I am, just as happy as a clam.
I have to stop at the store and get some cat food, those dudes, sure did remind me this morning that they were out this morning, and also a six pack of beer. I am cruising along, around 24-6 miles an hour, and I am coming up on a 4 way intersection. I do not have a stop sign, but from all of my past experiences, I always slow just a bit when I see a car out of the corner of my eye. Another thing that I have grown more accustom to doing is staring at drivers in the eye's when I am passing them in an intersection.
Well, like I said, I am rolling right along and this tan mini-van catches my eye. I briefly look to the left to see if any cars are coming and then look back right. Now this van is even closer to their stop sign and not slowing down at all..... but gaining speed. I hit my brakes, and just in time. The lady fly's through the stop sign around 40 miles an hour and passes me about a foot from my front wheel.
I see her face and I see the faces or her kids in the back. The kids faces are a blur, but hers was one that I wouldn't forget. He mouth was dropped wide open and a look of shock was there.
I honk my air horn at her and give her the evil eye and continue on my way to the store, shaking the whole way.
I hear a car coming up behind me and it is slowing down as it gets closer to me. I look over my left shoulder to see the still shocked face of the woman, and the now clear faces of the kids in the back.
She says to me "I am so sorry, I didn't see you". At this point I am still shaken up because I know that I could have just been seriously injured or even worse, dead. I feel angry, really angry, the fact that the sun is in your eyes, doesn't mean that you don't have to pay attention.
All I could get out is, "please, PLEASE PAY MORE ATTENTION, I could have just died".
I continued on my way to HEB, shaking the whole way. As I lock my bike up, I am looking at my hands, I can barely keep them from shaking enough to put the lock together. As I walk through the store, I am just happy that I am walking, and that nothing actually happened.
I, of all people, know how lucky I am to be alive. Right now, I feel no different. I have been hit by a van,and I got a broken back in five spots. I have been thrown through the windshield of an SUV and received a broken leg. I feel like I just cheated death by paying more attention then the other person on the road at the same time that I was.
My first initial thoughts were of anger. But that anger quickly subsided with relief. Part of that I contribute to her actually turning around and telling me that she was sorry for almost taking my life.
It still does bother me, that people cannot pay more attention when they are behind the wheel of a 2 ton vehicle, but I am thankful to be alive and typing this, whilst drinking a beer and listening to some good music(Godspeed you Black Emperor).
This was my view....... minus the car in the picture.
This was hers......... add me on my bike to the left a bit.
Be safe out there. Pay attention to drivers(as if you don't know), because they are not paying attention to you.
til next time (which will be soon, I promise)
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