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May. 14th, 2014 08:44 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sorcyressYay it's my second day of MCAS! Booo, I actually have to go proctor, but at least not until 9:30. And let's face it, it's not exactly like I've a difficult day planned for afterwards --the hardest part of my day will be straightening my classroom back out for my Algebra class. And, I dunno, putting the puzzle away or whatever.
Today was one of those commutes that made me hate transportation. I very nearly had a head on collision with a car, which is extra impressive as I don't bike the wrong way down one-ways or otherwise ever put myself in a situation where _I am facing down a car_. Because here we go, fun fact, bike vs car is a losing proposition, every time.
But no, there was a garbage truck parked off to the side, and this asshole whipped around and came charging up --this on a street that's barely two cars wide. The fucker didn't even brake. I found myself pulled right up against the curb and leaning over, and still only had about a foot of clearance. If I'd been a car, there was no way he wouldn't have hit me.
He gave a sort of vague noncommittal hand wave out the window as I looked back at him incredulously. The guy driving the garbage truck gave me a really sympathetic look --sometimes I worry that I'm overestimating the asshole factor of the cars around me, this was not one of those cases.
(All this compounded by an impressive lack of clue earlier in my commute. The first thing I have to do practically is pull a left turn across a fairly busy road, out of a tiny side street. This nice car stopped for me, which would've been better if there hadn't been multiple cars coming the other way. I waved her on, she didn't go. Finally, there was a break in the other half of traffic, so I prepared to go...and she shot across the gap, causing me to startle the fuck out of the next car along who was starting to go. ARG. I wouldn't have cared if she had just gone when I had offered, but giving me a space, and then taking it away when I finally had a safe passage is just not couth.)
On the plus side of everything, I was passed by one of my teacherfriends on her (walking) commute to the school, so I was able to pull onto the sidewalk and walk my bike up while chatting with her. This was right after being almost crashed, so it was nice to have an excuse to just...not be on the road for a spell.
(Impressively, I was not actually physically shaken by the almost-collision. That's how I know I've really made it as a Boston bicyclist --I almost get killed, and the only real emotion I can muster is annoyance at their shitty driving.)
~Sor
MOOP!
Today was one of those commutes that made me hate transportation. I very nearly had a head on collision with a car, which is extra impressive as I don't bike the wrong way down one-ways or otherwise ever put myself in a situation where _I am facing down a car_. Because here we go, fun fact, bike vs car is a losing proposition, every time.
But no, there was a garbage truck parked off to the side, and this asshole whipped around and came charging up --this on a street that's barely two cars wide. The fucker didn't even brake. I found myself pulled right up against the curb and leaning over, and still only had about a foot of clearance. If I'd been a car, there was no way he wouldn't have hit me.
He gave a sort of vague noncommittal hand wave out the window as I looked back at him incredulously. The guy driving the garbage truck gave me a really sympathetic look --sometimes I worry that I'm overestimating the asshole factor of the cars around me, this was not one of those cases.
(All this compounded by an impressive lack of clue earlier in my commute. The first thing I have to do practically is pull a left turn across a fairly busy road, out of a tiny side street. This nice car stopped for me, which would've been better if there hadn't been multiple cars coming the other way. I waved her on, she didn't go. Finally, there was a break in the other half of traffic, so I prepared to go...and she shot across the gap, causing me to startle the fuck out of the next car along who was starting to go. ARG. I wouldn't have cared if she had just gone when I had offered, but giving me a space, and then taking it away when I finally had a safe passage is just not couth.)
On the plus side of everything, I was passed by one of my teacherfriends on her (walking) commute to the school, so I was able to pull onto the sidewalk and walk my bike up while chatting with her. This was right after being almost crashed, so it was nice to have an excuse to just...not be on the road for a spell.
(Impressively, I was not actually physically shaken by the almost-collision. That's how I know I've really made it as a Boston bicyclist --I almost get killed, and the only real emotion I can muster is annoyance at their shitty driving.)
~Sor
MOOP!
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on 2014-05-16 01:06 am (UTC)And UGH I hate it when people try to be nice in a really situationally-unaware way. I think it peaks around start of classes, parents weekend, and graduation when all the out of town parents are driving around and trying to be small-town-nice (which interacts really badly with Boston road expectations.)